Evaluating the impact of visualization of wildfire hazard upon decision-making under uncertainty

The paper investigates whether the methods chosen for representing uncertain geographic information aid or impair decision-making in the context of wildfire hazard. Through a series of three human subject experiments, utilizing 180 subjects and employing increasingly difficult tasks, this research evaluates the effect of five different visualizations and a text-based representation on decision-making under uncertainty. Our quantitative experiments focus specifically on the task of decision-making under uncertainty, rather than the task of reading levels of uncertainty from the map. To guard against the potential for generosity and risk seeking in decision-making under uncertainty, the experimental design uses performance-based incentives. The experiments showed that the choice of representation makes little difference to performance in cases where subjects are allowed the time and focus to consider their decisions. However, with the increasing difficulty of time pressure, subjects performed best using a spectral color hue-based representation, rather than more carefully designed cartographic representations. Text-based and simplified boundary encodings were among the worst performers. The results have implications for the performance of decision-making under uncertainty using static maps, especially in the stressful environments surrounding an emergency.     

Interactive discovery of sequential patterns in time series of wind data

Wind speed and direction vary over space and time due to the interactions between different pressures and temperature gradients within the atmospheric layers. Near the earth’s surface, these interactions are modulated by topography and artificial structures. Hence, characterizing wind behaviour over large areas and long periods is a complex but essential task for various energy-related applications. In this study, we present a novel approach to discover wind patterns by integrating sequential pattern mining and interactive visualization techniques. The approach relies on the use of the Linear time Closed pattern Miner sequence algorithm in conjunction with a time sliding window that allows the discovery of all sequential patterns present in the data. These patterns are then visualized using integrated 2D and 3D coordinated multiple views and visually explored to gain insight into the characteristics of the wind from a spatial, temporal and attribute (type of wind pattern) point of view. This proposed approach is used to analyse 10 years of hourly wind speed and direction data for 29 weather stations in the Netherlands. The results show that there are 15 main sequential patterns in the data. The spatial task shows that weather stations located in the same region do not necessarily experience similar wind pattern. For within the selected time interval, similar wind patterns can be observed in different stations and in the same station at different times of occurrence. The attribute task discovered that the repetitive occurrences of chosen pattern indicate as regular wind behaviour at different weather stations that persisted continuously over time. The results of these tasks show that the proposed interactive discovery facilitates the understanding of wind dynamics in space and time.     

Map-Based Web Tools Supporting Climate Change Adaptation

This article discusses the state of the art in geovisualization supporting climate change adaptation. We reviewed twenty selected map-based Web tools, classified by their content and functionality, and assessed them by visual representations, interactive functions, information type, target audience, and how vulnerability and adaptation to climate change are addressed. Our study concludes that the tools (1) can be classified as data viewers with basic functionality and data explorers offering more sophisticated interactive functions; (2) mostly feature moderate or high richness of data content; and (3) predominantly target expert users.     

3D打印技术在矿床学中的应用研究——以内蒙古乌力吉敖包萤石矿Ⅲ号矿体为例

3D打印(3D printing)是一种以三维模型为样本的快速成形技术,它通过逐层打印或粉末熔铸的方式来构造需要的立体图形。本文从3D打印技术的原理及其发展现状入手,重点列举内蒙古乌力吉敖包萤石矿,利用3D打印机打印具有现实可观性的地质体实体,探讨3D打印技术作为新兴的科技手段应用于矿床学教学与研究的应用价值和发展前景。研究发现,3D打印技术在矿体三维可视化中的应用符合地质图件立体化和3D打印技术多领域化的趋势,未来3D打印技术在地质领域的应用也有助于开拓矿床学教学和研究的新方式与新思路。     

A virtual globe-based time-critical adaptive visualization method for 3D city models

