Cutting edge computing cluster brings new mapping capabilities to the Geophysical Institute
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTVF) -The UAF Geophysical Institute’s Alaska Satellite Facility is operating a new high-performance computing cluster provided by the federal government. This system quickly processes image data to produce 3D maps in great detail.
Athena Project Manager, Helena Buurman explains, “Athena is a high performance computing cluster that’s located here in Fairbanks. And that’s kind of a specialized word for a type of supercomputer that processes satellite data for the government that we have running here in the Butrovich building.”
The computing cluster was given the name Athena after the Greek goddess of wisdom and war. With this system the GI works with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency on their mission to supply geospatial data to the department of defense. Nettie La Belle-Hamer, Vice Chancellor for Research and director of the Alaska Satellite Facility had this to say.
“Satellites have been taking images for many many years, and we have been taking images for many many years here in Alaska. What we really are doing is creating the most accurate maps that we can create now with today’s technology,” said La Belle-Hamer.
In addition to military utility, these improved maps provide many benefits for civilian needs, such as their ability to inform rescue operations in in the case of natural disasters like earthquakes and floods. In addition, as the maps are current, and are planned to be periodically updated, they will provide valuable information about changes in the environment such as the melting of glaciers.
“Athena is processing satellite imagery, and what that means is it’s taking photographs taken from space, from satellites and turning them into accurate 3D maps of the Earth. So the satellites go over and they take pairs of pictures at slightly different angles and what you end up with is something similar to what they do in 3D movies where they can combine these two slightly angled pictures together. In the movies you do it with 3D glasses, and we’re doing it with Athena. And what ends up happening is you get this nice accurate 3D model of the Earth,” said Buurman.
Currently Athena has generated a 3D map from the North Pole down to 60 degrees latitude. Within the next four years Athena will keep going south and eventually cover the whole planet.
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