Reducing Data Motion and Energy Consumption of Geospatial Modeling Applications Using Automated Precision Conversion

The burgeoning interest in large-scale geospatial modeling, particularly within the domains of climate and weather prediction, underscores the concomitant critical importance of accuracy, scalability, and computational speed. Harnessing these complex simulations’ potential, however, necessitates innovative computational strategies, especially considering the increasing volume of data involved. Recent advancements in Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) have opened up new avenues for accelerating these modeling processes. In particular, their efficient utilization necessitates new strategies, such as mixed-precision arithmetic, that can balance the trade-off between computational speed and model accuracy. This paper leverages PaRSEC runtime system and delves into the opportunities provided by mixed-precision arithmetic to expedite large-scale geospatial modeling in heterogeneous environments. By using an automated conversion strategy, our mixed-precision approach significantly improves computational performance (up to 3X) on Summit supercomputer and reduces the associated energy consumption on various Nvidia GPU generations. Importantly, this implementation ensures the requisite accuracy in environmental applications, a critical factor in their operational viability. The findings of this study bear significant implications for future research and development in high-performance computing, underscoring the transformative potential of mixed-precision arithmetic on GPUs in addressing the computational demands of large-scale geospatial modeling and making a stride toward a more sustainable, efficient, and accurate future in large-scale environmental applications.