JASMIN

JASMIN. It is a globally significant data-intensive supercomputing facility dedicated to environmental science, operated by the Science and Technology Facilities Council at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire. The infrastructure provides a unique collaborative environment for processing, analyzing, and curating vast datasets from fields like climate science, Earth observation, and numerical weather prediction. By integrating high-performance computing, cloud storage, and fast networking, it supports critical research for organizations including the Met Office, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, and the National Centre for Earth Observation.

● Overview

JASMIN was established to address the escalating data challenges within the environmental science community, particularly driven by projects like the Copernicus Programme and next-generation climate models. Its development has been funded and guided by the Natural Environment Research Council and the Science and Technology Facilities Council, forming a cornerstone of the UK's national research infrastructure. The facility is intrinsically linked to the Centre for Environmental Data Analysis, which provides archival and data management services, creating an end-to-end platform for data-driven discovery. This integrated approach has positioned JASMIN as a critical asset for both UK researchers and international collaborators tackling global environmental challenges.

● Architecture and components

The system's architecture is a tightly integrated fabric of high-performance computing, parallel filesystems, and object storage, designed for data-intensive workflows rather than traditional floating-point performance. Its compute resources are segmented into several specialized clusters, including the **JASMIN Cloud** for flexible virtual machine provisioning and the **LOTUS** batch processing cluster for high-throughput tasks. Data is managed via the **Ceph**-based object store and high-speed parallel filesystems like Lustre, enabling rapid access to multi-petabyte datasets. This is interconnected by a high-bandwidth network backbone that facilitates efficient data movement between JASMIN, the ARCHER2 national supercomputer, and international data centers such as those operated by the European Space Agency.

● Scientific applications and research

JASMIN underpins a vast portfolio of frontier environmental research, enabling scientists to process and analyze data from satellites like Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-3, and output from complex models such as those developed by the Met Office Hadley Centre. Key projects include the **UK Earth System Model** simulations for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessment reports, the analysis of atmospheric composition data for the **National Centre for Atmospheric Science**, and the processing of terrestrial carbon flux observations. Research communities also use JASMIN for studying ocean biogeochemistry with data from the National Oceanography Centre, and for assessing land-surface changes using algorithms developed for the NASA Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer.

● Access and user community

Access to JASMIN is managed through a peer-reviewed proposal system overseen by the Natural Environment Research Council, with resources allocated to principal investigators from UK academic institutions, research councils, and approved international partners. The user community spans hundreds of scientists from organizations like the University of Reading, the University of Leeds, the British Antarctic Survey, and the National Centre for Earth Observation. Extensive training and support are provided through workshops and the **JASMIN Helpdesk**, fostering a skilled user base capable of leveraging the complex infrastructure. Collaborative projects with entities such as the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites and the Global Climate Observing System further expand its community impact.

● Development and future directions

The facility undergoes continuous evolution to keep pace with exponential data growth from missions like the EarthCARE satellite and next-generation climate ensembles. Future development is focused on enhancing interactive analysis capabilities, integrating advanced **artificial intelligence** and **machine learning** workflows for pattern detection in big data, and adopting more energy-efficient computing technologies. Strategic plans involve deeper integration with other national facilities like **DiRAC** and international data federations, ensuring JASMIN remains at the forefront of supporting global challenges such as climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction as outlined in the Paris Agreement. Category:Supercomputers Category:Science and Technology Facilities Council Category:Environmental science