http://waterviz.org

Xavier Cortada will participate in a Round Table Workshop on: “Real-Time Data Visualizations: A 21st Century Confluence of Art, Music and Science at Ecological Research Sites”, to be held on November 4-6, 2015 at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The specific goals of this workshop are to explore how we can use emerging real-time ‘Big Data’ in ecology to drive a new age of data visualizations and sonifications that allow users to better intuit and appreciate fundamental patterns and processes in the natural world. In so doing, we will address a broader goal to promote a more meaningful integration and confluence of the Arts (writ large) and Sciences in order to advance the study of ecosystems and our ability as a society to successfully address the complex social-ecological challenges we currently face as well as problems future generations may encounter.

The group will focus on:

Frontiers in Science and Art Integration, with voices from ecologist, neuroscientists, artists, educators and science interpreters

New Generation of Data Visualizations and Sonifications: Current State of the Art and Future Potential for Art+Science Integration

A Sub-Group will meet to apply lessons learned to re-envision the Waterviz for Hubbard Brook: A Water Cycle Visualization and Sonification Tool

Waterviz at Hubbard Brook (http://waterviz.org) is a new and transformative water cycle visualization and sonfication tool that lies at the nexus between hydrologic sciences, visual arts, music, and information design. For the Waterviz, water data including precipitation, streamflow, and soil and groundwater, are captured on an hourly time step from a small watershed at the world renowned Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in the White Mountains of New Hampshire using an array of digital environmental sensors. These high frequency data are then transmitted wirelessly to the internet and used to drive a computer model that calculates all components of the water cycle for the catchment in real time. These data, in turn, drive artistic visualizations and sonifications of the water cycle, accurately reflecting the hydrologic processes occurring at that moment in time. The Waterviz was inspired by a team of scientists led by Dr. Lindsey Rustad and the artist Xavier Cortada. Working with musician/composerMarty Quinn, the team now works to integrate science, art, and music to create an opportunity for people anywhere in the world to intuitively experience the dynamic and ever changing inputs, outputs, and storage of water in this small, upland forested watershed as they are occurring.

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