Visualizing Future Extreme

Water Levels in Halifax’s

Northwest Arm in 2100

Thesis Project by Florian Goetz, B00610816

Advisor: Eric Rapaport

Dalhousie University, School of Planning, PLAN 4500

April 8, 2016

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Acknowledgements

There are many people who I would like to thank for helping me complete my thesis

project. Firstly, I would like to thank Eric Rapaport, my thesis advisor who has helped,

encouraged, guided me and has done much more for me this last year. I could not have

completed the project without Eric’s support. Patricia Manuel, the thesis classes’ course

instructor, also deserves my thanks and acknowledgements. I noticed the quality of my writing

greatly improve this year as a result of Patricia’s critique and feedback. Jennifer Strang and

Dalhousie University’s Geographical Information Sciences Center deserve recognition for being

an extremely helpful resource. Jennifer and the Centre helped me with my GIS concerns and

provided me with data not only during this year, but for my entire time at Dalhousie University.

My family, friends, and classmates are more than worthy of a huge thank you. I would like to

specifically thank two classmates and friends, Cole Grabinsky and Shannon Junor. Cole

accompanied me during a fairly cold site visit to help record measurements, and Shannon

because together we learned how to create Esri Story Maps with the new technology, and later

critiqued each other’s Story Maps to improve the overall quality. Lastly I want to thank you, the

reader, for taking the time to read about my project. I appreciate the thought that others are

interested in my work.

Summary

The world’s climate is changing, but the kind of change and the severity of its impact will

vary from place to place. For example, coastal areas are threatened by rising sea levels, coastal

erosion advancing further inland and more frequent storms with greater intensities (IPCC, 2015).

Coastal communities have begun preparing for the potential impacts of sea level rise and further

reaching storm surges. For example, Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) has produced

scenarios which varied in future sea level rise predictions and storm intensities, to identify the

extent of extreme water levels (Forbes et al., 2009); enforced a bylaw to restrict residential use

below a certain elevation near coastal areas (HRM, 2015); and released a guide to mitigate and

adapt to climate change’s impacts (HRM, 2010).

HRM and other municipalities use visualizations to communicate changes, such as sea

level rise impacts, to the public. Research scientist Don Forbes and colleagues (2009) produced a

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set of sea level rise scenarios for the Halifax Harbour for the year 2100. Forbes et al. (2009) also

made maps to represent the different scenarios and to show the horizontal extent and depth of the

flooding. HRM did use the scenarios and maps to set a policy reference point to plan for sea

level rise and storm surges(NRC, 2010), but the maps are arguable not the most effective method

of communicating the change to the public. I researched visualization methods that HRM has yet

to use to display the impact of extreme water levels for my thesis project. It was then my

project’s purpose to produce visualizations based off of my research of visualization methods

and to have the visualizations represent extreme water levels of a study area in Halifax. I chose

Halifax’s Northwest Arm as my study area because the Northwest Arm has many public parks

and areas that are vulnerable to future sea level rise. HRM is investing in projects to protect these

areas (Bundale, 2015 & CBC, 2014), and visualizations could help reinforce the projects’

rationale.

The visualization method that I used was inspired by the National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Sea Level Rise Viewer (2015), which is an interactive

map of the United States that displays different water levels while simultaneously changing the

water level in photo manipulations of coastal areas. NOAA created its photo manipulations with

its CanVis software, but I used Adobe Photoshop along with Flaming Pear’s Flood plugin and

then I presented my photo manipulations in an Esri Story Map. A more specific description of

my method includes: using ArcMap and a digital elevation model to identify susceptible areas to

coastal flooding; visiting the Northwest Arm to record GPS coordinates and to capture photos for

the photo manipulations’ base photos, height reference photos, and of storm-like conditions;

manipulating the photos in Photoshop to fix errors, simulate storm-like conditions, perform

photo scaling calculations, and simulate the extreme water levels; and then displaying the photo

manipulations into a Story Map.

In my research I also found the work of Landscape Architect, Professor Stephen

Sheppard, who describes seven principles of effective landscape visualization:

comprehensibility, representativeness, accuracy, credibility, defensibility, engagement, and

accessibility. I used the principles to guide me throughout my project’s entire method, and once

completed, I also critiqued my project against the principles. Meeting these principles were also

my project’s objectives, and I found that I was successful in meeting the principles. Aspects of

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my project could be changed to improve the accuracy and engagement, but this is a future

consideration for my project.

After I completed my Story Map, I compared it to NOAA’s Sea Level Rise Viewer and

found that both products have clear strengths over the other when it comes to the software used

and the layout of the product. The Sea Level Rise Viewer’s layout is better in most aspects, but

using Photoshop and Flood creates more realistic photo manipulations than NOAA’s CanVis

software. Both products however serve their purpose of communicating change, and are

examples of how visualizations are a useful tool for professionals and planners. There may not

be a perfect visualization method, but it is important that HRM and other coastal communities

use visualizations to help prepare for climate change’s impacts. As Stephen Sheppard once said

“The climate is changing and our communities will, too. If we can visualize that change, we can

manage it.” (Arvidson, 2013).

The Story Map can be found at this link http://arcg.is/1W3bFcR (if the link does not work, send

me an email Florian.Goetz@dal.ca)

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Table of Contents

Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................................ i

Summary ........................................................................................................................................................ i

List of Figures ............................................................................................................................................... ii

List of Tables ............................................................................................................................................... iii

List of Acronyms ......................................................................................................................................... iii

Glossary ....................................................................................................................................................... iv

Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 1

Project Purpose ............................................................................................................................................. 2

Rationale ....................................................................................................................................................... 2

Project Objectives ......................................................................................................................................... 3

Background Research ................................................................................................................................... 4

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Climate change 2014 synthesis report .......................... 4

CBCL Limited & Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture’s The 2009 state of Nova

Scotia’s coast technical report .................................................................................................................. 5

Forbes et al.’s Halifax Harbour extreme water levels in the context of climate change: Scenarios for a

100-year planning horizon ........................................................................................................................ 5

Richards and Daigle’s Scenarios and guidance for adaptation to climate change and sea level rise –

NS and PEI municipalities ........................................................................................................................ 6

Rahmstorf’s A semi-empirical approach to projecting future sea-level rise report ................................. 7

Sheppard et al.’s Landscape visualization: An extension guide for first nations and rural communities 7

Collaborative for Advanced Landscape Planning’s Delta Regional Adaptation Collaborative Project . 8

C2C’s CoastaL Impacts Visualization Environment................................................................................. 9

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Sea Level Rise Viewer ........................................ 10

Zhang et al.’s A 3D visualization system for hurricane storm-surge flooding ....................................... 11

Method ........................................................................................................................................................ 13

Step 1 Scenario Creation ........................................................................................................................ 14

Step 2 Identifying Susceptible Locations ................................................................................................ 14

Step 3 Site Visits ...................................................................................................................................... 15

Step 3.1 Base Photos and GPS coordinates ........................................................................................ 15

Step 3.2 Height Reference Photos ....................................................................................................... 16

Step 3.3 Storm-like Condition Photos ................................................................................................. 17

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Step 4 Converting GPS Coordinates into a GIS Point Shapefile ............................................................ 17

Step 5 Creating the Photo Manipulations ............................................................................................... 17

Step 5.1 Cleaning Up the Photos ........................................................................................................ 17

Step 5.2 Simulating Storm-like Conditions ......................................................................................... 18

Step 5.3 Photo Scaling Calculations ................................................................................................... 18

Step 5.4 Simulating the Water Levels .................................................................................................. 18

Step 6 Creating the Story Map ................................................................................................................ 18

Failed Methodology .................................................................................................................................... 19

Findings ...................................................................................................................................................... 21

Feedback from Peers ................................................................................................................................... 23

Future Considerations ................................................................................................................................. 24

Limitations and Errors ................................................................................................................................ 24

Reflecting on Halifax’s Visualizations and My Contributions ................................................................... 26

Synthesis ..................................................................................................................................................... 27

Conclusion .................................................................................................................................................. 30

References ................................................................................................................................................... 31

Appendix A – How to record and display accurate photo locations ........................................................ A - 1

Appendix B – How to fix errors and blemishes in images with Photoshop ............................................. B - 1

Appendix C – How to simulate storm-like conditions with Photoshop ................................................... C - 1

Appendix D – How to perform photo scaling calculations ......................................................................D - 1

Appendix E – How to simulate extreme water levels with Photoshop .................................................... E - 1

Appendix F – Email from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration regarding Sea Level Rise

Viewer method ......................................................................................................................................... F - 1

List of Figures Figure 1. CoastaL Impact Visualization Environment

Figure 2. Collaborative for Advanced Landscape Planning

Figure 3. The proximity of the Northwest Arm to my residence

Figure 4. Representing extreme water levels in the Halifax Harbour

Figure 5. CLIVE in use

Figure 6. A hurricane probability map

Figure 7. A hurricane simulation by Zhang et al.