3D city models, which are important items of content on the virtual globe, are characterized by complicated structures and large amounts of data. These factors make the visualization of 3D city models highly dependent upon the performance of computer hardware. Thus, achieving the efficient rendering of 3D city models using different hardware performance levels represents one of the key problems currently facing researchers. This paper proposes a time-critical adaptive visualization method that first estimates the possible rendering time for each model according to the data structure of the model in addition to the CPU/GPU performance of the computer. It then dynamically adjusts the rendering level for each model based on the results of an estimation of the rendering time to ensure that the final scene can be completed within a given time. To verify the effectiveness and flexibility of this method, it is applied using different computers. The results show that the adaptive visualization method presented in this paper not only can adapt to computers with different levels of performances but also demonstrates an obvious improvement in the time estimation precision, visual effects, and optimization speed relative to existing adaptive visualization methods.     

The role of eddies in solute transport and recovery in rock fractures: Implication for groundwater remediation

A better understanding of solute transport and retention mechanism in rock fractures has been challenging due to difficulty in their direct observations in microscale rough‐walled fractures. Six representative troughs in a rough‐walled fracture were selected for microscale observations of eddy formation with increasing flow velocity and its effect on spatiotemporal changes of solute concentration. This experimental study was enabled by a microscale visualization technique of micro particle image velocimetry. With increasing flow velocity (Re ≤ 2.86), no eddies were generated, and solutes along the main streamlines transported rapidly, whereas those near the wall moved slowly. A larger amount of solutes remained trapped at all troughs at Re = 2.86 than Re < 1. For Re = 8.57, weak eddies started to be developed at the troughs on the lee side, which little contributed to overall solute flushing in the fracture. Accordingly, a large of amount of water was needed for solute flushing. The flow condition of 1 < Re < 10, before a full development of eddies, was least favourable in terms of time and amount of remediation fluid required to reach a target concentration. After large eddies were fully developed at troughs on the lee side for Re = 17.13, solutes were substantially reduced by eddies with less amount of water. Fully developed eddies were found to enhance solute transport and recovery, as opposed to a general consensus that eddies trap and delay solutes. Direct inflow into troughs on the stoss side also made a great contribution to solute flushing out of the troughs. This study indicates that fully developed eddies or strong inflows at troughs are highly possible to form for Re > 10 and this flow range could be favourable for efficient remediation.     

三维可视化技术在锡铁山矿区信息化建设中的应用研究

运用Vulcan三维可视化软件,对锡铁山铅-锌矿区3062m中段以下05-75线之间的主要矿体进行三维可视化研究,全方位、真实地表达近年来的地质勘探成果,并通过储量计算与找矿预测,为下一步地质勘探工作提供科学依据,为矿区信息化建设提供基础资料。     

海岸海洋潮流模拟可视化与虚拟现实建模

潮流数值模拟的科学可视化与虚拟现实是海岸海洋科学研究重要的现代技术手段之一。首先从地理信息系统的角度对潮流数值模拟系统的数据模型进行了论述，提出了适合水文数值模拟的对象模型方法；其次探讨了空间流场的可视化技术，阐述了虚拟现实在潮流数值模拟中的作用；最后设计并实现了一个海岸海洋潮流模拟虚拟现实的原型软件系统VRO－cean,并在南黄海辐射沙洲等的潮流数值模拟试验中进行了实际对比检验。     

WebGIS三维可视化浏览器插件实现方法

针对WebGIS三维可视化服务器/客户端的实现提出了浏览器插件（Plug_in)方法，并阐述了该方法的原理及设计路线，最后给出了其开发过程。     

空间信息可视化的现状与趋势

对空间信息可视化的现状进行了较为细致的总结，分析了目前空间信息可视化存在的问题。在此基础上，讨论了空间信息可视化的完整概念，提出了空间信息可视化位置特征、交互性、多维性和可视化多样性的本质特征，概括了数据组织与调度、静态可视化、过程模拟与探索性分析等空间信息可视化基本过程。最后，提出未来空间信息可视化主要关键技术。