Klinck, John M. (6/22/98)

Below are a few comments on draft 3 of the Apropos workshop report.

Computer resources:

The computer resource comment is specific to the largest of climate simulations and very specific to the problem at NCAR with foreign computer purchases. It is important to recognize the need to provide computer resources at several levels.

Workstations for individuals are inexpensive, have useful performance for simple models and are generally available through grants or by institutional matching. This level of support should continue.

Mid-sized (group or departmental) computers are the hardest to obtain and support. These would be used by a small group (10 or fewer); would cost $0.1 to 0.5M; and, would have about 10% of the performance of the largest computers. These generally are too expensive for a single grant but hard to get through NSF infrastructure proposals (instrumentation seems to take the lead).

Large computers are less available to ocean sciences than before, with NCAR being one of the small number of places where individuals can get time. Many of the large computers are being used by groups at DOE and DOD and are typically not available for use by the ocean modeling community. It is increasingly difficult to run less than heroic, but nevertheless useful, ocean model simulations at supercomputer centers supported by various government agencies.

Education:

It is important to interest students trained in physics in problems in physical oceanography. It is difficult to attract undergraduates to oceanography classes, not least of which because physics departments do not want their students straying from the straight and narrow path.

However, funding is already tight (in spite of the recent projected budget surplus) so is it fair to continue the level of training of professional oceanographers if positions and funding are declining. Universities are looking at oceanography as a way to increase student enrollment but clearly not all should be trained as PhD's. We should encourage teaching of a small number of undergraduate classes in physical oceanography for physics/math/engineering students without trying to recruit these students to a graduate study of oceanography. This would increase the public understanding of ocean physics. There should also be more training of support or management graduates at a MS level for jobs in the various bureaucracies of environmental issues that are accumulating.

John M. Klinck
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA 23529
phone: 759-683-6005
fax: 759-683-5550
email: klinck@ccpo.odu.edu