International Collaboration for Real-time Tsunami Simulation accelerated by GPU computing

An international collaboration with the group of AIT (Asian Institute of Technology) has been going on under the memorandum of understanding. From the view point of disaster prevention, the real-time tsunami simulation is very effective and gives us high-accurate predictions by breaking away from database depending warning. After an earthquake happens, we start the tsunami simulation and have to finish it before the tsunami arrival at sea shores. The high performance of GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) makes it possible to carry out high-speed computation for the tsunami simulation, instead of supercomputers. Although the GPU code has to be built newly, the performance of 10 GPUs is comparable with that of 1000 CPU on the TSUBAME supercomputer. We also collaborate with the tsunami project of ADPC (Asian Disaster Preparedness Center). (Takayuki Aoki)

Multiple GPU hardware

A snapshot of the real-time tsunami simulation

International Collaboration on Modeling and Simulation of Large-Scale Open-Pit Lignite Mining

Mae Moh mine is the largest open-pit lignite mine in Thailand and the whole Southeast Asian region with an annual production of nearly 16 million tons. Due to the geological and ground water conditions, mining at a deeper depth more than 200 meters has caused many difficulties, therefore excavation techniques with numerical simulation are necessary. For this purpose, GSIC is collaborating with Chiang Mai University and Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand on research involving load-transfer mechanisms due to arch action and its application to cut-and-fill sequences of large-scale unstable rock mass placed on weak bedding planes using physical models and numerical simulations. We visited the sites during March 15-21 and October 25-November 8, 2009 to collect data, conduct experiments and share discussions with related engineers. Currently, we are investigating load-transfer mechanisms through centrifugal test in cooperation with Soil Mechanics Group. (Thirapong Pipatpongsa)

Schematization of moving-pit excavation	Failure modes of prototype model
	Set-up of centrifugal test