Name: using generative art to convey past and future climate transitions
Uploaded: 2023-03-31T13:50:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Using Generative Art to Convey Past and Future Climate Transitions at JoVE.com

We would like to acknowledge support received from Georgia Rhodes and Stuart Copeland in the inception of this project-their encouragement and mentorship was essential to our success. We would also like to highlight the utility of&#160;https://p5js.org/reference/ as a resource in learning to code in JavaScript. This material is based upon work supported in part by the National Science Foundation under EPSCoR Cooperative Agreement #OIA-1655221 and their Vis-a-Thon program&#160;and by the Rhode Island Sea Grant [NA23OAR4170086].

1. Playing the existing visualizations
<ol>
	<li>Download coding and visualization software (see Table of Materials).
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		<li>Download the data and code. This article uses &#39;degrees of uncertainty&#39; with data from Marcks et al.4 and Cartagena-Sierra et al.5 on the age model from Starr et al.9. 
		NOTE: The &#39;degrees of uncertainty&#39; contains five coding files, Supplementary Coding File ...

<ol>
	<li>Anadol, R. e. f. i. k. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> Refik Anadol. , (2023).</li><li>Lieberman, Z. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> Paint with your Feet. , (2011).</li><li>Moore, F. C., Obradovich, N., Lehner, F., Baylis, P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Rapidly+declining+remarkability+of+temperature+anomalies+may+obscure+public+perception+of+climate+change.">Rapidly declining remarkability of temperature anomalies may obscure public perception of climate change.</a> Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 116 (11), 4905-4910 (2019).</li><li>Marcks, B. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=&#948;15N+in+planktonic+foraminifera+species+G.+bulloides+and+G.+inflata+from+IODP+Site+361-U1475.+[Dataset].">&#948;15N in planktonic foraminifera species G. bulloides and G. inflata from IODP Site 361-U1475. [Dataset].</a> PANGAEA. , (2022).</li><li>Cartagena-Sierra, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Latitudinal+migrations+of+the+subtropical+front+at+the+Agulhas+plateau+through+the+mid-Pleistocene+transition.">Latitudinal migrations of the subtropical front at the Agulhas plateau through the mid-Pleistocene transition.</a> Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology. 36 (7), e2020PA004084 (2021).</li><li>Ford, H. L., Chalk, T. B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+mid-Pleistocene+enigma.">The mid-Pleistocene enigma.</a> Oceanography. 33 (2), 101-103 (2020).</li><li>. U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit Climate Explorer Available from: <a target="_blank" href="https://crt-climate-explorer.nemac.org/">https://crt-climate-explorer.nemac.org/</a> (2021)</li><li>Stocker, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> IPCC: Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. , 1535 (2013).</li><li>Starr, A., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Antarctic+icebergs+reorganize+ocean+circulation+during+Pleistocene+glacials.">Antarctic icebergs reorganize ocean circulation during Pleistocene glacials.</a> Nature. 589 (7841), 236-241 (2021).</li><li>Li, Q., McCarthy, L. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> P5.js. , (2023).</li><li>Perlin, K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Improving+noise.">Improving noise.</a> Proceedings of the 29th Annual Conference on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques. , 681-682 (2002).</li><li>Lisiecki, L. E., Raymo, M. E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+Pliocene-Pleistocene+stack+of+57+globally+distributed+benthic+&#948;18O+records.">A Pliocene-Pleistocene stack of 57 globally distributed benthic &#948;18O records.</a> Paleoceanography. 20 (1), PA1003 (2005).</li><li>Robinson, R. S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Insights+from+fossil-bound+nitrogen+isotopes+in+diatoms,+foraminifera,+and+corals.">Insights from fossil-bound nitrogen isotopes in diatoms, foraminifera, and corals.</a> Annual Review of Marine Science. 15, 407-430 (2023).</li></ol>

This work highlights the utility of generative art for the purpose of science communication. The workflow can be used to translate existing data to elements within an animation. While the animation outputs from this work are unique in that each time the code is run a different version of the animation is created, the visual elements are scaled to geochemical and climate model data; thus, elements such as color, speed, and size remain constant, so long as the input data remains the same. This also allows for the direct co...

