Case study: a methodology for plume visualization with application to real-time acquisition and navigation

Applications of visualization techniques that facilitate comparison of simulation and field datasets of seafloor hydrothermal plumes are demonstrated in order to explore and confirm theories of plume behavior. In comparing these datasets, there is no one-to-one correspondence. We show the comparison by performing quantitative capturing of large scale observable features. The comparisons are needed not only to improve the relevance of the simulations to the field observations, but also to enable real time adjustment of shipboard data collection systems. Our approach for comparing simulation and field datasets is to use skeletonization and centerline representation. Features representing plumes are skeletonized. Skeleton points are used to construct a centerline and to quantify plume properties on planes normal to the centerline. These skeleton points are further used to construct an idealized cone representing a plume isosurface. The difference between the plume feature and the cone is identified as protrusions of turbulent eddies. Comparison of the simulation and field data sets through these abstractions illustrates how these abstractions characterize a plume.