using sound to represent uncertainty in future climate predictions for the uk nick bearman

Using Sound to Represent Uncertainty in Future Climate Predictions for the UK

Nick Bearman

My Background

Using Sound to Represent Uncertainty in Spatial Data

Comparing different visual and sonic methods

BSc Geography, MSc GIS – Dept. of GeographyPhD – School of Environmental Sciences

New to ‘Sonification’ / ICAD conferenceNot much music background

23 June 2011

Background Spatial Data Why Sound? UKCP09Data

Evaluation Sessions Results

GIS – Geographical Information Systems

23 June 2011http://kbark.wordpress.com/2006/12/17/where-am-i/ (18/03/2009)

Finnish Town

GIS = Maps & Spatial Data

Data usually shown visually

But there are limits

What data would I need to show using sound?



http://kbark.wordpress.com/2006/12/17/where-am-i/

+ 2.5°C

Future Climate Predictions

How do we show all of this

info?

Jenkins, G. J., Perry, M. C. & Prior, M. J. (2008) Figure 2.63d

± 5.2°C

Edinburgh

Norwich

+0.8°C to +1.2°C

-2.7°C to +7.7°C

Use another sense

+ 1°C ± 0.2°C



Why Sound?

If Vision is fullTouch or Sound are other feasible alternatives

Touch (haptic) has had work done on itbut can need expensive kit

Sound hasn’t had much work and can be cheap and easyspeakers / headphones & sound card

Sound has great potential in terms of what can be represented using sound

23 June 2011



Previous Examples

Often used for visual impairedSound replaces vision

I’m looking at using sound and vision in combination

Zhao (2006)

Zhao (2006) Splits Screen into 9, Reads Aloud

MacVeigh & Jacobson (2007)

MacVeigh & Jacobson (2007) Harbour, Sea and Land



UKCP09 - UK Climate Projections 2009

Future climate variables for UK up to 2080sLatest in the series of data setsFirst to include uncertainty

Temperature Increase

ProbabilityTemperature Increase

50th

90th

10th

Uncertainty is usefulBut users have to change their workflow to make use of it

How do we represent this?Advice is to use 3 maps at 10th, 50th and 90th percentileWe could use sound…



Method – Using Sound with UKCP09

Can sound be used to represent uncertainty in UKCP09?

Compare this to normal visual methods

Three different methods (showing 50th and Range):Some visual, some sonic, some both

Asked users to highlight specific areas where temperature and uncertainty are over thresholds

23 June 2011



Evaluation Sessions

71 participants – UEA, OS, UKCIPSmall group sessionsQuestionnaire, Maps, Discussion Session

Questionnaire covered lots of things including:Awareness and use of the UKCP09 dataLearning Style – Visual or AuralKnowledge of GIS / Climate Change

Used Google Maps interface to Show the UKCP09 dataAnd collect responses

23 June 2011





Results

Compared users results to the correct resultsGreat variation within results

Cluster C had a very visual learning style

Awareness of data set is important (p < 0.001)

Using sound to reinforce vision increases scores (p = 0.005) for most

Using sound for different variable helps some but not othersLearning Style – Visual learners more effectiveNot significant trends:

Subject knowledge Repeated use

Thanks & Questions

using sound to represent uncertainty in future climate predictions for the uk nick bearman

Documents