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Figure 8. A visualization created by 3ds Max and Civil 3D

Figure 9. A visualization created with Virtual Terrain Project

Figure 10. The identified susceptible locations

Figure 11. The difference in water levels during different site visits

Figure 12. My friend standing with the metre stick with the green glove on the end

Figure 13. Comparing Google Earth’s ground-level view with the real view

Figure 14. Comparing ArcGlobe ground-level view with the real view

Figure 15. Altimeter and geodetic pin

Figure 16. High tide and low tide by Deadman’s Island

Figure 17. The transition between water and land is not very convincing

Figure 18. Lines AA and BB are not parallel with the horizon

Figure 19. The Flood plugin will only work if the perspective is above the water level

Figure 20. The map shows some of Halifax’s buildings completely submerged

Figure 21. Visualizations in the Sea Level Rise Viewer

Figure 22. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Sea Level Rise Viewer

Figure 23. Florian Goetz’s Story Map

List of Tables Table 1. Extreme Water Level Worst Case Scenario

Table 2. Visualization Method/Software Comparison

List of Acronyms

CALP: Collaborative for Advanced Landscape Planning

CLIVE: Coastal Impact Visualization Environment

Delta-RAC: Delta Regional Adaptation Collaborative

GIS: Geographic Information System

HHWLT: Higher High Water at Large Tides

HRM: Halifax Regional Municipality

IPCC: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

LIL: Landscape Immersion Lab

MSM: My Story Map

NOAA: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NS: Nova Scotia

PEI: Prince Edward Island

SLRV: Sea Level Rise Viewer

VTP: Virtual Terrain Project

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Glossary

Harbour Seiche: Longitudinal and transverse oscillations determined by the harbour’s basin

dimensions will raise wave height above normal levels (Forbes et al., 2009, pg 9).

Higher High Water at Large Tides: The average of the highest high waters, one from each of

19 years of predictions (Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 2015).

Storm Surge: The temporary increase, at a particular locality, in the height of the sea due to

extreme meteorological conditions (low atmospheric pressure and/or strong winds) (IPCC, 2015,

pg 127).

Subsidence: Sinking of land relative to the sea (CBCL, 2009, Executive Summary pg 6).

Thermal Expansion: The increase in volume (and decrease in density) that results from

warming water. A warming of the ocean leads to an expansion of the ocean volume and hence an

increase in sea level (IPCC, 2015, pg 128).

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Introduction

Sea level rise will impact coastal communities as Earth’s climate continues changing.

Rising global sea levels are a result of glaciers melting and oceans experiencing thermal

expansion. According to the United Nations International Panel on Climate Change (2015) by

2100, scientists predict that global mean sea level would rise between 0.26 and 0.82 metres.

Furthermore, the amount of precipitation and the frequency and severity of storms are also

predicted to increase in certain areas (IPCC, 2015, & CBCL, 2009). More precipitation and

storm events will increase the impact of coastal flooding because strong storms cause storm

surges, which increases wave height. The North Atlantic Ocean, where Nova Scotia is situated, is

predicted to have more storms and major hurricanes (CBCL, 2009, & Global Change, 2014). The

province also has a higher sea level rise prediction than the global average due to land

subsidence. By 2100, Nova Scotia’s sea level could rise between 0.46 and 1.02 metres (IPCC,

2016, & CBCL, 2009). Sea level rise combined with subsidence is known as relative sea level

rise (Penn State, 2015). The Nova Scotian communities adjacent to the coast are at risk of

inundation and will experience increased coastal flooding in the future. Harbour communities are

especially impacted because of a phenomenon known as “harbour seiche” occurring. Harbour

seiche occurs when water is disturbed in a closed or partially closed basin, such as a harbour, and

the waves are reflected by the basin’s perimeter, which then makes wave height higher than

normal (Forbes et al., 2009).

Coastal communities should be aware of the potential future impact of sea level rise and

coastal flooding. Planners and professionals often rely on using visualizations, such as physical

models and digital renderings, to help show the impacts to the public (Al-Kodmany, 2002). The

public may not grasp the severity of the impact by reading about the rise or by looking at a chart,

so spatial visualizations are used instead to improve comprehensibility (Sheppard et al., 2011).

There are many methods of visualization that professionals use to communicate the impacts of

coastal flooding and other planning concerns, such as development proposals. Many of these

methods however have not been used to represent coastal flooding in Halifax. In 2009,

professionals showed the extent of coastal flooding in different scenarios by making maps in a

Geographic Information System (GIS) (Forbes et al., 2009). Others have constructed a flood tank

representing Eastern Passage (Maher et al., 2012); made a physical model of a flooded Eastern

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Passage (Maher et al., 2012); and produced renderings that show the impact to downtown

Halifax’s built form (Hindrichs, 2015). There are many visualization methods and software that

have yet to be used in Halifax’s context, and they may prove to be more efficient in

communicating the impacts of sea level rise and coastal flooding to the public.

Project Purpose

This project was exploratory research on visualization methods of sea level rise and

coastal flooding. From the research, I produced visualizations for a case study area in Halifax,

Nova Scotia. The visualizations were produced with a visualization method that Halifax

Regional Municipality has yet to practice to represent sea level rise and coastal flooding.

Rationale

There are many methods of visualizing sea level rise and coastal flooding. Their

effectiveness varies depending on the audience because everyone’s background and knowledge

differs. In terms of learning, some are visual learners, others auditory and some learn by

interaction (Education Planner, 2011). In the same way some prefer reading maps, while others

can get a better understanding from a physical model. A perfect method may not exist, but some

methods have proven to be effective in other municipalities and case studies (Salter et al., 2008).

I researched these methods and then reproduced the methods in the context of the

Northwest Arm in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I chose the Northwest Arm as my study area because

there is potential for coastal flooding in this area, and there are a variety of assets, such as

residential housing, major collector roads, and public open spaces. The Northwest Arm also has

Figure 1. CoastaL Impact Visualization Environment

(2014 MIT CC, 2014).

Figure 2. Collaborative for Advanced Landscape Planning

(Arvidson, 2013).

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three seawalls that are regularly used by the public, but are in poor condition. The seawalls

however are being raised and restored to mitigate the effects of sea level rise (Coldwater, 2010).

The four million dollar restoration project’s current phase is focusing on the Dingle Tower area

seawall (Bundale, 2015), but the seawalls by Regatta Point and Horseshoe Island Park are still in

a vulnerable state. I think it is important to show why the municipality is investing so much into

the restoration project. With this

reasoning in mind, my intended

audience is the general public and I

wrote my project’s information and

explanations in terms that the

general public should comprehend.

Finally, I chose this site because it is

relative easy for me to access

multiple times in order to collect

information needed for my

visualization tool.

Project Objectives

My primary objective was creating an informative means to show the extent of future sea

level rise and coastal flooding in the Northwest Arm. In order to know if a visualization

technique is informative, my second objective was to design my visualization tool using

principles of effective visualization. Landscape Architect, Professor Stephen Sheppard stated

there are seven principles of effective landscape visualization (2004). Once I created my

visualizations, I achieved my second objective by evaluating and critiquing my results against

Sheppard’s principles. The principles are:

comprehensibility – the audience can understand the visualization;

representativeness – the visualization shows key views;

accuracy – it shows the area and the proposed changes while resembling the real location;

credibility – it can convince the audience by looking realistic;

Figure 3. The proximity of the Northwest Arm to my residence

(Goetz, 2016a).

