Numerical investigation has evolved into a diverse and complicated task. Its many components include experimental design, parameter definition, job management, code execution, output interrogation, data mining, visualization and data archival. The paradigm of carrying out such studies is shifting to one which incorporates all elements into an efficient, powerful and comprehensive system. Portal technologies and Grid tools facilitate such integration and make computationally demanding studies possible.

Atmospheric and computational scientists are working together to apply portal technologies to ensemble modeling studies on the Grid. Our initial testbed is the study of the April 1996 tornado outbreak which struck Illinois and nearby states with high winds and strong tornadoes. Ensemble modeling studies of this case involve hundreds of simulations to span the range of observed convective environments and thunderstorm cell behavior.

The research infrastructure being developed will allow us to efficiently design and carry out these studies and ultimately refine our research approach and parameter space. We will discuss the use of portal technologies to integrate experimental design, execution and interrogation on multiple platforms across the Grid.