An Interactive Visualization Approach to Explore Mass Variations in the Earth System

Abstract

We present an approach that supports the visual exploration of mass variations in the Earth system in space and time. In close collaboration with geo-scientists, we identified important requirements for our exploration tool. Using a combination of three-dimensional spheres, we enable them to compare the differences between simulated mass variations and the measured gravity field. Since these variations change over time, we developed a tool that allows to navigate the temporal scale. In addition, we supply a mechanism to dynamically activate/deactivate multiple components of the simulation model applied. These features enable scientists to better understand the impact of the individual processes on the measured Earth's gravity field. In this paper, we discuss in detail the geo-scientific requirements and how our tool addresses these requirements.