Current Residence

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defensibility – I can explain to the audience how I made the visualization and how accurate

it is;

engagement – the visualization (and myself if I am presenting) is able to capture and hold

the audience’s attention by remaining interesting;

and accessibility – the audience and other interested people can acquire the visualization,

whether that means visiting a webpage, downloading a file, or reconstructing a physical

display.

Background Research

I researched two topics before I started creating my visualizations, the first being aspects

that contribute to extreme water levels, such as sea level rise, storm surge, and seiche, and the

second being visualization methods. Researching extreme water levels gave me an understanding

of the worst case scenario that Halifax could experience by 2100 and the research formed the

basis for what my visualizations would represent. Researching and reviewing visualization

methods provided me with valuable information for which method I would later follow and other

aspects to keep in mind. One of these aspects is what factors are commonly considered in the

extreme water level scenarios, such as only projected sea level rise, or sea level rise and other

factors like storm surge and high tide. I also looked at visualization methods that were used to

represent other changes such as development proposals. Some of the reports regarding extreme

water levels also had visualization aspects, so I also noted these as a part of my visualization

methods research.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Climate change 2014 synthesis report

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Climate change 2014

synthesis report provides information on current global climate conditions and predictions of

how climate conditions will change. It includes predictions on global mean sea level rise and the

amount of precipitation and storm events. By 2100, sea level may rise between 0.26 and 0.82

metres, and the North Atlantic region will experience more precipitation and storms (IPCC,

2015). The sea level rise predictions vary due to uncertainty in future greenhouse gas emissions,

but I decided to take a pessimistic or precautionary approach when creating the scenarios and

visualizations. This approach makes the impact of coastal flooding more obvious and provides a

worst-case outcome. I used this report to construct my scenarios because this IPCC report is the

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most recent document that provides global sea level rise projections. Other reports have

referenced the previous IPCC report, which was published in 2007. IPCC’s 2014 synthesis report

provides useful insight to global conditions, but I was also aware that I needed to consider local

conditions when I created the extreme water level scenarios.

As for the visual aspects of this report, the report uses tables and charts to show how sea

level will rise globally, but the tables and charts are difficult to apply local context to because

they only offer numbers. Seeing the extent and affected area of sea level rise is more

comprehensible through maps.

CBCL Limited & Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture’s The 2009 state of

Nova Scotia’s coast technical report

Nova Scotia’s sea level rise rate is higher than the global average and is predicted to stay

over the global average (CBCL, 2009). This information is detailed in CBCL’s and Nova Scotia

Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture’s report (2009). The sea level rise data came from the

2007 IPCC report to predict that Nova Scotia will experience a rise between 0.38 and 0.79

metres by 2100 (CBCL, 2009). The prediction also takes into account the province’s rate of

subsidence (0.2 metres per century). The report also states that “climate change will cause an

increase in the intensity of storms in the northern hemisphere, as well as a possible northward

shift of storm tracks” (CBCL, 2009, pg 164). Increasing storm strength and frequency

contributes to coastal flooding caused by storm surges. This information shows how susceptible

Nova Scotia will be to sea level rise and coastal flooding.

The report also shows initiatives that Nova Scotian communities are taking to educate the

public on sea level rise. It does not explain the visualization method used, but GIS was used to

make 2D mapping visualizations. One of the projects shows extreme water levels in the Halifax

Harbour. This project is reviewed below.

Forbes et al.’s Halifax Harbour extreme water levels in the context of climate change:

Scenarios for a 100-year planning horizon

In 2009, Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) produced maps that showed the

extent of extreme water levels in the Halifax Harbour (Forbes et al., 2009). HRM staff planned to

use the project to help develop the Halifax Harbour Plan (Forbes et al., 2009), but have since

used the project to “set a policy reference point…for developing an adaptation plan”

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(Richardson, 2010, pg 29). The project’s report explains the visualization method and how the

scenarios were made. Forbes et al. (2009) made the maps by manipulating a LiDAR digital

elevation model (DEM) in ArcGIS, to correlate with the flooding scenarios. The report clearly

states how the scenarios were made and what conditions were considered. The conditions

include: subsidence; different sea level predictions, referenced from the 2007 IPCC report; storm

events that vary in strength and return rate; higher high water at large tides (HHWLT); and

harbour seiche. The manipulated DEM was used to produce the flood elevation extent contours.

The flood contours were then overlaid upon an aerial image to show the extent and depth of the

extreme water levels. This visualization method clearly shows the horizontal extent of flooding,

but understanding the vertical extent of

flooding is not as clear. Forbes et al. (2009)

used a graduated colour scheme to represent

different depths, but it is difficult to

distinguish between depths in certain areas of

the map. The maps also show that some

buildings are partially or fully submerged,

but in reality they are not submerged. This

error could be solved in Photoshop or other

editing software by manipulating the image.

I did not use Forbes et al.’s entire visualization method to create my visualizations, but

there were some aspects that I did use. It was useful to know what conditions professionals

considered when they created visualizations in HRM’s context, such as the storm surge

predictions and the extent of wave runup. I included everything in my scenarios that Forbes et al.

used in their scenarios, except I considered using more current predictions such as the sea level

rise projections from IPCC (2015). I also used GIS and a DEM to create my project’s maps.

Richards and Daigle’s Scenarios and guidance for adaptation to climate change and sea level

rise – NS and PEI municipalities

Forbes et al.’s (2009) extreme water level scenarios are also updated in Richards and

Daigle’s (2011) report. Richards and Daigle’s (2011) extreme water level scenarios predict

heights that are more than a metre higher than Forbes et al.’s (2009). Both reports’ scenarios use

sea level rise predictions from the 2007 IPCC (Forbes et al., 2009, & Richards and Daigle,

Figure 4. Representing extreme water levels in the

Halifax Harbour (Forbes et al., 2009).

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2011). While the data was up-to-date at the time, the 2015 IPCC report contains projections of a

higher rise in sea level. I thought it was best to update the scenarios so that the visualizations

accurately represent the extent of sea level rise and coastal flooding.

Halifax’s storm surge predictions were noticeably different in the Forbes et al. (2009) and

Richards and Daigle’s (2011) reports. Forbes et al. (2009) stated that a 50-year storm would raise

the water level by 1.74m, while Richards and Daigle (2011) stated that the same storm would

raise the water level by 0.98m. Richards and Daigle’s predictions come from an older source,

which could explain the discrepancy. I however used Forbes et al.’s storm surge predictions

because I think it is best to prepare for the worst-case scenario.

Rahmstorf’s A semi-empirical approach to projecting future sea-level rise report

Stefan Rahmstorf’s (2007) includes sea level rise predictions of 2100 that are higher than

the highest projections from IPCC’s (2015) synthesis report. Rahmstorf’s projections are higher

because the projections took the acceleration of draining glaciers from Greenland and Antarctica

into consideration (2007), while the synthesis report did not (IPCC, 2015). The synthesis report

is more current, but like with the conflicting storm surge predictions, I think it is best to prepare

for the worst-case scenario. I used Rahmstorf’s projections to base the sea level rise projections

with this reasoning.

Extreme Water Level Worst Case Scenario

Contributing factor to raising

sea level by 2100

Height raised above current

mean sea level

Source

Sea level rise 1.30m Rahmstorf, 2007

50 year storm surge 1.74m Forbes et al., 2009

Subsidence 0.16m Forbes et al., 2009

Higher high water large tide 1.36m Forbes et al., 2009

Seiche and wave runup 1.00±0.70m Forbes et al., 2009

Total 5.56±0.70m

Table 1. The contributing factors to raising sea level with the highest projected values. The 5.56±0.70m raise

represents the worst case scenario.

