NASA@SC19

Our Planet

Virtual World, Real Understanding: Using Virtual Reality to Visualize Earth Data

Overview

Have you ever seen storm surge warnings during a hurricane? What does a storm surge of 6 feet imply, versus 12 feet? What impact does that have on buildings, people, roads, and bridges? Sometimes we talk about data, but it is difficult to visualize the reality of what the data actually means. NASA collects a massive amount of scientific data that is useful for real-world, practical applications, including disasters, if it can be presented in a digestible and relatable way. Navteca, the NASA Applied Sciences Disaster Applications Group (within NASA's Science Mission Directorate), and the NASA Information Technology Communications Directorate have been researching virtual reality (VR) technology for the next generation of Earth science technology information systems and advanced data visualization. The Disaster Applications Group promotes the use of Earth observations to improve disaster prediction, preparation, response, and recovery.

Project Details

This project began with an evaluation of the ArcGIS portal and data residing at the NASA Center for Climate Simulation (NCCS). Tests showed that through an application programming interface (API) it was possible to query and serve the disaster application data. The data was then overlaid atop accurate 3D terrain and structures to create visualizations.

The team developed an interface to the 3D virtual city models where users can order and view data from relevant disaster datasets in an immersive, interactive VR environment. In one custom VR interface, a 3D model of San Juan, Puerto Rico displays an interactive water level tool to demonstrate the severe flooding after Hurricane Maria and simulated flooding for different category hurricanes. The 3D topography and buildings allow users to quickly understand flooding impacts based on complex numerical output from sources like the NOAA Sea, Lake and Overland Surges from Hurricanes (SLOSH) Model.

An important achievement has been importing new datasets from the NCCS-hosted NASA portal in near-real time. As new datasets are made available, the project team has been successful ingesting them into the VR environment without additional coding or development. For example, after the Ridgecrest, CA, 7.1 earthquake in July 2019, the Disaster Applications Group and Navteca simultaneously presented new InSAR data in both the web portal and in the VR demo. Similarly, VR visualizations of soil moisture for at-risk coastal areas were created during Hurricane Dorian as it moved up the Eastern seaboard.

Results and Impact

This project contributes to growing research demonstrating VR technology as a significant new approach to enhancing the way that scientists and researchers view and communicate results and data in an engaging, interactive format. It furthers the NASA Applied Sciences mission by leveraging innovation and technology to find practical use for NASA Earth observations.

By focusing on disaster scenarios, we are investigating whether VR technology can help develop enhanced tools that inform data-driven decision making. This type of VR visualization could significantly impact understanding of GIS and Earth observation data and also improve how users and stakeholders collaborate and communicate about disaster impacts and changes over time.

Why HPC Matters

Earth observation and remote sensing data product generation uses high-end computing resources at the NCCS. Additionally, the NCCS-hosted NASA Disaster Applications data portal was an integral part of this project’s success. Consolidating many datasets in one place creates a “one-stop shop” for users in search of data related to specific disaster events and allows ingesting different data overlays in near-real time.

More Information

Shayna Skolnik, NASA Headquarters/Navteca
shayna.s.skolnik@nasa.gov
Adam Silcott, NASA Headquarters/Navteca
adam.d.silcott@nasa.gov