Build a Visualization, Tell a Story

[allenpope]

Even though "a picture is a thousand words," some things are "easy" to write about but hard to show in a picture. But often that one graphic is more powerful than 10,00 words. This session would try to take advantage of the full breadth of workshop attendees by pulling together a full story/visualization of an "issue" that has been difficult to visualize/explain in polar science. A target audience is proposed as the "newspaper reading public."

I would suggest starting with something that has been well written up in one or more sources so that we can focus on the visualization side of the narrative. Something else to keep in mind will be data available to create any visualizations. Some thoughts on what to focus on would be: -Recent papers on the collapse of Pine Island / Thwaites Glaciers -Arctic vs Antarctic sea ice processes -Weather patterns' role in disintegrating a weakened sea ice pack (or not) -Other suggestions?

A few links to get started... • "These Simple Tips Will Make Your Science Visualizations Rock:" http://io9.com/these-simple-tips-will-make-your-science-visualizations-1633922235 • "Data visualization: A view of every Points of View column:" http://blogs.nature.com/methagora/2013/07/data-visualization-points-of-view.html

[allenpope]

This seems as a good as place as any (but applicable to many sessions): NSIDC Developer Soren Scott put together a list of visualization tools which might be helpful for Hackathon Attendees - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12DCw2YSa9wUeG24DjCEGXoZQTYyiFgPK0HNQV-qeswg/edit#gid=0 (cc @chrismattmann, in case there's a better place...)

[chrismattmann]

Awesome, love it @allenpope @curtlisle check it out too. I just added Apache OCW to the list (cc @lewismc )

[flamingbear]

@allenpope This is the idea that I was really drawn by in terms of tech and visualization (http://www.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2013/10/13/russia/)

[allenpope]

Outcomes of first session:

Session 1 broke into two groups, after looking at potential stories to try to follow through: Sea Ice in both Arctic and Antarctic, further implications…. (reported by @flamingbear ) Dynamics and change in West Antarctica

We went around in a lot of circles about the best ways to show change, and interrelation of changes in West Antarctica, and how to link that to our audience. What data? How to tell it? How to interest people? Etc.

We decided that the really “interesting” and not-as-well-told part of the story is an understanding of how dynamic, responsive glacier systems really are. So, for a curious public we ended up with something like:

Do you really understand how glaciers work? Start with human + glacier They are responsive dynamic systems “Glacial pace” is a misnomer of a phrase see e.g. AntarcticGlaciers.org

We provide examples of how glaciers interact with their environments, either schematics, observed data, or model output Probably focusing on West Antarctica / PIG area All with a varying element, either through time or through forcings

For examples: Ice-ocean: Ice shelf thickness change + ocean temperatures Ice-ice: Glacier acceleration & thinning Ice-land: understanding reverse bed slopes and inevitable retreat Ice-land-water: glacier hydrology & systems Ice-air: Byrd-observed warming of West Antarctica Precipitation/elevation change? (maybe) In all cases, being able to follow up more in writing and data

End with a “these are solutions necessary to achieve a given response”

Questions for Information designers / UI: -What is our audience really? Increasing scientific literacy? Focus message? How large scope? -scroll vs. click http://www.patchworkbarents.org/, ESRI storymaps, NYT scrolls, -Mobile? Embed or destination? Shareable/engaging/audience. -how to emphasize the importance to people/bring humans in -how to emphasize the realness of the glaciers (e.g. 3D physical & concept models, photography...)

[MBoustani]

@allenpope please feel free to use wiki page for your session in: https://github.com/NSF-Polar-Cyberinfrastructure/issue-82/wiki

[flamingbear]

Outcomes of Table 2 session 1 issue 82.

Our team was going to tell a story with data and visualization regarding the sea ice. The topic proved too broad. Between the attendees we found that everyone was interested in different aspects of the complex arctic system.

We had interests in connecting the data of shrinking ice to potential future effects. These included changes to shipping routes due to ice retreat and considered how to describe how much carbon might be released by the ships. Also talked about potential geopolitical struggles for newly available resources. How could we include discovery of microplastics and where their sources.

Talked about a lot of ideas based on individual interest, but were unable to narrow down the scope enough that we though we could tell a new story about the sea ice in the time given.

We did wonder which data sources we would be able to use and noticed a gap in the availability of data services and documetation what would lead us to the information we need. We thought that if the data were easily available and described correctly, it would be possible for social scientists to layer their stories atop the data efficiently.

[chrlaney]

Here are a few websites that address different audiences and parts of the climate change/sea level rise story - for reference?

National Geographic's Rising Seas interactive: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2013/09/rising-seas/folger-text

Impacts of sea level rise on the Chesapeake Bay region: http://www.chesapeakeadaptation.org

NOAA's visualization of sea level rise in Delaware: http://coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/stories/slr-delaware

[allenpope]

The session started with Daniel from PIIM helping us questions the assumptions we were working under -Was place important to our story? -Why were we focusing on the two Thwaites/PIG papers? -Importance of agency of the user -User need to “feel” the impact -change over time is important -Particular examples to prioritize

Do you really understand a glacier? . -Because they have xx impact. Current change vs past change?

We are interested in glaciers (curiosity) ---and glaciers are really important / viscerally impt somehow… We don’t have best wording – ask sci comm expert!

Our personal motivation comes from an misunderstand of what ice sheet “collapse” is and is therefore symptomatic of (somewhat expectedly) a lack of a how glaciers behave. SO…

We are focusing on processes with PIG as a lens into fast/current change And another glacier (Amery?) which isn’t changing as fast, as counterpoint This brings both complexity and understanding

Audience: 7-8th grade reading level Scientifically interested, but not necessarily having earth science background e.g. national geographic

Let the user explore different available data sets in order to see how different drivers & responses interact. Looking for feedback mechanisms. e.g. temp/thickness case study retreat/acceleration

• thinning/acceleration/retreat/bed slope *sea level rise

Visualize both as full continent, and two case study glaciers to help understand processes Need to be able to see in plan, as wellas potentially profile. Potentially have the option to see simple models (e.g. raise ocean termpature and see ice shelf thickness decrease Important: To lead the user through and help them understand particular point, need to suggest “smart popups” which are linked to particular actions e.g. The user shows ocean temperature – suggest they see thickness change over time to look for a relationship, etc. To highlight particular things. i.e. processes, idea of collapse / past tipping point, etc.

We created a little bit of a wireframe to work off. Still don’t know about whether this is destination or embed What platforms will it be seen on? How? Data wrangling.

Want: UI/UX input, please!