Sheppard et al.’s Landscape visualization: An extension guide for first nations and rural

communities

Stephan Sheppard et al. (2004) describe the principles of effective landscape visualization

in Landscape visualization: An extension guide for first nations and rural communities. These

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principles include: comprehensibility; representativeness; accuracy; credibility; defensibility;

engagement; and accessibility. These principles were helpful because they guided me in deciding

what I should consider when I created my visualizations, and the principles structured the

questions of the self-critique of my final visualizations.

The book also provides insight to creating visualizations, despite the title referring to

itself as a guide for a specific audience. It includes a flowchart that shows the process of creating

a digital 3D visualization. Parts of the flowchart, such as defining the simulation’s purpose and

scope, were useful. The book is by no means a step-by-step guide for a specific method or

software, but the book does encourage and recommend using specific software. I questioned how

reliable these recommendations were due to how dated the material is, but I trusted the

recommendation to use Adobe Photoshop for creating photo manipulations. This is because

Photoshop is regularly updated and I am aware of how useful the software is.

I first decided to use Photoshop in part of creating my visualizations because I was able

to use it free Dalhousie’s computers. I also found online a Photoshop plugin (a download that

adds a tool or feature to Photoshop) that creates realistic water effects. This plugin was Flaming

Pear’s (2015) Flood. I was unable to use the plugin on a Dalhousie computer because I lacked

administrative privileges, so I then bought Photoshop for my personal computer at a reasonable

price ($20/month). After I created my visualizations, I discovered that Flaming Pear released an

updated plugin called Flood 2. I did not use the updated plugin because it was released after I

created my visualizations.

Collaborative for Advanced Landscape Planning’s Delta Regional Adaptation Collaborative

Project

Stephen Sheppard is a recognized expert in landscape visualization. Researching his

current work provided insight on modern visualization methods. In 2012, Stephen Sheppard and

his team of researchers in the Collaborative for Advanced Landscape Planning (CALP) worked

with the municipality of Delta, British Columbia to complete the Delta Regional Adaptation

Collaborative (Delta-RAC) project (CALP, 2012). The team produced a series of maps and

visualizations of different flooding scenarios in Delta and then presented these in a series of

workshops in their Landscape Immersion Lab (LIL). LIL was set up so that the audience sat in

front of two large screens which displayed interactive landscape visualizations on one screen and

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static information (such as text, charts, and maps) on the other. The interactive visualization

allowed the audience to see Delta from any perspective while the static information showed

relevant information at the same time. The relevant information included depth of flooding, the

probability of Delta’s dike failing, and how water levels are affected by varying storm events.

Sheppard has also used LIL to represent wildfire scenarios (Arvidson, 2013), and neighbourhood

development proposals (Salter et al., 2008). After showing the development proposals to a

workshop group, the group was surveyed and based on the results, the researchers argued that

presenting landscape change in LIL’s format increases and improves participants’ understanding

and is more effective than showing a 2D map and explaining the change (Salter et al., 2008).

LIL made me realize that I needed to consider how I would present my visualizations,

because how I presented my visualizations would improve their effectiveness. I thought that the

best way to improve my visualizations’ engagement was to give my audience complete freedom

when presenting the visualizations.

Delta-RAC’s landscape visualizations were produced in Google Earth and Sketch Up. I

was impressed by the quality and detail of the visualizations. While I did not use Google Earth or

Sketch Up to create my visualizations, I did use Google Earth for height reference object

measurements and photo scaling calculations.

C2C’s CoastaL Impacts Visualization Environment

One of the most recent sea level rise visualization

methods comes from the work of researchers from the

University of Prince Edward Island and Simon Fraser

University. The team (known as C2C, a reference that the

universities are at opposite coasts) created an analytical

geovisualization tool that shows how Prince Edward

Island’s (PEI) coastline has, is, and will change due to sea level rise and other elements that

contribute to coastal erosion (C2C, 2014). The tool is known as the Coastal Impact Visualization

Environment (CLIVE) and it uses aerial photographs from as far back as 1968, recent LiDAR

data, and IPCC climate change predictions to display PEI’s shrinking coastline (C2C, 2014).

What sets CLIVE apart from other visualization methods is how users interact with the tool.

CLIVE runs on the Unity 3D videogame engine and is controlled by a gaming controller (Jaffer,

Figure 5. CLIVE in use (UPEI, 2014).

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2014). This allows users to freely and easily fly over PEI, find and obtain a human perspective,

and then change and display the coastline to past, present, and future locations. I did not produce

visualizations that ran on a videogame engine due to my lack of understanding how videogames

are developed, but CLIVE made me consider how I wanted my audience to interact with my

visualizations. I wanted my audience to have fun and freedom with my visualizations.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Sea Level Rise Viewer

America’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is responsible for

producing storm warnings, managing fisheries, monitoring the climate and more (NOAA, 2015).

One of NOAA’s recent products is the Sea Level Rise Viewer, which is a free-to-use, web-based,

interactive map (NOAA, 2015). The tool shows America’s coastline and five different layers

show how sea level rise will affect the coastal areas. These layers include: sea level rise;

confidence – which shows the probability of coastal flooding; marsh – which shows how

wetlands will either migrate or disappear; vulnerability – which shows where the impact of sea

level rise may be greater because of the built form and population attributes; and flood frequency

– which shows which areas will experience coastal flooding more often (NOAA, 2015). The tool

is unique because it is not showing predicted sea levels at certain years, but it is simply showing

sea level at different heights, those levels being the current sea level, a 1ft rise, a 2ft rise, a 3ft

rise, a 4ft rise, a 5ft rise, and a 6ft rise. Viewers are then able to understand what the extent and

impact of a certain change will look like, and not be confused by a prediction based on complex

climate scenarios. I decided to follow a similar approach with the water levels that my

visualizations would represent, those levels being current sea level, a 1m rise, a 3m rise, and a

5m rise.

The tool’s sea level rise layer also provided me with insight on other elements that I

considered implementing into my project. The layer considers hydrologic connections to

determine if an area will be inundated. Having this in mind helped me create more accurate

visualizations. For example, an area may be below a predicted sea level, but if water has no

connection or means of reaching the area (say it is protected by a raised seawall) the area will not

flood. NOAA’s Sea Level Rise Viewer also has photo manipulations that show the impact of sea

level rise from a human perspective, and the photos change in sync with the changing sea level

on the map (NOAA, 2015). This inspired me to not restrict myself to only use one tool or

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software, because using multiple tools made my visualizations more informative. This is why I

used Esri’s Story Map app to present my project’s work. The Story Map app allows users to

display one or more maps made in ArcGIS and then add text, audio, pictures and videos (Esri,

2015). I believe NOAA’s Sea Level Rise Viewer is an advanced Story Map that was coded to

add more features.

I contacted an affiliate at NOAA to learn about how they created the photo

manipulations. I was told that NOAA used CanVis to manipulate the images and used a photo

scaling technique that uses a height reference object and a scaling formula to determine where

the raised water levels would reach (McBride, 2016). I also found that NOAA offers a guide for

creating photo realistic visualizations (NOAA, 2016). The guide also refers to five of Sheppard

et al.’s seven principles of effective landscape visualization (2004). The guide highlights the

importance of a visualization’s accuracy, credibility, defensibility, representativeness, and

accessibility (NOAA, 2016).

Zhang et al.’s A 3D visualization system for hurricane storm-surge flooding

Hurricanes and storms can cause storm surges. The

media warns the public of forecasted storms and uses maps to

show the probability of the storm making landfall. In Zhang et

al.’s (2006) article they argue that without having a first-hand

experience with a hurricane, the public is unable to understand

the severity and full impact of a storm by looking at a map

similar to figure 6 (NHC & NOAA, 2006). They believe that a

better understanding could come from a digital 3D animation,

which is what they produced. The animation’s goals are to

perform near-real-time animations for forecasted hurricanes and

offline animations for hypothetical hurricanes (Zhang et al.,

2006). The article does not mention if the animations were able

to achieve these goals, but this is likely due to the animations

being only prototypes. Images of the animation shown in the

article do look convincing in simulating a hurricane, but the

building and tree models do not look realistic.

Figure 6. A hurricane probability

map (NHC & NOAA, 2006).