Generative art and the methods employed here allow for the direct translation of quantitative data into animations while preserving the integrity of the data. Artists use generative art to explore perceptions of space and time1,2, but generative art is not yet commonly used with spatial or temporal scientific data. The work presented here provides a simple framework for using generative visual products to showcase climate data. These products can be widely applied, whether used to create in-person exhibits or as a visual aid for a presentation or online publication.
Using geochemical measurements or estimates to scale elements such as color, shape, size, and speed provides a means of visually conveying rates and magnitudes of change without requiring the viewer to read a paper, interpret a graph, or look through a data table. Alternatively, the randomization of selected variables is used to convey a lack of data or uncertainty, as in the case of future projections. The juxtaposition of geologic past and future is perhaps integral to the effectiveness of these products as science communication tools. Recent experiences often serve as the baseline of comparison for modern climate change, making it difficult to grasp the magnitude of anthropogenic climate change3.
Geochemical measurements visualized in this paper span the mid-Pleistocene transition (MPT; 1.2 million to 600,000 years ago), recording changes near the northern boundary of the Southern Ocean from International Ocean Discovery Program Site U14754,5. The MPT data is presented in four animations, which highlight changes in ocean conditions as the planet cools and glacial and interglacial variability is amplified6. This provides a geologic baseline revealing the natural rhythm of Earth&#39;s climate, emphasizing a long-term cooling trend that starkly contrasts future climate projections. Future temperature estimates are average values of the results of 20 climate models under the forcings of Representative Carbon Pathway 8.5 (RCP 8.5; scenario with a radiative forcing of 8.5 W/m2 in the year 2100) for the location New York, NY7. RCP 8.5 represents a worst-case scenario of sustained emissions resulting in a 3.7 &#176;C increase in average global temperature by 21008. Thus, this article demonstrates a means of comparing future projections with geologic data to compare rates of climate change and climate variability.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Easel</td>
			<td>Uline</td>
			<td>H-1450SIL</td>
			<td>Telescoping easel to hold foam core board</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Foam Core Poster Board</td>
			<td>Royal Brites</td>
			<td>#753064</td>
			<td>Foam core board used as a canvas for projection</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Live Server</td>
			<td>Microsoft; Publisher: Ritwick Dey</td>
			<td>Version 5.7.9</td>
			<td>Software extension for Visual Studio Code which allows for viewing of animations in a browser window. Downloaded at: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ritwickdey.LiveServer</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Throw Projector</td>
			<td>Optoma</td>
			<td>796435814076</td>
			<td>Any model throw projector which will work for projection surface/distance desired&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Visual Studio Code</td>
			<td>Microsoft</td>
			<td>Version 1.74 for MAC OS</td>
			<td>Software for code editing and execusion. Downloaded at : https://code.visualstudio.com/</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

using generative art to convey past and future climate transitions

The ability to understand modern day climate relies on a foundational understanding of past climate variability and the ways in which the planet is stabilized by interconnected feedbacks. This article presents a unique method for translating records of past climate transitions preserved in deep-sea sediments to broad audiences through an immersive visualization. This visualization is a multimedia installation that incorporates geochemical records of glacial and interglacial transitions and model predictions for future anthropogenic warming to create an immersive experience for viewers, inviting them to engage with and reflect on the subtle, nuanced differences between subsets of Earth&#39;s history. This work showcases five intervals of time, beginning with the inception of modern glacial-interglacial cyclicity (~one million years ago), comparing past climate with model results for projected future anthropogenic warming (until 2099). The installation consists of several experimental projections, one for each subset of time, displayed on different surfaces in a room. As viewers move through the space, the projections slowly cycle through different climatic transitions, using animation methods like speed, color, layering, and repetition, all generated through site-specific data to convey the planet&#39;s unique behavior as it relates to global climate. This work provides a framework for unique scientific data visualization, with generative animations created using a Perlin Noise algorithm at the center of the installation. Research variables, like sea surface temperature, nutrient dynamics, and the rate of climate change, impact formal outcomes like color, scale, and animation speed, which are all easy to manipulate and connect to specific data. This approach also allows the possibility of publishing data online and provides a mechanism for scaling visual parameters to a wide variety of quantitative and qualitative data.

