Transfer function-based 2D/3D interactive spatiotemporal visualizations of mesoscale eddies

ABSTRACT

In this paper, we present a transfer function-based approach to developing an interactive visualization algorithm for ocean mesoscale eddies. Spatiotemporal coherence and viewport coherence are achieved. Evenly spaced streamlines are only integrated for visible portions of the datasets that maintain a relatively stable visual pattern resolution. The interactive transfer function is introduced to extract 2D and 3D eddy features, such as the Okubo-Weiss parameter, from background ocean currents, and a highly efficient GPU-based framework with an output-sensitive performance is utilized. Using the high-resolution 2D/3D ocean current datasets Maps of Sea Level Anomalies (MSLA) and Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM), the feasibility and efficiency of our framework are demonstrated.