Centre for High Performance Computing 2025 National Conference

Computational challenges of running kilometer-scale Earth System Models in a developing country

3 Dec 2025, 14:10

20m

BICC.G-C1 - C1 Tsitsikamma (Boardwalk Convention Centre)

Talk HPC Applications

Speaker

Mr Tumelo Moalusi (Witwatersrand University)

Description

Extreme weather events' escalating frequency and severity underscore the urgent need for high-resolution climate modelling. Developing countries, often with limited resources, face unique challenges in implementing kilometre-scale Earth System Models (ESMs) to simulate local-scale climate projections accurately. Here, I will explore the computational challenges associated with running such models and the socio-economic implications and opportunities. I will also present a case study of the Conformal Cubic Atmospheric Model (CCAM), a component of the first African ESM, at the Southern African Centre for High-Performance Computing (CHPC). By examining CCAM's performance and identifying computational bottlenecks, we aim to inform strategies for optimizing ESMs in resource-constrained environments.