Exploring Wind and Ocean Ecosystems Through Data Visualization Activities

 
WIND AND OCEAN
ECOSYSTEMS
 
April Watson and Alanna Lecher
 
AUTHORS
 
April Watson
 
 
Alanna Lecher
 
CLASSROOM DEMOGRAPHICS
FOR LAUNCH
 
Undergrad environmental science and policy majors
 
Environmental statistics course
 
Most had experience with Excel
 
Very few had experience with data visualization or GIS
 
Macs/iPads vs. PC
 
WHERE CAN THIS MODULE BE
USED?
 
Oceanography class where the primary goal is to teach physical
oceanography
 
Atmospheric-based class (particularly Activity A and B)
 
GIS course (particularly Activity D, but well suited to a degree program in
which GIS is a component, for example Environmental Science)
 
 
ACTIVITIES IN THE MODULE
 
Pre-module work
: Set up an account with ArcGIS, online, outside of class as
instructed by professor (only if doing Activity D)
Activity A
: Find latitude and longitude of buoys from the NOAA National
Data Buoy Center in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean and plot the buoys on a
worksheet.
Activity B
: Create a wind rose plot in Excel of wind direction and strength of
a specific buoy in the Gulf Stream.
Activity C
: Identify an upwelling event with buoy water temperature data,
create wind rose plots of upwelling and non-upwelling events.
Activity D (Optional): 
Visualize upwelling with a choropleth map time series,
look at MODIS chlorophyll data of upwelling and non-upwelling events.
 
WORKING WITH LARGE DATASETS
 
Typically “we” clean up the data for the students
 
EDDIE modules allow the student to process raw data
 
Hands on experience with the way that scientists actually gather and
process data
 
CHALLENGES
 
 
Visualization
 
Many students have never looked at a wind rose plot
 
Or for that matter wind direction
 
Or even lat/long!
 
Something to consider in terms of context of your class and where you are in
your content
Challenge: interpreting a
wind rose plot
 
Question: FROM which
direction did the wind come
most often?
 
How often did the wind
come from that direction?
 
This student thought the
dominant wind from the
NE, because they did not
add up all of the lines
going to the south.
 
They also failed to put a
legend on the wind rose.
 
Had they put the legend
on they would have seen
that the winds blowing
from the south were also
the strongest winds.
Converting wind
degrees to wind
direction
 
Question:
If the wind
degrees is
250
, what
is the wind
direction?
 
DATA ACQUISITION
 
Real data acquisition is messy!
 
Requires a LOT of processing
 
Patience, patience, patience!
 
DATA ACQUISITION
 
For example:
 
Buoy off line
 
Didn’t pick wind direction
 
Have to delete the “null” data
 
This Photo
 by Unknown Author is
licensed under 
CC BY-SA
 
UPWELLING
 
Another challenge of data visualization of ocean upwelling
 
They need to see a time when there is  sharp decrease in ocean
temperature
 
Why did that happen?
 
We focus on Monterey Bay, California
 
VISUALIZATION
 
https://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/surface/level/orthographic=-
121.89,37.42,6892/loc=-122.057,36.761
 
VISUALIZATION OF EFFECT
 
Upwelling affects areas due to increased nutrients being brought to the
surface
 
Another thing students have trouble visualizing!
 
We created a GIS activity to help students see the effect of upwelling.
 
Another challenge: need ArcGIS online access/computer access
 
ARCGIS ONLINE MAP
 
https://arcg.is/1XS1ma0
 
Note: This part does require a subscription account to ArcGIS online
 
I am working on adapting this for you…
 
Web application also
https://lynnufl.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=29f801b
b75bd4ee88324838212e03c99
 
STUDENT INQUIRY
 
In Activity C the students get to choose time periods that seem like there is
upwelling and time periods where there is no upwelling
 
 
Room for extension/adaption
 
Your area
Area of their interest
Trends analysis
Lots of options!
 
BENEFITS
 
Experience real world data
 
Inquiry based
Physical processes are connected to biological aspects
Practice with excel (useful!)
 
Visualize concepts not typically easy to see
 
GIS
Interpretation of figures
 
Experience oceanographic research
Develop a better understanding of how science is conducted in marine settings
 
ADAPTATIONS
 
Modular
Can pick and choose which pieces to use in class or as homework
 
Variations
If time is short, we do include the datasets needed to run the modules
Faster than having students download it themselves
 
Extension
Not exclusive to environmental or data literacy courses!
Slide Note
Embed
Share

Dive into a module that explores wind and ocean ecosystems through engaging activities such as creating wind rose plots, visualizing upwelling events, and working with large datasets. Designed for undergraduate environmental science and policy majors, this module offers hands-on experience with data processing and visualization, while addressing challenges related to interpreting wind rose plots and geographical data.


