Investigating 3D visualization tools in glaciology: from storytelling to discovery

Abstract:

Scientists, educators, and journalists who aim to share stories about the ice sheets face the challenge of communicating several concepts: the physical scale of our planet’s ice, the concept that ice moves, and the size of the data essential to convey the former. New 3D immersive data visualization tools, like Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR), can help overcome the communication challenges posed by complex datasets by creating intuitive and natural ways to explore data. Here we reflect on the use of AR, VR, and advanced 3D visualization software in glaciology and consider how each can be used in immersive storytelling, data exploration, and data analysis.

From 2015 to 2017, the ROSETTA‐Ice project comprehensively mapped Antarctica's Ross Ice Shelf using IcePod, an aerogeophysical platform that imaged the ice‐shelf surface with LiDAR and its internal structure with ice‐penetrating radar. In 2016, the New York Times joined the ROSETTA‐Ice field team in McMurdo, Antarctica, and produced The Antarctica Series: an immersive VR story focused on ROSETTA-Ice fieldwork and objectives. This gave viewers a unique introduction to the Ross Ice Shelf and a sense of life in the field. However, the Antarctica Series did not include any ROSETTA-Ice data, as it had not been fully processed. Radar data has been analyzed using Petrel, a proprietary 3D visualization software. This is a powerful data analysis tool, but the confines of desktop-based software does not impart the intuitive environment that AR / VR can. In 2019, members of ROSETTA-Ice team developed an Microsoft HoloLens AR app to explore the dataset. The ROSETTA‐Ice radar and LiDAR data were combined with digital elevation models of ice surface and bed topography to create the first AR visualization of the Antarctic Ice Sheet. While successful in conveying 3D relationships, relative scale, and geospatial context, the HoloLens was only able to visualize <1% of the radar and LiDAR data collected. However, the visual effect of the combined datasets and the intuitive gesture control of the application, inspired further development into mixed reality. With continued development, 3D visualization and mixed reality platforms have the potential to enhance our ability to explore new environments, analyze geophysical datasets, and communicate our science.