Comparing Impact of Climate Science Data Visualized Graphically and in Artwork

How significant is the form of scientific data presentation in determining impact on and extent of the audience? This question is investigated by comparing the response to scientific information presented as a traditional data graph versus presented in artwork. Most people will gloss over the graphs in a scientific paper, even though the figures tell an important story. The role as an artist is to engage people emotionally in that story using the uniquely articulate lens of art. The goal of communicating the climate science data in an art format was to reach a broader audience. We compare the social media and media analytics from publication of original glacier data sets in 2015 to that generated by the artwork of the same data also completed in 2015. Glacier annual mass balance, total snow accumulation minus total snow ablation, is recognized as the most sensitive and representative climate parameter observed and reported from glaciers. The World Glacier Monitoring Service (M.Zemp: WGMS) compiles and reports this data. As a key contributor (M. Pelto) to this record and reporter on this record for the annual BAMS State of the Climate (SOTC) report, it became apparent that the data set though a special focus and media highlight of the SOTC report could benefit from a new perspective. J. Pelto completed two pieces of art that feature glacier mass balance as a visually important story of climate change. Decrease in Glacier Mass Balance presents data of average mass balance for a group of North Cascade, WA glaciers 1984-2014. Climate Change Data illustrates global annual glacier mass balance, global sea level rise, and global temperatures. This image conveys how the data sets are linked, and presented together better communicates the fluctuations in Earth's dynamic systems. The numbers on the left y-axis depict quantities of glacial melt and sea level rise, and the suns across the horizon contain global temperature increase values, coinciding with the timeline on the x-axis. The art attracted an order of magnitude greater social media engagement, and 80 % greater media published pieces. Climate Change Data was chosen for the cover of SOTC in 2016. A new 3-D exhibit of this data will be made for this session at AGU, which will help convey how art can be a powerful communication tool for understanding and experiencing science information.