diff --git a/terraform/gcp/cluster.tf b/terraform/gcp/cluster.tf
index 52ed778eec..8d21e22098 100644
--- a/terraform/gcp/cluster.tf
+++ b/terraform/gcp/cluster.tf
@@ -194,6 +194,13 @@ resource "google_container_node_pool" "notebook" {
 
 
   node_config {
+
+    # Balanced disks are much faster than standard disks, and much cheaper
+    # than SSD disks. It contributes heavily to how fast new nodes spin up,
+    # as images being pulled takes up a lot of new node spin up time.
+    # Faster disks provide faster image pulls!
+    disk_type = "pd-balanced"
+
     workload_metadata_config {
       # Config Connector requires workload identity to be enabled (via GKE_METADATA_SERVER).
       # If config connector is not necessary, we use simple metadata concealment
@@ -257,10 +264,12 @@ resource "google_container_node_pool" "dask_worker" {
   node_config {
 
     preemptible = true
-    # SSD Disks for dask workers make image pulls much faster
-    # Since we might have many dask workers spinning up at the
-    # same time, the extra cost of using this is probably worth it.
-    disk_type = "pd-ssd"
+
+    # Balanced disks are much faster than standard disks, and much cheaper
+    # than SSD disks. It contributes heavily to how fast new nodes spin up,
+    # as images being pulled takes up a lot of new node spin up time.
+    # Faster disks provide faster image pulls!
+    disk_type = "pd-balanced"
 
     workload_metadata_config {
       # Config Connector requires workload identity to be enabled (via GKE_METADATA_SERVER).
diff --git a/terraform/gcp/projects/cloudbank.tfvars b/terraform/gcp/projects/cloudbank.tfvars
index 7588416e5d..b963734d8d 100644
--- a/terraform/gcp/projects/cloudbank.tfvars
+++ b/terraform/gcp/projects/cloudbank.tfvars
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ notebook_nodes = {
     min : 0,
     max : 20,
     machine_type : "n1-highmem-4",
-    labels: {}
+    labels: {},
   },
 }
 
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ dask_nodes = {
     min : 0,
     max : 100,
     machine_type : "n1-highmem-4",
-    labels: {}
+    labels: {},
   },
 }
 
diff --git a/terraform/gcp/projects/meom-ige.tfvars b/terraform/gcp/projects/meom-ige.tfvars
index b5a3867348..7579f381a4 100644
--- a/terraform/gcp/projects/meom-ige.tfvars
+++ b/terraform/gcp/projects/meom-ige.tfvars
@@ -24,31 +24,31 @@ notebook_nodes = {
     min : 0,
     max : 20,
     machine_type : "n1-standard-2",
-    labels: {}
+    labels: {},
   },
   "medium" : {
     min : 0,
     max : 20,
     machine_type : "n1-standard-8",
-    labels: {}
+    labels: {},
   },
   "large" : {
     min : 0,
     max : 20,
     machine_type : "n1-standard-16",
-    labels: {}
+    labels: {},
   },
   "very-large" : {
     min : 0,
     max : 20,
     machine_type : "n1-standard-32",
-    labels: {}
+    labels: {},
   },
   "huge" : {
     min : 0,
     max : 20,
     machine_type : "n1-standard-64",
-    labels: {}
+    labels: {},
   },
 
 }
@@ -58,31 +58,35 @@ dask_nodes = {
     min : 0,
     max : 20,
     machine_type : "n1-standard-2",
-    labels: {}
+    labels: {},
   },
   "medium" : {
     min : 0,
     max : 20,
     machine_type : "n1-standard-8",
-    labels: {}
+    labels: {},
+    disk_type: "pd-ssd"
   },
   "large" : {
     min : 0,
     max : 20,
     machine_type : "n1-standard-16",
-    labels: {}
+    labels: {},
+    disk_type: "pd-ssd"
   },
   "very-large" : {
     min : 0,
     max : 20,
     machine_type : "n1-standard-32",
-    labels: {}
+    labels: {},
+    disk_type: "pd-ssd"
   },
   "huge" : {
     min : 0,
     max : 20,
     machine_type : "n1-standard-64",
-    labels: {}
+    labels: {},
+    disk_type: "pd-ssd"
   },
 
 }
diff --git a/terraform/gcp/projects/pangeo-hubs.tfvars b/terraform/gcp/projects/pangeo-hubs.tfvars
index ea95097a83..656bf43da4 100644
--- a/terraform/gcp/projects/pangeo-hubs.tfvars
+++ b/terraform/gcp/projects/pangeo-hubs.tfvars
@@ -23,19 +23,19 @@ notebook_nodes = {
     min : 0,
     max : 100,
     machine_type : "n1-standard-4",
-    labels: {}
+    labels: {},
   },
   "medium" : {
     min : 0,
     max : 100,
     machine_type : "n1-standard-8",
-    labels: {}
+    labels: {},
   },
   "large" : {
     min : 0,
     max : 100,
     machine_type : "n1-standard-16",
-    labels: {}
+    labels: {},
   },
 }
 
@@ -44,18 +44,18 @@ dask_nodes = {
     min : 0,
     max : 100,
     machine_type : "n1-standard-4",
-    labels: {}
+    labels: {},
   },
   "medium" : {
     min : 0,
     max : 100,
     machine_type : "n1-standard-8",
-    labels: {}
+    labels: {},
   },
   "large" : {
     min : 0,
     max : 100,
     machine_type : "n1-standard-16",
-    labels: {}
+    labels: {},
   },
 }
diff --git a/terraform/gcp/projects/pilot-hubs.tfvars b/terraform/gcp/projects/pilot-hubs.tfvars
index 95f57c6653..1413e43474 100644
--- a/terraform/gcp/projects/pilot-hubs.tfvars
+++ b/terraform/gcp/projects/pilot-hubs.tfvars
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ notebook_nodes = {
     min : 0,
     max : 20,
     machine_type : "n1-highmem-4",
-    labels: { }
+    labels: { },
   },
   "paleo": {
     min: 0,
diff --git a/terraform/gcp/variables.tf b/terraform/gcp/variables.tf
index 2d80d89667..a3d9008d6a 100644
--- a/terraform/gcp/variables.tf
+++ b/terraform/gcp/variables.tf
@@ -189,8 +189,8 @@ variable "enable_private_cluster" {
 }
 
 variable "enable_filestore" {
-  type = bool
-  default = false
+  type        = bool
+  default     = false
   description = <<-EOT
   Deploy a Google FileStore for home directories
 
@@ -201,8 +201,8 @@ variable "enable_filestore" {
 }
 
 variable "filestore_capacity_gb" {
-  type = number
-  default = 1024
+  type        = number
+  default     = 1024
   description = <<-EOT
   Minimum size (in GB) of Google FileStore.
 
@@ -211,8 +211,8 @@ variable "filestore_capacity_gb" {
 }
 
 variable "filestore_tier" {
-  type = string
-  default = "BASIC_HDD"
+  type        = string
+  default     = "BASIC_HDD"
   description = <<-EOT
   Google FileStore service tier to use.
 
@@ -222,8 +222,8 @@ variable "filestore_tier" {
 }
 
 variable "enable_node_autoprovisioning" {
-  type = bool
-  default = false
+  type        = bool
+  default     = false
   description = <<-EOT
   Enable auto-provisioning of nodes based on workload
   EOT