Communications of the ACM
U.K.-Funded Supercomputer Models Locust Flows, as Outbreak Continues
A U.K.-funded supercomputer in Kenya is being used to simulate locust swarm migrations ravaging East Africa. The supercomputer is taking advantage of satellite data to track the swarms, which came move as much as 100 miles in a single day; its results inform both early warning systems and pesticide spraying.
The system also generates regional forecasts of high winds, humidity, and rainfall, which help to project the locusts' migration patterns as the swarms tend to enter areas of rapid vegetation growth following droughts or other extreme weather events.
The supercomputer was provided under the auspices of the U.K. Department for International Development's £35-million (nearly $45-million) Weather and Climate Information Services for Africa program.
From Computer Business Review
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