High-Performance and Distributed Computing for Polar Science: A Community White Paper

The NSF funded Polar Computing Research Coordination Network (NSF 1542110) was tasked with analyzing opportunities and barriers in the uptake of high-performance & distributed computing for polar science. Specifically the charge of the RCN was to: (i) Identify opportunities for, and barriers to, greater uptake of High-Performance and Distributed Cyberinfrastructure by polar sciences, (ii) Ensure that plans and designs for new and existing NSF-funded cyberinfrastructure efforts are cognizant of the needs of the Polar Science community, and (iii) Understand how best to educate a new generation of polar scientists in the skills needed to realize the opportunities and potential of HPDC. This community paper analyzes the state-of-play along these three dimensions.