Source: Earth Sciences New Zealand
New Zealand’s newest and largest supercomputer has produced its first weather forecast.
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Shane Reti was there to celebrate the milestone and to help deliver this first weather forecast at Earth Sciences New Zealand’s office in Auckland.
He says the $35 million investment into Cascade, and its data archive Rapids, signifies a huge investment in New Zealand’s future.
“The Government’s science reforms are about turning world-class research into economic value and resilience faster. With Earth Sciences New Zealand bringing together NIWA and GNS Science, we’ve unified capability across hazards, climate, oceans and the solid Earth. As we integrate MetService, New Zealanders will see more accurate, timely, impact-focused warnings. Investments like Cascade show how advanced technologies – including AI today and quantum tomorrow – grow productivity, lower costs, and keep people safe,” he says.
Earth Sciences New Zealand (formerly NIWA) Transition Chief Executive John Morgan says Cascade is three times more powerful than its supercomputing predecessor, capable of computing speeds of 2.4 petaflops. It would take a human the equivalent of 32 million years to do a similar calculation.
“This represents significant advancements in our science capabilities. Not only can it provide earlier and more frequent forecasts, but it also supports simulations of oceanographic systems, freshwater dynamics, and seismic activity – helping us to model natural hazards, including floods, earthquakes, and droughts. This will be critical for mitigating the impacts of severe events such as Cyclone Gabrielle.
“It can also assess climate change impact, helping us understand our weather under long-term environmental shifts. This level of detail will be crucial. If we can look ahead a few months and say with confidence how the coming season will shape up, we will be able to better plan and protect our people and infrastructure,” said Mr Morgan.
In initial testing, Cascade performed better than expected, including in its energy efficiency. CDC’s datacentre, where the supercomputer is housed, gets its electricity from 100 per cent renewable sources, and its liquid cooling system minimises water use significantly by being a fully closed loop. This ensures the computer’s environmental footprint is as small as possible.
Crown-funded access to Cascade and Rapids mean New Zealand’s entire science sector will benefit from the new supercomputing capability.
“This machine is incredibly impressive, it takes New Zealand’s supercomputing infrastructure to a new level,” says Mr Morgan.
Cascade has been built by Earth Sciences New Zealand’s supercomputing team and vendors Xenon, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, CDC, and it builds on the technology platforms from VAST Data, Versity Software, Spectra Logic, and Altair.
