DATA TO DISCOVERY VISUALIZATION PROGRAM FINAL PRESENTATIONS
FRIDAY JUNE 5th, 2026
11AM – 1PM Pacific Time
ZOOM: bit.ly/D2D-FINAL-PRESENTATIONS | IN PERSON: Powell-Booth 100, Caltech
Data to Discovery is a data visualization, art and design research initiative based at NASA/JPL, Caltech and Art Center College of Design. We co-design advanced interactive visualization systems with NASA/JPL and Caltech scientists and engineers. These systems help scientists make discoveries. http://datavis.caltech.edu/
2025-2026 Projects:
OCO-3 | SAMEX
PIs: Abhishek Chatterjee, Caltech + Schmidt Sciences | Rob Nelson, JPL
STUDENT TEAM: Yutian He | Ardra Charath | Maria Gonzalez
The OCO-3 satellite collects atmospheric CO₂ and fluorescence measurements globally, yet visualizing them coherently remains challenging. We designed SAMEX, a phased workflow for spatial selection, temporal exploration, variable correlation, and anomaly detection, incorporating socioeconomic covariates to support policy-relevant carbon-cycle research.
QUAKES
PIs: Monica Kohler, Caltech | Viviana Vela, UCLA
STUDENT TEAM: Esther Suh | Aidan Schmitigal
Current earthquake simulation visualization tools render complex models as static diagrams, falling short of capturing spatial damage patterns or physical intuition. We designed Quakes, a browser-based interface that animates displacement, drift, shear stress, and damage over time onto 3D building models to help researchers communicate findings that inform building codes and retrofitting decisions.
YUKON
PIs: Michael Lamb, Caltech | Emily Geyman, Caltech
STUDENT TEAM: Liz Wu | Pearl Oyewole | Nyasha Makaya
Environmental scientists studying Arctic riverbank erosion collect diverse data including cross-sections, satellite imagery, elevation, and timelapse photos, but lack unified analysis tools. We designed Yukon, an interactive whole-river visualization tool that integrates these sources for comprehensive spatial and temporal analysis of erosion rates.