Construction begins on Cheyenne-area supercomputer that will study climate

Construction begins on supercomputer near Cheyenne

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Work has begun on a super-computing facility outside Cheyenne that will contain one of the world’s most powerful computers.

The $100 million supercomputing center will be used to study climate change, air quality, severe weather, space weather and other science topics.

The supercomputer is expected to rank in the top 25 by the time it becomes operational in 2012. If operational today, it would be the second-fastest computing machine in the world.

Gov. Dave Freudenthal and other dignitaries formally broke ground at the site Tuesday.

The National Center for Atmospheric Research and its managing organization, the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, are leading the project.