This work produces six visualizations corresponding to five unique intervals of geologic time, with visual aspects scaled to quantitative data either measured on deep-sea sediment (Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3, Figure 4, Video 1, Video 2, Video 3, and Video 4) or modeled from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change&#39;s (IPCC) RC...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Using Generative Art to Convey Past and Future Climate Transitions at JoVE.com

Using Generative Art to Convey Past and Future Climate Transitions

Here, a protocol is presented to visualize climate data as generative art.

The ability to understand modern day climate relies on a foundational understanding of past climate variability and the ways in which the planet is ...

It can be challenging to convey climate data, especially when the timescales are far greater than those people usually think about. This protocol allows users to create generative animations with visuals scaled to data. With this procedure, the data can be transformed into animations that convey information without relying on charts or graphs.It is highly customizable in terms of data used and the visual aspects displayed. It would be interesting for a social experiment to be conducted on public perception of climate data based on different modes of data presentation. This work could be one visual technique alongside more traditional or artistic methods.Coding in any new language or learning new software can be challenging. Online resources and internet searches for key terms or codes can help. After downloading the coding and visualization software, download the data and begin to code.Drag the desired MPT file, MPT 1, MPT 2, MPT 3, or MPT 4 into the code editor to visualize it. In the explorer menu, click on the desired MPT folder, MPT 1, MPT 2, MPT 3, or MPT 4 to reveal a dropdown menu. Then click on the script, followed by clicking on index.html.Left click the window portion with the code for index. html and select Open with live server from the menu. Repeat the steps, starting from selecting the MPT folder in the explorer menu for each subset of time.To view the visualization based on future projections, open the future folder on the computer and drag either the accumulation or transition folder into the code editor. Next, select the folder name in the explorer window and click on index.html. Left click the portion of the window with code for index.html and select Open with live server from the menu. To edit the visualizations, select the folder of interest in the explorer window of the code editor and open the main script file by clicking sketch.js. Perform any edits to visualization parameters within this code.Look for code annotations with detailed descriptions of the code and its function, following double slashes and further identified by green texts. Define the variables that will be linked to data or used to customize visual parameters. Next, save the edits by simultaneously pressing the command and S keys.View updated visuals by navigating to the index. HTML file. In the explorer window, left clicking and selecting Open with live server from the menu.Visualizations corresponding to unique geological time periods were generated. Visual aspects such as color, size, and speed were quantitatively scaled to estimates of sea surface temperature, nitrogen, isotopic composition, and the rate of climate change. The data were either measured on deep sea sediments or modeled from the intergovernmental panel on climate change, or IPCCs representative carbon pathway, or RCP scenarios.The animation generated from MPT 1 code corresponded to the earliest time segment about 1.2 to 1.118 million years ago. Well prior to glacial-interglacial lengthening and glacial cooling. The MPT 2 code corresponded to about 1.112 to 1.06 million years ago, immediately before glacial-interglacial lengthening and glacial cooling.MPT 3 generated the visuals for the second latest segment of time with longer glacial-interglacial cycles, about 1.06 million to 900, 000 years ago. MPT 4 code generated the visuals for the most recent time segment, about 900, 000 to 600, 000 years ago when longer glacial-interglacial cycles were more established. The accumulation code generated model projection for future anthropogenic warming based on temperature estimates of RCP 8.5 model averages for New York.The transition code created a simpler visual of the same, showing only the outline of orbs moving across the background. The product format allowed for the customization and presentation of data, creating immersive science communication exhibits. When editing the code, ensure it corresponds to the current data sections.For future projections, only have the transition or the accumulation folders in the working space. Otherwise, the program will not work. This technique opens doors for including scientific data in graphic design.Generative and immersive art are rapidly growing fields with many opportunities for art to interact with science and data.

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