2D weather charts have been the norm for many years, yet all weather systems are physically 3D in reality, involving all three coordinates axes: x,y and z (alternatively: latitude, longitude, and vertical) . If we add the time component 't', then weather systems are actually 4D. Likewise, climate systems are 4D as well, but with a slower evolving time component than the time component for weather systems. Environmental systems and ecosysytems are also 4D in character, as in fact are all structures and phenomena which lie within the realm of Earth System Science.
There are many visual display standards currently in use among geophysical scientists, and several new visualization methods under development, including the following:
- Scientific storytelling using visualization Turning data into images to aid insight Mapbox
- SERVIR: the regional visualization and monitoring system Animated GIFs of Earth over time
- 3D Interdisciplinary Visualization: tools for scientific analysis and communication
- 3D displays - past and present
- Introducing Google Chart Tools and Google Maps API in data visualization courses
- New data visualization tool helps find the "unknown unknowns"
- Digital globes offer a dynamic vision Miraikan - Tsunagarai Project
- The top-10 challenges in extreme-scale visual analytics
- TACC develops visualization software for humanities researchers
- Taking 3D visualization to new heights Snapshots from the edge of big visualization
- Hans Josling NPP Poster Collection Debategraph Interactive Book BlogMyData
- Grid Analysis and Display System (GrADS)Grid Analysis and Display System (GrADS)
- User-centered multidimensional projection techniques Flowing Cities
- NASA's iPad app beams science straight to users NASA's COVE (CEOS - Visualization Environment)
- NASA's World Wind NASA's Eyes on the Solar System NASA Scientific Visualization Studio
- NASA's Goddard Scientific Visualization Studio NASA science visualization wall
- Perpetual Ocean Video
- JPL's Climate Time Machine JPL's Sea Level Viewer
- NCAR's Viz Tools NOAA's Environmental Visualization Lab OpenEarth Framework (OEF)
- SIO Visualization Center
- Google's Earth Engine Google Earth Builder Microsoft Research Virtual 3D Globe
- Virtual 3D Globe WebGL World population cube
- Geofusion UN Global Pulse Sustainable Development Indicators
- Space Weather Visualization - CCMC Visualization challenges for radio astronomy
- Infinitaas by Metanoiaa Gplates OpenGeoDa Experiencing the big idea
- Remote Interactive 3D Visualization and the Key to HPC Cloud Acceptance
- Visual Insights In Situ Visualization for Large-Scale Combustion ClimatePipes
- Hazard Vulnerability Explorer and Data Retrieval System Integrated Hazard Assessment Tool (IHAT)
- New web tools to improve accuracy of global land cover maps Observing a Volatile Earth
- Johns Hopkins GAIA Digging Deeper, Seeing Farther: Supercomputers Alter Science
- Earth Knowledge Portal Worldviews Network Quality Positioning Services
- The StarCAVE, a third-generation CAVE and virtual reality OptIPortal
- New modeling approach transforms imaging technologies
- The Third Wave in Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques
- Review of 3D holographic imaging by multiple-viewpoint-based methods
- The problem of evaluating CPU-GPU systems with 3D visualization applications
- Ultra fast high resolution imaging in real time
For the purpose of mimicing reality as close as possible, it is the intention of ICES to develop 4D visual output from its Earth Systems modeling & simulation efforts, and to allow the viewer full navigation and exploration freedom of these visualizations (both locally and remote), as a means for improving insight, analysis and understanding.