―  Introduction  ―

GeoViz is a cutting-edge Unity-based visualization application that brings oceanographic particle tracking data to life in stunning 2D and 3D. It transforms complex NetCDF datasets from OpenDrift simulations into interactive, explorable visualizations where you can watch thousands of particles—microplastics, oil droplets, marine organisms, or sediments—move through the ocean in real-time. Powered by Cesium Ion's photorealistic global terrain and high-resolution bathymetry, every particle is positioned with geographical accuracy against the actual ocean floor and coastlines. Control time like a simulation: play, pause, rewind, and step through your data to analyse dispersion patterns, track pollution trajectories, or study biological transport with unprecedented clarity.
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​Whether you're modelling oil spill propagation, tracking microplastic dispersion, or studying plankton movement, GeoViz handles massive oceanographic datasets (20GB+, 45,000+ trajectories) with smooth performance. The open-source platform integrates seamlessly with the GeoViz Data Tool for complete data preparation, supports custom particle types and classifications, and provides researchers with a professional-grade visualization environment that turns raw scientific data into actionable insights.
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―  Core Capabilities  ―

Particle Visualization
  • Real-time 3D rendering of particle trajectories in water
  • Support for both 2D and 3D visualization modes
  • Displays multiple particle attributes simultaneously (Latitude & Longitude, Depth, Diameter, Categorization)

Temporal Control
  • Full control over time-series data playback
  • Navigate forward and backward through simulation time
  • Adjustable playback speed
  • Pause and step-through functionality for detailed analysis
  • View particle evolution over extended periods

Global Terrain & Bathymetry
  • High-resolution global terrain visualization powered by Cesium Ion
  • Detailed ocean floor (bathymetric) representation
  • Accurate geographical context for particle tracking
  • Seamless integration of ocean depth with surface features
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―  Technical Architecture  ―

Game Engine Foundation
  • Built on Unity game engine for high-performance 3D rendering
  • Leverages Unity's real-time rendering capabilities for smooth visualization
  • Interactive camera controls for exploration

Cesium Ion Integration
  • Uses Cesium for Unity plugin for global-scale geospatial visualization
  • Provides photorealistic terrain and bathymetric data
  • Enables accurate positioning of particles in real-world coordinates

Data Processing
  • Microsoft Scientific DataSet library for .NET enables NetCDF file parsing
  • Direct integration with C# data structures for efficient processing
  • Handles large-scale oceanographic datasets
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―  Data Format Requirements  ―

GeoViz is designed to work with OpenDrift NetCDF output files containing:
  • Time-series particle tracking data
  • Required variables: Latitude, Longitude, Depth
  • Particle properties: Diameter, categorization/classification
  • SedimentDrift-compatible variable structure

Supported Particle Types the application can visualize:
  • Oil droplets - Oil spill tracking and dispersion
  • Microplastics - Environmental pollution studies
  • Marine snow (faecal pellets) - Biological oceanography
  • Zooplankton (copepods) - Ecological modelling
  • Phytoplankton (diatom chains) - Primary production studies
  • Gas bubbles - Subsea release simulations
  • Generic particles - Custom research applications
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―  Primary Use Cases  ―

Marine Research:
  • Microplastic dispersion modelling
  • Ocean current pattern analysis
  • Pollutant transport studies
  • Sediment transport visualization

Environmental Assessment:
  • Oil spill trajectory prediction
  • Contaminant spread analysis
  • Environmental impact visualization

Oceanographic Studies:
  • Particle tracking experiments
  • Biological organism movement
  • Water mass transport
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―  Extensibility & Open Source  ―

The codebase allows researchers to develop custom parsers for their specific data formats beyond the default OpenDrift structure. It is available on GitHub  for community contributions and adaptations, and it is a regulated open-source software (GPL-3.0 License). Yet, this open source code does not contain two private plugins, namely crosstales and Sirenix. After cloning the GeoViz open source repository, users must acquire these separately by themselves.
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―  Workflow Integration  ―

GeoViz works in conjunction with the GeoViz Data Tool to provide a complete data preparation and visualization pipeline:
  1. Data Preparation (GeoViz Data Tool)
    1. Validate NetCDF compatibility
    2. Add missing required variables
    3. Fragment large datasets for performance (in case you do not have memory RAM for the entire dataset file)
  2. Visualization (GeoViz Application)
    1. Load processed NetCDF files
    2. Explore particles in 3D space
    3. Control time progression
    4. Analyze dispersion patterns
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―  Software  ―

The GeoViz and GeoViz Data Tool software can be accessed through the following links: 
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