Pale Blue Dot
Data Visualization Challenge
The Challenge
The goal of this challenge was to create a visualization using Earth observation data that advances at least one of the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
Zero Hunger
"The global issue of hunger and food insecurity has shown an alarming increase since 2015, a trend exacerbated by a combination of factors including the pandemic, conflict, climate change, and deepening inequalities."
- un.org
Clean Water and Sanitation
"The demand for water has outpaced population growth. Global water stress has held at 18 percent since 2015, with one in ten people now living under high or critical stress and several regions exceeding 75  percent stress."
- un.org
Climate Action
"With rising greenhouse gas emissions, the impacts of climate change are intensifying and accelerating, including more frequent extreme weather events like droughts, floods and storms, and rising sea levels."
-un.org
We utilized MERRA-2 Ocean Surface Diagnostics dataset from NASA's Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) and Interactive Online Visualization ANd aNalysis Infrastructure (GIOVANNI) for the analysis. This topic corresponds to the Sustainable Development Goal 13, Climate Action, aiming to drive policy changes for preservation of Arctic ecosystems and indigenous communities.
The data visualization presents a depiction of declining sea ice extent and rising ocean temperatures in Alaska's Arctic slope, demonstrating impacts of climate change on Inuit communities. Data from 1981 to 2023 were plotted with respect to each decade, using the 25th and 75th percentile as bounds for the ranges of sea ice extent and ocean temperatures. We isolated the data from 2023 and plotted the averages to highlight the most recent observations within the natural environment of the Arctic slope. The data narrative shows variations in ocean temperature and sea ice properties together, demonstrating their interconnectivity. This region is experiencing extreme changes in the Summer and Winter seasons, ultimately causing disturbances in the environment.
We extend our deepest gratitude to the Alaskan Native and Inuit communities for their collaboration in this project. Our hope is that this project serves as a catalyst for meaningful change and supports the well-being of the Alaskan Native and Inuit communities.
Special thanks to Lucy Somervill for her teamwork on this project
Awarded Honorable Mention for Compelling Visualization
