2024 IEEE Scientific Visualization Contest Winner: PlumeViz: Interactive Exploration for Multifacet Features of Hydrothermal Plumes in Sonar Images

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Yiming Shao, Chengming Liu, Zhiyuan Meng, Shufan Qian, Peng Jiang, Yunhai Wang, Qiong Zeng

Published: 01 Jul 2025, Last Modified: 02 Nov 2025IEEE Computer Graphics and ApplicationsEveryoneRevisionsCC BY-SA 4.0
Abstract: Plume visualization is essential for unveiling the dynamics of hydrothermal systems. This article introduces an interactive exploration tool, PlumeViz, designed to facilitate the extraction and visualization of multifaceted plume characteristics from data collected by a sonar device. The tool addresses the challenges posed by undersampled volume data and intricate plume structures by providing an interactive platform for plume identification, visual representation, and analysis. Key functionalities of PlumeViz encompass comprehensive plume evolution, plume feature extraction, and in-depth exploration of specific regions of interest. We demonstrate the efficacy of PlumeViz in visualizing hydrothermal plumes through a case study and a range of illustrative results.