Advancing Tsunami Risk Communication through Geographic Visualization

Advancements in geovizualization research and technologies present new opportunities to develop sophisticated risk communication strategies in at-risk coastal communities. This thesis seeks to improve tsunami risk communication in coastal communities through the development of new empirical methodologies, conceptual frameworks, and visualization prototypes through several key research contributions. The development of a conceptual framework for 3D visibility analysis presents an opportunity to assess the visibility of tsunami evacuation sign placement in Seaside, Oregon. Further geovisual research is established through the development of a mixed reality visualization interface that enables in situ visualization and simulation of geographic phenomena. This interface is then applied to the visualization and simulation of tsunami events in Ucluelet, British Columbia. This research provides the groundwork for future usability studies on the effectiveness of mixed reality visualization for risk communication.