Climate visualization: issues and methods in geographic lightning research

Geographic visualization techniques may benefit climate research, especially spatio-temporal investigations empowered by visual perception, knowledge, & understanding. In this research, a temporally-composited animated map of lightning events was created for the Phoenix, Arizona, Metropolitan Area using four years of U.S. Bureau of Land Management direction-finder lightning data. The product was designed both to communicate existing research hypotheses on spatio-temporal lightning characteristics and to explore the seasonal variations of lightning frequency during the summer monsoon season. Development of geovisualization tools, especially interactive tools,, may augment the potential for discovery in climate research.