CliamteScope is an application based on Google Earth API to understand climate impacts and trends through powerfull global images. Visualizing data and allowing citizens to participate actively as local sensors. www.lamma.rete.toscana.it/climascopio

1. PCST Florence
18-20 April 2012
CLIMATE SCOPE:
using the Google Earth virtual globe for
a visual storytelling of climate change
Presenter : Dr. Valentina Grasso
Authors:
Valentina Grasso, Alfonso Crisci,
Federica Zabini
v.grasso@ibimet.cnr.it
@valenitna

2. E
E SCOP
Google Earth virtual globe for a visual storytelling of climate change
CLIMAT
Barriers in communication of
climate change #CC
# Misunderstanding Weather vs Climate
# CC Causes are invisibles and complex
CC is FAR in space and time for individual
# perception; overwhelming
“it doesn’t bother me”, “it’s not a threat”
# Debate on CC within the scientific
community is polarised by media:
important to give effective
representation of CC DATA
# CC is a multi dimensional phenomenon

3. E
E SCOP
Google Earth virtual globe for a visual storytelling of climate change
CLIMAT
Climate Scope
A powerful geographic
environment to effectively
communicate the physical
and social dimension of
climate change, from the
global to the local scale.
People can be information
producers to improve the
understanding of CC
evidence.

4. E
E SCOP
Google Earth virtual globe for a visual storytelling of climate change
CLIMAT
Features
Climate Scope is a Google Earth mash-up
# Display global CC informative layers:
• Climatic layers (Climate)
• Real time data
# Open to add local information
(people, media, students)
# Customisation for “climate hot-spotting”
# “Citizen as sensors” model - (Goodchild 2007)

5. E
E SCOP
Google Earth virtual globe for a visual storytelling of climate change
CLIMAT
Google Earth and Web 2.0 opportunities
– Use geographic environment to
understand climate change
dynamics
– Powerful visual tool
– Integrate climatic information layers
with “local observations” uploaded
by teachers, students and lay people
– Disseminate schools’ activities
using geographic environment
– Contents/data sharing to produce
“volunteered geographic
information” (Goodchild 2007) -
Citizen as sensors
the CLIMATE SCOPE

6. E
E SCOP
Google Earth virtual globe for a visual storytelling of climate change
CLIMAT
Cloud Layer
Real Time data

7. E
E SCOP
Google Earth virtual globe for a visual storytelling of climate change
CLIMAT
LST Anomaly - February 2012
Layer from Nasa

8. E
E SCOP
Google Earth virtual globe for a visual storytelling of climate change
CLIMAT
SST Anomaly - April 2012
Real Time Sea Surface Temperature “Coral Reef – NASA project”
SST showing El Nino

9. E
E SCOP
Google Earth virtual globe for a visual storytelling of climate change
CLIMAT
2012 EU Drought Index
(LaMMA)

10. E
E SCOP
Google Earth virtual globe for a visual storytelling of climate change
CLIMAT
# Thank YOU!
v.grasso@ibimet.cnr.it
@valenitna