Uploaded on Sep 15, 2024 | 0 Views


Download Presentation

Please find below an Image/Link to download the presentation.

The content on the website is provided AS IS for your information and personal use only. It may not be sold, licensed, or shared on other websites without obtaining consent from the author. Download presentation by click this link. If you encounter any issues during the download, it is possible that the publisher has removed the file from their server.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. WIND AND OCEAN ECOSYSTEMS April Watson and Alanna Lecher

  2. AUTHORS April Watson Alanna Lecher

  3. CLASSROOM DEMOGRAPHICS FOR LAUNCH Undergrad environmental science and policy majors Environmental statistics course Most had experience with Excel Very few had experience with data visualization or GIS Macs/iPads vs. PC

  4. WHERE CAN THIS MODULE BE USED? Oceanography class where the primary goal is to teach physical oceanography Atmospheric-based class (particularly Activity A and B) GIS course (particularly Activity D, but well suited to a degree program in which GIS is a component, for example Environmental Science)

  5. ACTIVITIES IN THE MODULE Pre-module work: Set up an account with ArcGIS, online, outside of class as instructed by professor (only if doing Activity D) Activity A: Find latitude and longitude of buoys from the NOAA National Data Buoy Center in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean and plot the buoys on a worksheet. Activity B: Create a wind rose plot in Excel of wind direction and strength of a specific buoy in the Gulf Stream. Activity C: Identify an upwelling event with buoy water temperature data, create wind rose plots of upwelling and non-upwelling events. Activity D (Optional): Visualize upwelling with a choropleth map time series, look at MODIS chlorophyll data of upwelling and non-upwelling events.

  6. WORKING WITH LARGE DATASETS Typically we clean up the data for the students EDDIE modules allow the student to process raw data Hands on experience with the way that scientists actually gather and process data

  7. CHALLENGES Visualization Many students have never looked at a wind rose plot Or for that matter wind direction Or even lat/long! Something to consider in terms of context of your class and where you are in your content

  8. Challenge: interpreting a wind rose plot Question: FROM which direction did the wind come most often? How often did the wind come from that direction?

  9. This student thought the dominant wind from the NE, because they did not add up all of the lines going to the south. They also failed to put a legend on the wind rose. Had they put the legend on they would have seen that the winds blowing from the south were also the strongest winds.

  10. Converting wind degrees to wind direction Question: If the wind degrees is 250 , what is the wind direction? Degrees Direction 145 230 93 3 201 278 112 250 242 357 315 33 153 296 181

  11. DATA ACQUISITION Real data acquisition is messy! Requires a LOT of processing Patience, patience, patience!

  12. DATA ACQUISITION For example: Buoy off line Didn t pick wind direction Have to delete the null data

  13. UPWELLING Another challenge of data visualization of ocean upwelling They need to see a time when there is sharp decrease in ocean temperature Why did that happen? We focus on Monterey Bay, California

  14. VISUALIZATION https://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/surface/level/orthographic=- 121.89,37.42,6892/loc=-122.057,36.761

  15. VISUALIZATION OF EFFECT Upwelling affects areas due to increased nutrients being brought to the surface Another thing students have trouble visualizing! We created a GIS activity to help students see the effect of upwelling. Another challenge: need ArcGIS online access/computer access

  16. ARCGIS ONLINE MAP https://arcg.is/1XS1ma0 Note: This part does require a subscription account to ArcGIS online I am working on adapting this for you Web application also https://lynnufl.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=29f801b b75bd4ee88324838212e03c99

  17. STUDENT INQUIRY In Activity C the students get to choose time periods that seem like there is upwelling and time periods where there is no upwelling Room for extension/adaption Your area Area of their interest Trends analysis Lots of options!

  18. BENEFITS Experience real world data Inquiry based Physical processes are connected to biological aspects Practice with excel (useful!) Visualize concepts not typically easy to see GIS Interpretation of figures Experience oceanographic research Develop a better understanding of how science is conducted in marine settings

  19. ADAPTATIONS Modular Can pick and choose which pieces to use in class or as homework Variations If time is short, we do include the datasets needed to run the modules Faster than having students download it themselves Extension Not exclusive to environmental or data literacy courses!

More Related Content

giItT1WQy@!-/#giItT1WQy@!-/#giItT1WQy@!-/#giItT1WQy@!-/#