MPI-Vector-IO: Parallel I/O and Partitioning for Geospatial Vector Data

In recent times, geospatial datasets are growing in terms of size, complexity and heterogeneity. High performance systems are needed to analyze such data to produce actionable insights in an efficient manner. For polygonal a.k.a vector datasets, operations such as I/O, data partitioning, communication, and load balancing becomes challenging in a cluster environment. In this work, we present MPI-Vector-IO 1 , a parallel I/O library that we have designed using MPI-IO specifically for partitioning and reading irregular vector data formats such as Well Known Text. It makes MPI aware of spatial data, spatial primitives and provides support for spatial data types embedded within collective computation and communication using MPI message-passing library. These abstractions along with parallel I/O support are useful for parallel Geographic Information System (GIS) application development on HPC platforms

Giant planets: Clues on current and past organic chemistry in the outer solar system

The giant planets of the outer solar system - Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune - were formed in the same flattened disk of gas and dust, the solar nebula, as the terrestrial planets were. Yet, the giant planets differ in some very fundamental ways from the terrestrial planets. Despite enormous differences, the giant planets are relevant to exobiology in general and the origin of life on the Earth in particular. The giant planets are described as they are today. Their basic properties and the chemistry occurring in their atmospheres is discussed. Theories of their origin are explored and aspects of these theories that may have relevance to exobiology and the origin of life on Earth are stressed

Book Review: Physics and Chemistry of the Upper Atmosphere

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/94675/1/eost8433.pd

Photochemistry of Planetary Atmospheres

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/94723/1/eost12487.pd

Saturn's Exploration Beyond Cassini-Huygens

For its beautiful rings, active atmosphere and mysterious magnetic field, Saturn is a fascinating planet. It also holds some of the keys to understanding the formation of our Solar System and the evolution of giant planets in general. While the exploration by the Cassini-Huygens mission has led to great advances in our understanding of the planet and its moons, it has left us with puzzling questions: What is the bulk composition of the planet? Does it have a helium core? Is it enriched in noble gases like Jupiter? What powers and controls its gigantic storms? We have learned that we can measure an outer magnetic field that is filtered from its non-axisymmetric components, but what is Saturn's inner magnetic field? What are the rings made of and when were they formed? These questions are crucial in several ways: a detailed comparison of the compositions of Jupiter and Saturn is necessary to understand processes at work during the formation of these two planets and of the Solar System. This calls for the continued exploration of the second largest planet in our Solar System, with a variety of means including remote observations and space missions. Measurements of gravity and magnetic fields very close to the planet's cloud tops would be extremely valuable. Very high spatial resolution images of the rings would provide details on their structure and the material that form them. Last but not least, one or several probes sent into the atmosphere of the planet would provide the critical measurements that would allow a detailed comparison with the same measurements at Jupiter. [abridged abstract