Unisys Is Changing Their Color Scaling On Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Maps
by Bob Tisdale
A couple of weeks ago, Unisys announced they are changing the color scaling on their daily Sea Surface Temperature (SST) anomaly maps.
The new Unisys SST anomaly map looks more like the GlobalSST anomaly maps from the NOAA Coral Reef Watch website:
Refer to their post New Sea Surface Temp Anomalies Graphic. The following gif animation compares the old and the new Unisys presentations:
Old and New Unisys SST Anomaly Maps
Unisys writes:
Based on user feedback we developed a new version of our Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies plot with a different color scale. We had been asked to modify the color scale to better differentiate between above and below normal temperatures.
Unisys also asked for comments. There’s a link on their blog post linked above. I suggested a band of neutral white at +/- 0.05 deg C.
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I agree with Bob, we see graphs all the time with a zero line for temperature anomaly, it is accepted practice to present zero or “normal” in graphical anomaly representations.
WUWT has a collection of posts on the use of color for presentation of data, we can add this one from Bob Tisdale to the library. The trend is to paint the world redder.
- A color scheme change for the SST map
- ENSO color tricks from NOAA’s Environmental Visualization Lab
- Color and Temperature: Perception is everything
- Coloring the Models: Climate Change through Color Change
While Unisys paints the town red, other organizations offer a zero/normal presentation. For example:
Even the NOAAWatch SST meter has a zero with neutral colors, which is stuck these days as it hasn’t been updated in awhile:
Unisys responding to user feedback probably has to do with the fact that their previous presentation looked too “cool” for the many hotheaded thinkers that only see the world in shades of warmer colors.
At issue is not the scientific interpretations of such maps, but the public interpretation. Seeing reds oranges and yellows, with no balance for “normal” allows the uninitiated and undiscerning to point at the map and exclaim Rommisms like: Look! We’re boiling!
The was no worry of such a thing happening with the previous Unisys color scheme.
So, if you think a neutral color best conveys the SST data where it is new zero, take Unisys up on their offer:
Please take a look at our new plot and let us know what you think by emailing us at: technical-support@weather.unisys.com.
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Ryan – I like the map – but the structure of the mid-pacific current doesn’t pop out like it does on either of the Unisys products…? But I do think the switch to yellows on either side of zero is a flat-out cheat on their part. And they know it.
I believe a wide-ish green hue band (low saturation) is appropriate for either side of zero (a few intervals) – that grades into yellows-reds (on the high side) or blues – purples (on the low side) might be visually appealing.
Just a thought…
I can absolutley state that this is a Marketing Tool, used for decades is advertising and promotion, red spectrum sells warm thoughts, blue spectrum = cold thoughts. Blatant and self serving, not scientific.
The extreme end of the cooling scale will become almost black which will obscure the land masses. We may see this extreme end of the cooling scale in a few/several years. How about green or bright purple on that end of the scale? I very much agree with a white neutral color presentation. The +- range best determined by those more knowledgeable. Perhaps +- 1/2 degree would eliminate error ranges and better indications of trends and less very short term fluxuations.
There just seems to be too many coincidential issues with regards to the presentation of data to not suggest something ‘fishy’. Do these people think? Why do they continue to appear to be less than forthcoming in a clear presentation of data? Could it really be that we have a very widespread problem within what seems to be every branch of any organization with any connection to weather or climate? It certainly seems so.
It may be long overdue to take the hatchet to these organizations.
Maybe there is a reason to alter the spectrum, but it seems reasonable to me to use the known visible spectrum (for humans), being red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet (warmer to colder). That’s the true visual spectrum we have evolved to recognize.
“I can absolutley state that this is a Marketing Tool, used for decades is advertising and promotion, red spectrum sells warm thoughts, blue spectrum = cold thoughts. Blatant and self serving, not scientific.”
That infers that we prefer warm to cold. So why are some folks so concerned if conditions for life are becoming more favorable?
The whole “science” is chock full of bad assumptions.
@R. Gates,
That is a sweet page. Thanks for the link. Definitely the bets way to report anomalies: simple and clean.
http://www.chiron-hannover.de/assets/images/Regnbue_Bognes.jpg
I seem to remember Jonova raising a similar concern a while back with a brochure that was being circulated with a misleading colour scale.
Well I like the black; that’s easy to reference to. And I just did a very crude black addition problem, using their also very crude longitude and latitude grid lines. Whatever happened to the 15 degree longitudes, so that one didn’t have to figure time in one hour and 20 minute chunks.
Nonetheless, I saw through their craftiness, and was able to confirm; well to within the climatism 3:1 fudge factor range; that between +20 deg lat and -20 deg lat, which is NOT identical to the tropic of Cancer to tropic of Capricorn (C to C) range; that about 3/4 of the earth’s tropics is ocean, and about 1/4 is land. Well I got about 68% ocean at +20, and about a fixed 78% ocean from equator to -20 lat.
So it is reasonably assured, that at least 75% of all solar energy that strikes the earth surface, lands in the ocean, where the bulk of it can go more than 100 metres deep, and stay there a long time.
Those with actual digized maps of the real planet, could do that actual integration, and probably even do it from C to shining C, so that in future we all know how much that is.
All calibration of colour should start with the “Red Sea”, and proceed from there.
Ahem.
Sorry 🙂
As always, thanks, Anthony.