A system for visualizing time varying oceanographic 3D data

Most data visualization systems only show static data or produce "canned" movies of time-varying data. Others incorporate visualization in real-time monitoring but these are generally customized to the particular application. The ability to interactively navigate through geospatial data is common but interactive navigation along the time dimension is not. And yet, visualization of data from interacting dynamic systems is increasingly necessary to interpret biological process, physical oceanographic processes, the motion of instrument platforms (such as ships, ROVs and AUVs), and the interactions between all of these. To address this need, we have enhanced our GeoZuiSD system so that it seamlessly handles multiple time varying data sets: anything can be handled that can be represented through time varying surfaces, curved colored lines, curved colored tubes, arrow arrays, or color-, shape-, and size-coded points. The system can be used in both real-time and replay modes and data sets that have different sampling rates can still be visualized together. GeoZuiSD can visualize events over a wide range of time scales from sensor readings at the millisecond scale to glacial movements evolving over tens of thousands of years. The system is illustrated with examples from collaborative research projects including modeled ocean and estuarine currents, tides, ship movements, changes in surface topography, AUV and ROV movements and the movements of marine mammals.