Juliacon 2024

Oceananigans: an ocean-flavoured fluid dynamics library
07-12, 14:50–15:00 (Europe/Amsterdam), While Loop (4.2)

Oceananigans is a Julia fluid dynamics library focused on oceanic settings that underpins the ocean component of the CliMA's Earth System Model. We describe the implementation strategy with particular attention to flexibility, usability, and performance on GPU architectures. We explain how our approach gives rise to a generalized framework that can be easily extended to encompass different physical parameterization and model components.


We present Oceananigans, a Julia fluid dynamics library focused on oceanic settings. Oceananigans underpins the ocean component of the CliMA's Earth System Model. Using a library for fluid dynamics modeling deviates from the typical approach of having a statically compiled code because it allows users to develop their custom equations by leveraging Oceananigans' predefined functions. We describe the implementation strategy with particular attention to flexibility, usability, and performance on GPU architectures. We explain how our approach gives rise to a generalized framework that can be easily extended to encompass different physical parameterization and model components. As specific examples, we illustrate the implementation of a sea-ice component and a biogeochemistry component and if time allows we showcase the ease of use by illustrating how to include a neural network in Oceananigans' hydrostatic model.

See also: Slides

website: www.navidconstantinou.com
Github: @navidcy
video intro in 60 seconds

Navid grew up in Lefkosia, Cyprus and studied physics at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (BSc, MSc, PhD). In 2015, he was awarded a NOAA Climate and Global Change Postdoctoral fellowship to work at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego. On 2018, Navid moved to the Australian National University first as a Research Fellow (2018-2021) and then as an ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award Fellow (2021-2024). Since June 2024, he is a senior lecturer at the School of Geography Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Melbourne.

Navid studies turbulent flows. His research focuses on how the ocean’s small-scale turbulent motions affect the large-scale ocean circulation and the Earth’s climate. In parallel, he is very passionate about scientific computing and climate model development. Navid is one of the core developers of the ocean dynamical core of the new Earth System Model developed by the Climate Modelling Alliance. He is also very passionate about open-source software and reproducibility practices. His favorite planet other than ours is Jupiter. Besides research and coding, he enjoys surfing 🏄🏽, biking 🚴, horse riding 🏇, dancing 💃, and taking photographs 📷. He also likes telling stories (science-related or note) and he’s an avid story listener. Watch him introducing himself in 60 seconds. For more you can browse his website.