Figure 7. A hurricane simulation

by Zhang et al. (2006).

12

The article was helpful because it identified the software used in creating the animations.

The software includes: Virtual Terrain Project (VTP) created the 3D environment, and

Autodesk’s 3ds Max created the 3D objects.

3ds Max is a 3D modeling and rendering software

and is capable of producing high quality and realistic

models. The software also works well with Autodesk’s

Civil 3D, which renders and animates landscape

visualizations. Initially I was tempted to use Autodesk’s

software because of the quality of the products and

because Autodesk offers free three-year-long licenses to

students. I learned however that the software have very

steep learning curves and I decided not to use the software

because I feared that I would be unable to produce any

visualizations by the end of the semester. I used

Photoshop because I was already familiar with the

software. I was also tempted to use VTP, the free digital

terrain simulator that is supported by open data. Like the Autodesk software, VTP was tempting

because of its products’ quality and the fact that it was free. When I looked into learning how to

use VTP, there were not many resources or tutorials. I thought it was safest to use Photoshop

because I feared not knowing how to use the tool or solve an issue.

Figure 8. A visualization created by 3ds

Max and Civil 3D (Autodesk, 2014)

Figure 9. A visualization created with

Virtual Terrain Project (80LV, 2015).

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Visualization Method/Software Comparison

Landscape

Immersion

Lab

Autodesk

3ds Max +

3D Civil

Sea Level Rise

Viewer

Esri

ArcMap

Adobe

Photoshop

CoastaL

Impacts

Visualization

Environment

Can it show the

horizontal

extent of

flooding?

Can it show the

vertical extent

of flooding?

Can it show the

depth of

flooding?

Are there static

elements?

Are there

dynamic

elements?

Can fly-

throughs be

performed?

Is more than

one medium or

software used?

Am I familiar

with the

software?

Table 2. The chart I used to compare the different visualization methods and software. The chart also helped me

determine which method I would follow and which software I would use.

Method

I decided to design my visualization technique similar to the NOAA’s Sea Level Rise

Viewer. I decided to use the technique because it can show the horizontal and vertical extent of

the water levels using maps and photo manipulations, the product is then static and dynamic, and

I can use different software and still have a product similar to the Sea Level Rise Viewer. My

final product is not an exact replica of the Sea Level Rise Viewer, but there are common

elements in both products such as interactive maps that show different water levels, and

manipulated images that show the water levels from a ground-level perspective. The products

differ though because I used different photo manipulation software (instead of using CanVis I

used Photoshop). I also used Stephen Sheppard’s seven principles of effective landscape

visualization to guide me throughout the entire process of creating my product. Some of the

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principles were implemented throughout most of the process, while some principles were only

implemented in a single step, such as accessibility.

Below is a summary of my project’s summary and more details can be found in the appendices.

Step 1 Scenario Creation

Before I started making the visualizations of extreme water levels, I needed to know

which water levels I would represent. From my background research I knew that sea level for

2100 varied, the extent of storm surge and seiche depended on a storm’s intensity, the impact of

wave runup and overtopping depended on the coastline’s structure, but the rate of subsidence and

the value of Higher High Water Large Tide would be consistent. Considering all of this, the level

for 2100 could be less than a metre higher than current mean sea level in a best-case-scenario or

be five metres higher than current mean sea level in a worst-case-scenario. Based on by how

much the 2100 water level could vary, I decided that the three scenarios would represent 1m, 3m,

and 5m above current mean sea level. These scenarios then range in likelihood of occurring. For

example the 1m scenario could occur with the lowest predicted sea level rise plus the added

impact of a 10-year storm, or the scenario could also be the result of the mean tide during the

highest predicted sea level rise. The 5m scenario however could only occur with all contributions

of extreme water levels happening at once. I also think that the public will comprehend the three

scenarios more effectively if they are presented as scenarios that represent likelihood rather than

presenting a specific situation, much like in Forbes et al.’s report (2009) where the scenarios

were a specific sea level with the added impact of a specific storm and other conditions.

Step 2 Identifying Susceptible Locations

The next step was to identify areas along the Northwest Arm where the effects of extreme

water levels would be most obvious. Using the 2m Digital Elevation Model (DEM) provided by

Halifax Open Data, I manipulated the DEM to represent the 5m water level in ArcMap. The

manipulation included reclassifying the layer’s symbology so that the DEM showed elevations

between 0 and 5 metres as one colour, and all elevations above 5 metres as a different colour.

The specific inputs being: DEM Layer>properties>symbology>Show:Classified>Classes:2>

Classify…>Break Values: 5 and the highest elevation). I simplified identifying areas by setting

the symbol colour of the elevations that are greater than 5m to “No Color”, setting the DEM’s

transparency to 50% in the Display tab, and I added the imagery base map ( symbol to click

15

>Add Basemap…>Imagery). Keeping Sheppard’s representativeness principle in mind, I

identified: areas in the map where coastal flooding was obvious; recognizable landmarks, such as

the Dingle Tower; and public areas, such as Regatta Point Walkway. It is also important to

identify locations where the photographer’s perspective is above the highest predicted water

level.

Step 3 Site Visits

I visited the site three times. The purpose of these site visits was to capture base photos

for my photo manipulations, to capture height reference photos, to capture photos of storm-like

conditions, and to record GPS coordinates. In retrospect I could have completed all of these tasks

with one site visit, but I did not because weather conditions did not coincide with when my

friend was available to help with the height reference photos. I completed the following tasks

accordingly.

Step 3.1 Base Photos and GPS coordinates

I planned my site visits to coincide with the rising tide. I decided to take photos slightly

before high tide because then my base photos would have fairly similar water levels. Had I taken

Armdale Roundabout

Saint Mary’s Boat Club

Horseshoe Island Park

Deadman’s Island Park

Regatta Point Walkway Regatta Point Walkway

Dingle Tower

Seawall Walkway

Dingle Tower

Seawall Walkway

Figure 10. The identified susceptible locations (Goetz, 2015b).

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the photos during mean tide, the photos’ water levels would have been quite drastic in

comparison (see figure 11 below). I took panoramic photos (multiple photos that are later

merged/stitched together to form one photo) of the identified locations. Panoramic photos

capture more detail than a single photo, and the panoramic’s larger area allows the viewer to

look around the photo, unlike the smaller single photo which confines the viewer to a single

frame. The ability to search around the panoramic can create the sensation of looking around the

area. I also recorded GPS coordinates of my locations after I took each photo. These coordinates

are crucial for providing accuracy in the steps following the site visits. The GPS was provided by

Dalhousie University’s Earth Science Department.

Step 3.2 Height Reference Photos

During my second site visit I captured height reference photos. These photos are essential

for steps 5.3 and 5.4 because these photos helped determine a water level’s vertical reach in the

base photos. These height reference photos were taken from the same locations and perspectives

as the base photos, but they also included an object of a known height in the scene. This object

was a metre stick held by a friend, and I also attached a bright green glove to the sticks end to

help identifying the stick in step 5.3. NOAA used a similar method when they created their sea

level rise photo manipulations. In an email a NOAA affiliate told me that he often looks for an

object of a known height, such as a traffic sign, to base his photo scaling calculations (McBride,

2016). This calculation will be explained in step 5.3. I used one object of a precise measurement

for all of my height reference photos to make things more consistent and accurate. Had I used

Figure 11. The difference in water levels during different site visits (Goetz, 2016b).

17

NOAA’s approach, I would have spent much more

time measuring the reference objects. I also saved

myself time doing multiple calculations by taking

multiple height reference photos of one site but with

my reference object placed at different distances from

me. It would have been more accurate to have my

friend record GPS coordinates at his different

locations, but instead I asked him to stand near

recognizable objects that I could locate in Google

Earth’s air photos, such as a single tree or park bench.

Step 3.3 Storm-like Condition Photos

I visited the site on an overcast day to capture photos of storm-like conditions to improve

the credibility of my visualizations. My base photos were taken during clear blue skies. The

visualizations however are meant to represent a storm’s effect on water levels. Having the blue

skies in the photos would reduce the realism of the photos, because one would not expect to see a

clear sky during or soon after a storm. These photos would be used in step 5.2.

