JASMIN

JASMIN
Name	JASMIN
Established	2008
Type	Research data cluster
Location	Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Oxfordshire

JASMIN

JASMIN is a large-scale environmental science data analysis and storage infrastructure based at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory on the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire. It provides high-performance computing, petascale storage, and data management services to researchers involved with initiatives such as the Met Office, European Space Agency, National Centre for Atmospheric Science, and international projects including Copernicus Programme and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. JASMIN supports workflows spanning observational records, climate model outputs, and satellite products produced by agencies like NASA, NOAA, and EUMETSAT.

Overview

JASMIN functions as a federated data centre combining compute nodes, archival storage, metadata services, and user-facing analysis platforms to serve communities tied to the UK Research and Innovation ecosystem and European collaborations. The facility integrates resources used by teams from institutions such as the University of Oxford, University of Leeds, University of Bristol, University of Reading, Imperial College London, and the Scottish Association for Marine Science. It is designed to host datasets from programmes including the World Climate Research Programme, Global Climate Observing System, and research consortia participating in Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe projects.

History and Development

JASMIN’s conception followed strategic reports recommending national data infrastructure to support climate science, coinciding with investments from bodies like the Natural Environment Research Council and partnerships with the Met Office. Early deployment drew upon expertise from projects linked to the UK e-Science Programme and collaborations with commercial providers including IBM and EMC Corporation. Subsequent expansions aligned with international milestones such as assessment cycles of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and observational campaigns by Copernicus Sentinel missions operated by European Space Agency. Upgrades were scheduled alongside developments at partner sites including the Science and Technology Facilities Council and regional university computing centres.

Architecture and Capabilities

The architecture combines high-throughput storage arrays, parallel filesystems, cluster compute, virtualization environments, and tape-based archival systems similar to those used by large-scale centres like CERN and European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. JASMIN employs networking technologies interoperable with national research networks such as JANET and European research backbones like GÉANT to support data movement with institutions including Met Office Hadley Centre and National Oceanography Centre. Its compute environment supports analysis frameworks and languages popular in environmental research, interoperating with tools developed at organisations including NCAR, Princeton University, MIT, and University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.

Data and Services

JASMIN hosts climate model ensembles from projects coordinated by the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project and observational records from satellite operators such as NASA, NOAA, and EUMETSAT, as well as in situ networks like Argo and the Global Precipitation Climatology Project. Services include data ingestion pipelines, cataloguing with metadata standards promoted by World Data System, format conversion for standards such as CF Convention, and provisioning of analysis platforms integrating software from communities around Python, R (programming language), and domain-specific tools developed at institutes like Met Office and University of Reading. JASMIN provides user authentication and access controls aligned with identity federations including UK Access Management Federation and supports collaboration platforms akin to those used by projects funded under European Research Council grants.

Users and Applications

Primary users include climate scientists at institutions like University of Edinburgh, University of Exeter, University of Manchester, University of East Anglia, and researchers affiliated with the British Antarctic Survey and National Physical Laboratory. Application domains cover climate change attribution studies used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, seasonal forecasting linked to Met Office Hadley Centre, satellite data processing for missions by European Space Agency and NASA, and marine analyses used by the International Hydrographic Organization. JASMIN also supports policy-relevant impact assessments informing bodies such as the Committee on Climate Change and international assessments coordinated by United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change delegations.

Governance and Funding

Governance is provided through partnerships among public research organisations like the Natural Environment Research Council, Science and Technology Facilities Council, and operational partners including the Met Office and university consortia. Funding has historically combined capital and operational contributions from national research councils, project grants from programmes including Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe, and in-kind support from institutional partners such as the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and participating universities. Strategic oversight aligns with national research priorities set by UK Research and Innovation and international obligations tied to collaborative initiatives like the Global Climate Observing System.

Category:Research infrastructure Category:Climate science