Visualization of Research

The fence diagrams consist of multiple overlapping images positioned in 3D space. Each image is a 2D slice of a real 3D volume. In this diagram, the slices are radar images of the Greenland Ice Sheet. The slices are greyscale, with the brightness or darkness of each pixel corresponding to how the ice-penetrating radar is reflected or not reflected. Two factors that influence these reflections are the density of the ice and the presence of impurities in the ice.

Each slice has many different horizontal layers, corresponding to different layers of ice within the ice sheet. The layers are caused by depositions of dirtier ice with impurities, for example due to periods of more and less volcanic activity. Since the slices intersect, these layers can be visually tracked from one slice to the next to get a spacial understanding of the composition of the layers of ice.  Most of the slices show a few distinct layers in the higher half of their area, with the layers blending together more in deeper parts. The deeper parts also tend to be more darker overall than the higher parts due to the increased density of the ice there.