NSF NCAR plays a crucial, life-saving role in Antarctic operations through its
Antarctic Mesoscale Prediction System (AMPS). Now celebrating its 25th anniversary, AMPS was developed in 2000 and operates with support from the NSF Office of Polar Programs (OPP).
AMPS uses advanced weather models running on the Derecho supercomputer to generate critical, twice-daily forecasts for the entire Antarctic continent. This high-resolution, tailored data ensures the safety and logistics of the United States Antarctic Program (USAP), international researchers, and crucial air and ground transport operations.
The Computational and Information Systems Lab (CISL) at NSF NCAR ensures the daily, reliable operation of AMPS. A notable instance of this commitment occurred in 2016 during a medical evacuation, when CISL acted swiftly to guarantee uninterrupted, essential weather forecasts from AMPS.
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Shira Feldman
Writer/Editor II, CISL
UCAR, UCP and NSF NCAR
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