Step 4 Converting GPS Coordinates into a GIS Point Shapefile

I converted the GPS coordinates from step 3.1 into a point shapefile with ArcCatalog and

ArcMap. Refer to Appendix A. This shapefile was used for creating maps in ArcMap,

performing calculations in Google Earth, and are an essential part of the Story Map.

Step 5 Creating the Photo Manipulations

I used Adobe Photoshop to create my visualizations using the photos from my three site

visits. I prepared the photos by editing out errors and flaws, editing in the storm-like conditions,

and placed my height reference photos, before I implemented the water effect with Flaming

Pear’s Flood plugin (2015).

Step 5.1 Cleaning Up the Photos

It is common for a panoramic image to have errors when the individual photos are

merged together. There were also some objects in the photos that were distracting, such as litter

on a lawn or a buoy in the water. Refer to Appendix B.

Figure 12. My friend standing with the

metre stick with the green glove on the end

(Goetz, 2016c).

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Step 5.2 Simulating Storm-like Conditions

I edited in the overcast skies into the base photos, using the photos from step 3.3. Refer to

Appendix C for instructions.

Step 5.3 Photo Scaling Calculations

The next step was to add the height reference photos from step 3.2 onto the base photos.

Then using the point shapefile from step 4, Google Earth, and NOAA’s photo scaling formula

(2016), I calculated heights for locations that did not have a height reference photo. I could

determine where in the photos the 1m, 3m, and 5m water levels reaches using these

measurements. This photo scaling process is explained in Appendix D.

Step 5.4 Simulating the Water Levels

The last process in Photoshop was creating the extreme water levels by using Flaming

Pear’s Flood Photoshop plugin (2015). I knew approximately where the extreme water levels

should reach using the calculations from step 5.3 and the DEM of the Northwest Arm. NOAA

used the same approach when they created their photo manipulations, however instead of using

Photoshop and Flood to simulate the water levels, NOAA used their CanVis software (NOAA,

2008). The process that I followed is documented in Appendix E.

Step 6 Creating the Story Map

The final step in my project was creating the Story Map to present my visualizations. The

process of creating a Story Map is simple, and the Story Map website provides support

documents and videos to help with creating a Story Map, many of which I used. Story Maps also

have multiple layouts that display information and visual elements differently, and some have

unique features. I used the Map Journal layout because it displays text in a scrolling sidebar and

the centre “Main Stage” area displays visual elements. Following and clicking on the prompts to

add a section will open a window to title the section, a field to enter the sidebar’s information,

and options for the main stage’s visual elements. There are many methods for adding images,

videos, and maps to a Story Map, but I used my Flickr account for photos, my Youtube account

for videos, and my ArcGIS Online account for maps. I decided to present my visualizations in a

Story Map because Story Maps can be easily shared and accessed simply by sending someone a

web link. I also find Story Maps to be engaging because users can interact with a moveable map,

and you can also display images, videos, audio, and text at the same time. I also included a

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section in my Story Map where readers could access my thesis report. This is to account for the

defensibility of my project in case I cannot personally defend my product.

Failed Methodology

Prior to contacting NOAA, I attempted determining elevations in my sites with four

different methods, each of which were unsuccessful. I first tried using Google Earth’s ground-

level view along with Google Earth’s Add Image Overlay feature. The feature places images

over Google Earth’s surface and the image’s elevation can be manually adjusted. Thaler (2013)

placed large translucent blue squares over cities at certain elevations to show what these cities

would look like flooded. I used this feature to make layers that were 1m, 3m, and 5m above

mean sea level. The idea was to import the GPS point shapefile, enter the ground-level view at a

GPS point, bring the perspective in line with the base photo’s perspective, and then turn on the

layers that represent the 1m, 3m, and 5m water levels that were created with the Add Image

Overlay feature. When I compared the Google Earth ground-level view with my base photos

however, the two images di not line up properly. This error was caused by Google Earth’s digital

elevation model, which is not precise enough.

I then attempted a similar method with ArcGlobe, however this time I began with adding

the 2m DEM file provided by Halifax Open Data. Once again though, the two images (the base

photo and ArcGlobe) did not line up properly due to a lack of precision.

Figure 13. Comparing Google Earth’s ground-level view with the real view (Google & Goetz, 2015c)

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My next attempt to determine elevations was using an altimeter, a device that can

measure elevations accurately to ±10cm. The altimeter was provided by Dalhousie University’s

Earth Science’s Department. There are many ways for using an altimeter, most of which require

two altimeters, but because I only had one altimeter, I used the method where I calibrated the

altimeter at a known elevation (a geodetic survey pin outside of the Killam Library), and then

recorded elevations on my site while also recording air temperature and wind speed. Altimeters

are very sensitive to atmospheric conditions, which can effect measurements. These effects can

be accounted for by measuring the atmospheric conditions and following a calculation. My plan

was to use the altimeter to find where the 1m, 3m, and 5m elevation points were in a site,

flagging these points, and then taking a photo of the site

from the base photo’s perspective. At first I thought I was

recording accurate elevations when I was in Horseshoe

Island Park (my first site), but when I measured the first

elevation along the Regatta Point seawall right beside the

water, the altimeter read that I was 5m above mean sea

level. At that point I knew that I could record accurate

elevations with an altimeter if I had a second altimeter,

which I could not attain.

Figure 14. Comparing ArcGlobe ground-level view with the real view (ArcGlobe & Goetz, 2015d).

Figure 15. Altimeter and geodetic pin

(Goetz, 2016d).

21

My solution to determining elevations was to ask NOAA how they determined elevations

in their photo manipulations. I was very fortunate that they replied and that their method was

fairly simple. NOAA used objects of known heights in the images as height reference objects,

such as a park bench or street sign, to base the photo scaling calculation off of. Before I took the

height reference photos with my friend, I tried taking the height reference photos during low tide

from the same locations and perspectives of my base photos. I thought I could compare the high

tide and low tide photos, and with knowing the height of the high and low tide, I could get a

height reference. This did not work though because it was too difficult to determine where the

specific high and low points were. I could not get an accurate reference measurement without

knowing where the points were.

Findings

I am satisfied with the quality of my Story Map and photo manipulations, and I believe

that I succeeded in achieving my project’s goal and objectives. I created a product that shows

what future extreme water levels would look like in Halifax’s Northwest Arm with a

methodology that has yet to be practiced in Halifax. Using Stephen Sheppard’s seven principles

of effective landscape visualization to self-critique my project, I have determined how successful

I am in meeting my project’s objectives.

Comprehensibility: This is somewhat difficult to self-critique because this principle

depends on the understanding of my audience, the general public. I believe that the title of my

Figure 16. High tide (left) and low tide (right) by Deadman’s Island (Goetz, 2015 & 2016).

22 Figure 17. The transition between water and land is not very convincing (Goetz, 2016e).

Story Map is simple enough for anyone to understand what the visualizations are supposed to

represent. Explaining sea level rise and what contributes to extreme water levels can become

quite technical, but I believe that the wording I used in the Story Map’s text along with the

diagrams make things simpler. I could have critiqued myself better with this principle had I

completed a survey to gauge the public’s understanding, but creating and sending out a survey is

a future consideration for my project.

Representativeness: My visualizations’ locations are all from public places and I also

included one of Halifax’s most well-known landmarks in the visualizations, the Dingle Tower.

The public places also included four parks, those being Horseshoe Island Park, Regatta Point

Walkway, Deadman’s Island Park, and Sir Sandford Fleming Park.

Accuracy: I wanted my visualizations to be very accurate from the beginning of my

project. I used a GPS to ensure my photos’ perspectives were precise, which would the make

photo scaling calculations even more accurate. Using NOAA’s photo scaling method also

ensured that I had a calculated way of determining distant heights. While my photo

manipulations may not represent exactly the extent of extreme water levels, I am confident that

the photo manipulations are accurate to a few centimetres. The maps in my Story Map lack

accuracy though. The raster representing the water levels is of a 2m DEM, the raster does not

line up properly with the air photo, and hydrologic connections are not considered. The maps

show some low lying areas as inundated, but in the flood scenarios they should not be inundated

because the areas lack a hydrologic connection to the coast. The raster also shows some

buildings and trees as submerged when they actually should not be.

