4D Visual Delivery of Big Climate Data: A Fast Web Database Application System

Abstract

This paper develops a web database application to make space-time 4D visual delivery (4DVD) of big climate data. The delivery system shows climate data in a 4D space-time box and allows users to visualize the data. Users can zoom in or out to help identify desired information for particular locations. Data can then be downloaded for the spatial maps and historical climate time series of a given location after the maps and time series are identified to be useful. These functions enable a user to quickly reach the core interested features without downloading the entire dataset in advance, which saves both time and storage space. The 4DVD system has many graphical display options such as displaying data on a round globe or on a 2D map with detailed background topographic images. It can animate maps and show time series. The combination of these features makes the system a convenient and attractive multimedia tool for classrooms, museums, and households, in addition to climate research scientists, industrial ...