BLOOMINGTON, Ind., Sept. 23 (UPI) -- Indiana University says it plans to provide a substantial boost in computing power for scientists studying the shrinking polar ice sheet in Antarctica.
Funded by a $1.96 million National Science Foundation grant, Indiana University says it's joining Elizabeth City State University and the NSF's Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets at the University of Kansas in deploying customized computational resources to Antarctica.
Officials said the new resources will allow scientists -- both on site and remotely -- to more securely and efficiently process data during polar field expeditions.
"The news we've seen out of Greenland and Canada in recent weeks is alarming," said Geoffrey Fox, director of Indiana University's grids lab and principal investigator of the project. He said ice sheets in existence for thousands of years are deteriorating rapidly and breaking apart.
"It is critical to provide polar scientists with access to advanced computing technology during field expeditions; it will help them work more efficiently as they strive to gain a better understanding of the problems facing our planet -- and will allow them to move more quickly toward finding solutions," said Fox.
The equipment will support a four-month research expedition that will begin in November.
