Doomsday Glacier

#Interactive Storytelling #Visual Journalism #Exhibition Design #Web App #Playful Communications for Serious Research

Doomsday Glacier is a visual journalism story about the Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica. It was selected by the *This Is Not A Drill* program and was exhibited at the NYU Elmer Holmes Bobst Library.

Dedicated to heightening awareness about the alarming decline of the Thwaites Glacier, this project features a web-based interactive storytelling experience, unveiling a historical timeline depicting the glacier's fracturing and its far-reaching consequences. Complemented by an educational iOS app, the project provides an in-depth exploration of the glacier's anatomy, aiming to educate and inspire action.

Timeline

Project Development: June - August 2023
Exhibition: NYU Elmer Holmes Bobst Library, September - December 2023

Tools

Frontend Development: HTML, CSS, JavaScript
Data Visualization: D3.js
Design & Prototyping: Figma

3D Modeling & Animation: Unity, Blender

Media Coverage

Project Partner

Briana Jones (Research, iOS Development, 3D Modeling)
Yi-Chun Lan (Research, 3D Modeling)

My Role:

Ideation & Research: Initiated the project concept and conducted thorough research on the Thwaites Glacier's significance
Data Collection & Visualization: Gathered data on glacier dynamics and developed visualizations to present information on glacier fracturing timeline and its consequences
Web Development: Built the interactive web application, integrating storytelling elements to guide users through the glacier’s historical timeline

✶ Project Highlight

a. Interactive Components

Thwaites Glacier’s Ice Tongue, 2001 vs. 2019

The Fracturing of Thwaites Glaciers
3D Animation + Scrollytelling

b. Interactive Data Visualization

Regional Hazards and Impacts by Ocean and Cryospheric Changes

(Hover to interact)

**00. This Is Not A Drill Open Call**

*This Is Not A Drill* at NYU Bobst Library

“The *This Is Not A Drill* program on technology, the climate emergency, equity, and creative practice collaboratively develops such a public pedagogy. It is led by Director and inaugural FIC Fellow Mona Sloane and explores what Arturo Escobar has called “designs for the pluriverse”: designs that account for the pluralities of being, that dismantle the harmful hierarchies that were created between human/non-human and culture/nature, and that reorient us towards sustainment, maintenance and care for each other and for the planet.”

01. Ideation & Research

a. Inspirations
M
Motivated by the open call, Briana and I aimed to leverage creative technology for climate emergency awareness. Our exploration led us to this article detailing recent findings on the melting beneath the Thwaites Glacier. Delving into the published research, we were struck by the glacier's critical role in global sea level rise. This prompted us to center our project on Thwaites Glacier, recognizing its profound implications for coastal communities and ecosystems worldwide.

Research on the melting of the Thwaites Glacier

b. Significance of The Thwaites Glacier
T
The Thwaites Glacier, often referred to as the “Doomsday Glacier,” is among the largest and most rapidly melting glaciers in
Antarctica. Its accelerated melting poses a significant threat, with the potential to drastically raise sea levels, thereby endangering coastal communities and ecosystems worldwide. Understanding the changes occurring in this glacier is crucial for assessing global sea level rise and preparing for its impacts.
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c. Research and ConceptualizationT
To enrich our understanding, we reached out to Dr. Peter Davis from the British Antarctic Survey. Dr. Davis, involved in ocean measurements for calculating the glacier's melting rate, provided invaluable insights into the glacier's structure and the research methodology. Through a series of emails and virtual meetings, he directed us to relevant reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), enhancing our comprehension of the broader consequences of the glacier's melting.

02. Project Goals

a. Educational Focus
W
With comprehensive research, our focus crystallized on educating the audience about:

Detailing the chronological events leading to the fracturing of Thwaites Glacier.

Illustrating the wide-ranging impacts of the glacier’s melting on global sea levels and the resulting threats to coastal regions.

Providing an in-depth look at the anatomy of Thwaites Glacier.

Exploring the primary factors contributing to the glacier’s rapid decline.

b. Project Scope

Interactive Storytelling Experience

We developed a web-based interactive storytelling platform that guides users through the timeline of the Thwaites Glacier's fracturing. This experience visually portrays the significant consequences of its melting, offering an immersive educational journey.

3D Interactive Application

Complementing the storytelling experience, we created an interactive application featuring 3D models of the glacier. This application employs animations to illustrate the glacier’s anatomy and explains the key factors driving its melting, providing a comprehensive understanding of the underlying dynamics.

03. Design & Development

In the following section, I will focus on the screen-based experience development process, which was my primary responsibility within the project.

a. Research Integration

Data Collection

I gathered and synthesized data from expert consultations, scientific reports, and scholarly articles related to the Thwaites Glacier's melting patterns, fracturing timeline, and implications for sea level rise.

Based on the data from the scientific reports, I created a customized json data file for the data visualization part of the screen experience.