Credibility: I was impressed with how realistic the water and reflections looked when I

used Flaming Pear’s Flood plugin. Classmates and family members confirmed my observation

by telling me how convincing the water effect looked. I did find though that the water looked

unrealistic when it met land.

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Flaming Pear recently released Flood 2 and from what their website showed, Flood 2 looks even

more realistic then Flood. For a future consideration I would redo the photo manipulations with

Flood 2 to improve credibility, but for the time being, I am still satisfied with Flood’s quality.

Defensibility: This principle relies on the quality of my thesis report, specifically on my

method section and the appendices that further explain the method. It is difficult for me to judge

how clear each step is, but diagrams and images show the processes sequences, tools, and inputs.

I have also provided a link at the beginning and end of my Story Map which directs users to my

thesis report and my contact information in case someone has a question for me.

Engagement: I used a Story Map to present my photo manipulations because the

interactive elements of the app foster freedom and engagement. The maps compliment the photo

manipulations by providing viewers two distinct perspectives, a human perspective and an aerial

perspective. The dynamic maps also allow viewers freedom that is not possible with a static map.

With the dynamic maps, viewers can zoom in and out to different scales, pan around the

Northwest Arm, and waterfront property owners can then see their properties could potentially

be impacted by extreme water levels.

Accessibility: My project and its visualizations are accessible. Story Maps can be shared

through a web link, which means anyone who has access to a computer with an internet

connection can view the visualization project. I am aware that not everyone has the means of

viewing my Story Map, but a large portion of Halifax’s population does.

Feedback from Peers

I asked my classmates and family to critique my Story Map and visualizations and

provide feedback for how I could improve them. My peers mentioned that the Story Map’s title

was too technical and more suited for the report, the text and descriptions were comprehensible

but at times too wordy and technical, the photo manipulations looked impressive, it was helpful

to explain how the Story Map is controlled, and it would be helpful if you could switch between

photos without closing and expanding each photo. I have since changed the Story Map’s title,

and rewrote the text.

24

Future Considerations

I am satisfied with the quality of my thesis project, there are however certain aspects that

I would like to improve upon. These improvements I would apply if I continue on with the

project in the future. These improvements include: redoing the photo manipulations with

Flaming Pear’s improved Flood 2 plugin, because this would greatly improve my photo

manipulations’ credibility; create more photo manipulations of different areas and perspectives

in the Northwest Arm, such as Point Pleasant Park, and the Armdale and Royal Nova Scotia

Yacht Clubs; recreate the maps so that the raster is in line with the air photo’s coastline and that

buildings and trees are not shown as submerged when they should not be; and creating and

sending out a survey to the public to receive feedback about my Story Map. Afterwards I would

apply the public’s feedback.

Limitations and Errors

Limitations arose from three aspects of my project: Flaming Pear’s Flood plugin; the set

format of Esri’s Story Maps; and the accuracy of the GPS. Firstly, the Flood can create realistic

water in Photoshop, but it seems to be most realistic when the subject is in the centre of the

photo. Flood has difficulty creating a realistic reflection when the subject or other objects start

from one side and then move towards the

centre. This is because Flood considers

images two-dimensional objects with no

depth. Errors then occur when a line is not

parallel with the horizon line and the line then

begins in the foreground and recedes to the

background.

Figure 18. Lines AA and BB are not parallel with the horizon (Goetz, 2016f).

25

Flood can create realistic water effects only when the viewer’s perspective is above the desired

water level. This error in my photo manipulations occurred because I was unaware that I was

under specific water level heights, which meant that those photo manipulations would place me,

the photographer, underwater.

Story Map’s format can be quite restrictive without knowing how to code a website. The

app only has one font style and users can pick between two layouts for each Story Map style. For

example my Story Map’s style allowed me to format my content by putting an opaque white bar

for the text on the left side of the screen, or putting a translucent grey bar on the right side. Map

elements, such as the legend and overview map are set at specific locations on the screen and

their text and style cannot be changed. Esri does allow users to make custom styled Story Maps,

but this requires website coding, which I do not know how to do.

When I converted the GPS coordinates into the GIS point shapefile, some points in

ArcMap appeared offset by a few metres. For example, some points were in the middle of the

road, when I was actually on the sidewalk. This error could have been caused by trees and

buildings blocking the GPS’s signal or the GPS’s datum was a different datum then my map’s.

Figure 19. The Flood plugin will only work if the perspective is above the water level (Goetz, 2016g).

26

Reflecting on Halifax’s Visualizations and My Contributions

Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) is aware of the potential impacts of future extreme

water levels and have begun preparing for the rising sea level. Forbes et al.’s report (2009) used

maps to show the extent and depth of water in different scenarios, and HRM staff then used one

of the scenarios to set a policy reference point to plan for sea level rise and storm surges (NRC,

2010). Downtown Halifax’s Land Use By-law (2015) now has a section specifically for

protecting residential uses against storm surge. The section requires all new or rebuilt residential

sections of a building in the waterfront area be built at an elevation of 3.8 metres above mean sea

level or higher. Forbes et al. show that maps are effective tools used to help with policy creation

and decision making. Maps can also be effective visualization tools to help communicate change

to the public, but I would argue that other visualization methods, such as the three dimensional

imagery used in my project, are more effective at communicating change, especially to people

not accustomed to reading maps. Maps lack a human perspective and in the case of representing

flooding, people can be confused about a building, structure, or tree either being partially

inundated or completely

submerged by water.

This confusion is caused

when the water layer is

not “clipped” properly

to structures and the

result shows a building

submerged when the

water is actually only a

metre deep. Maps lack

the ability to show the level of inundation relative to a structure because maps are two

dimensional mediums, while inundation is a three dimensional phenomenon. This problem can

be solved by using ground view images to complement the map. The map shows the horizontal

extent of the inundation, while the images show the vertical extent of inundation. My project and

the Sea Level Rise Viewer both use maps and ground level images to complement each other and

thus can effectively communicate to the public what extreme water levels would look like.

Figure 20. The map shows some of Halifax’s buildings completely submerged

(Forbes et al., 2009)

27

In 2010, HRM updated their 2006 Climate SMART Community Action Guide to Climate

Change and Emergency Procedures (HRM, 2010). The document’s two main goals are to

mitigate the effects of climate change by creating a plan to reduce HRM’s GHG emissions, and

to adapt to the potential impacts of climate change, mostly those caused by sea level rise and

storm surges, by developing a management plan. I found the document easy to comprehend and

the images of Hurricane Juan’s impact clearly conveyed the potential impact of storms. As

impactful as the images were, I found it difficult to relate to the images because I did not

recognize the images’ locations. The document could benefit from using visualizations similar to

the ones I created because there is the freedom of creating visualizations with recognizable

locations and landmarks. The visualizations need to be further edited to show the damages

caused by the storm and water for the visualizations to be as impactful as the photos of Hurricane

Juan’s aftermath.

From my opinion, it seems as HRM has a larger focus on planning and protecting the

Downtown Halifax’s waterfront. HRM is also aware of the Northwest Arm’s vulnerability to

extreme water levels. HRM is currently investing millions of dollars to repair and raise the

seawalls by Sir Sandford Fleming Park, Regatta Point Walkway, Horseshoe Island Park, and the

Saint Mary’s Boat Club (Bundale, 2015 & CBC News, 2014). My Story Map and visualizations

could be used to help reinforce the decision to invest so much into protecting some of Halifax’s

public areas.

