Case Study: University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science advances Chesapeake Bay carbon cycling research with Tecplot 360

Tecplot Visualization Helps Understand Chesapeake Bay Carbon Cycling

The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) faced the challenge of creating a complex three-dimensional biogeochemical model of the Rhode River estuary to understand carbon and nitrogen transfer. This research, crucial for the Chesapeake Bay's restoration, required advanced tools to visualize and analyze large datasets to identify potential model inconsistencies that were difficult to spot with static 2D representations.

To meet this challenge, researchers utilized Tecplot's visualization software, Tecplot 360. The product's built-in FVCOM-loader enabled direct data import and powerful 3D temporal visualization, which helped discover and correct bugs in the ecosystem model. Tecplot 360, along with its PyTecplot API, also streamlined the process of creating and analyzing transects to calculate fluxes of dissolved organic matter, providing crucial insights into the estuary's carbon cycling and advancing the restoration efforts.

University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science

Blake Clark

Research Scientis