Visualizing spatial data uncertainty using animation

This paper examines methodologies for dynamically displaying information about uncertainty. Modeling uncertainty in elevation data results in the generation of dozens or hundreds of realizations of the elevation surface. Producing animations of these surfaces is an approach to exploratory data visualization that may assist the researcher in understanding the effect of uncertainty on spatial applications as well as in communicating the results of the research to a wider audience. A nonlinear method for interpolation between the surface realizations is introduced which allows for smooth animation while maintaining the surface characteristics prescribed by the uncertainty model. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.