Synthesis Comparing my Story Map (for this section now referred to as MSM) against NOAA’s

Sea Level Rise Viewer (for this section now referred to as SLRV), at first glance both seem

similar in concept, but I think each have unique aspects which make both at times better

visualization tools than the other. The most noticeable strength that SLRV has over MSM is the

slider which changes the water level in the map and image at the same time. This provides

viewers a seamless transition between water levels which then makes SLRV more engaging than

MSM. I would like to code this kind of slider into MSM, but for the time being viewers need to

select the appropriate map for the corresponding water level. SLRV’s engagement is also better

because it can switch to a different location’s photo manipulation by clicking on the location’s

camera icon. For MSM to switch locations, viewers can either scroll to a different location or

28

click a bullet which shows the name of the location. Both of MSM’s methods are not as intuitive

as SLRV’s method of switching the photo manipulation’s location. A strength that MSM has

over SLRV is that MSM can zoom in to a much finer scale, which gives viewers a more detailed

perspective of the inundation’s extent. SLRV finest scale is at approximately 1:12,000, while

MSM’s finest scale is at 1:1,000. I also found MSM’s photo manipulations’ locations more

representative than SLRV’s, this is however somewhat subjective because I am more familiar

with Halifax than I am with the

United States’ coastal cities

and their landmarks. I still

found it strange though that

some of SLRV’s photo

manipulations are of normal

streets and regular buildings,

but again, this is subjective on

my part.

What distinguishes MSM from SLRV the most though is the photo manipulation

software. MSM used Adobe Photoshop with Flaming Pear’s Flood plugin, while SLRV used

NOAA’s CanVis program. Photoshop is a much stronger photo editing software due to its larger

selection of tools, filters, added plugins, and editing features, but CanVis has the appeal of being

free. The cost of visualization software is relevant to municipalities because not every

municipality can afford visualization software that can cost hundreds or even thousands of

dollars a year in licensing fees to operate, and additionally to that cost, could also require a

trained specialist. I was fortunate enough to pay a student rate for Photoshop, which I considered

affordable, and I have experience working with it prior to this project. With my experience I find

Photoshop easy to use, and I cannot say how difficult or easy CanVis is because I have yet to try

it. NOAA does offer training documents and videos that are helpful to new users and even I used

the CanVis Distance Calculations guide to create my photo manipulations. This document taught

me about photo scaling. Flaming Pear’s Flood plugin only offers a simple explanation of the

tool, which resulted in me learning through my own trial and error. Despite being self-taught, I

am still very satisfied with how realistic my photo manipulations’ water and reflections look.

Although it is subjective, I find using Photoshop and Flood produces a more convincing and

credible photo manipulation than CanVis.

Figure 21. Visualizations in the Sea Level Rise Viewer (NOAA, 2015a).

29

Figure 22. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Sea Level Rise Viewer (2015b).

Figure 23. Florian Goetz’s Story Map (2016h).

30

Conclusion

The effects of climate change will greatly impact coastal communities around the world.

Rising sea levels will threaten coastal areas, and an increase in the number and intensity of

storms will put even more coastal areas at risk of coastal flooding. Halifax Regional

Municipality (HRM) is aware of this risk and is doing much to mitigate and adapt to the

changing climate. An important step in the mitigation and adaptation process is communicating

the potential changes to the public. Planners and professionals rely on using visualizations to

communicate the change. Many visualization methods exist, some of which HRM have used to

communicate the rising sea levels. For my thesis project I found a visualization method that

HRM has not yet practiced to represent sea level rise and I then used the method to create

visualizations of Halifax’s Northwest Arm. The visualization method that I followed was heavily

inspired by NOAA’s Sea Level Rise Viewer, as my final product has an interactive map that

shows different water levels while also showing photo manipulations of simulated flooding from

a ground-level perspective. My product is different from NOAA’s because instead of using

NOAA’s CanVis software to create my photo manipulations, I used Adobe’s Photoshop software

with Flaming Pear’s Flood plugin. I then presented all of my photo manipulations into an Esri

Story Map app. It is arguable as to which is better, my product or NOAA’s Sea Level Rise

Viewer, but both do have strengths over one another. I was guided by Stephen Sheppard’s seven

principles of effective landscape visualization throughout the entire process of creating my

visualizations and Story Map. Meeting these principles were also my project’s objectives, and I

am satisfied with how well I have achieved the objectives. I assessed the success by self-

critiquing my project, and while some of the principles are somewhat subjective on my part, a

future consideration for my project is to survey the public’s response towards my project. I

would also like to recreate my photo manipulations because Flaming Pear recently released

Flood 2, but for the time being I am satisfied with the quality of my project. I am satisfied

because I achieved my project’s goal of using a visualization method that HRM has yet to

practice for representing extreme water levels, and I am hopeful that my visualizations and

project could one day contribute to HRM’s efforts to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate

change.

31

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25. doi: 10.1109/MCG.2006.4

Images Used

Cover Photo

Goetz, F. (2015a). Northwest Arm from Horseshoe Island [Photo]. Photo taken November 29,

2015.

Figure 1

2014 MIT CC: Channel 2. (2014). The world according to CLIVE (coastal impact visualization

emvironment [Youtube video]. Retrieved from UPEI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiagWbIvI8k

Figure 2

Arvidson, A.R. (2013, December). A Canadian researcher helps communities foretell what

climate change will look like. Landscape Architecture Magazine [Article image].

Retrieved from http://visualizingclimatechange.ca/in-the-media/landscape-architecture-

magazine-see-the-change/

Figure 3

Goetz, F. (2016a). Proximity to Northwest Arm [ArcGIS map]. Created March 20, 2016. Data

provided by Dalhousie GIS Centre.

Figure 4

Forbes, D.L., Manson, G.K., Charles, J., Thompson, K.R., & Taylor, R.B. (2009). Halifax

Harbour extreme water levels in the context of climate change: Scenarios for a 100-year

planning horizon [Report image]. Retrieved from

http://www.halifax.ca/regionalplanning/documents/of6346final.pdf

Figure 5

UPEI. (2014). CLIVE – Coastal impact visualization environment [Youtube video]. Retrieved

from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiagWbIvI8k

Figure 6

National Hurricane Center & National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2006).

Tropical wind speed probabilities [Map]. Retrieved from

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/NHC_WAF_Advances_Challenges_200904.pdf

Figure 7

Zhang, K., Chen, S., Singh, P., Saleem, K., & Zhao, N. (2006). A 3D visualization system for

hurricane storm-surge flooding [Report image]. Computer Graphics and Applications,

IEEE, 26(1), 18-25. doi: 10.1109/MCG.2006.4

35

Figure 8

Autodesk 3ds Max Learning Channel. (2014). Using 3ds Max with Civil 3D – Part 24 –

Animating Cameras [Youtube video]. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHLYSNbFK60&list=PLnKw1txyYzRli2ZElR-

w9BcH8K8ltgntd&index=24

Figure 9

80LV. (2015). Virtual Terrain: Flight over Switzerland [Youtube video]. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qm9zdozDfLU

Figure 10

Goetz, F. (2015b). Identified susceptible locations [ArcGIS map]. Created on November 20,

2015. Data provided by Halifax Open Data.

Figure 11

Goetz, F. (2016b). The difference in water levels during different site visits [Microsoft Word

graphic]. Created March 29, 2016.

Figure 12

Goetz, F. (2016c). Friend with metre stick [Photo]. Photo taken February 13, 2016.

Figure 13

Google Earth, & Goetz, F. (2015c). Google Earth ground-level view vs real view [Google Earth

and photo]. Photo taken December 12, 2015.

Figure 14

ArcGlobe, & Goetz, F. (2015d). ArcGlobe ground-level view vs real view [ArcGlobe and photo].

Data provided by Halifax Open Data, Photo taken December 12, 2015.

Figure 15

Goetz, F. (2016d). Altimeter and geodetic pin [Photo]. Photo taken January 27, 2016.

Figure 16

Goetz, F. (2015 & 2016). High and low tide by Deadman’s Island [Photo]. Photos taken

December 12, 2015 & February 11, 2016.

Figure 17

Goetz, F. (2016e). Horseshoe Island Park flooded [Photo manipulation]. Photo manipulation

created February 18, 2016.

Figure 18

Goetz, F. (2016f). Killam Library flooded [Photo and photo manipulation]. Photo taken March

29, 2016.

Figure 19 (2016g)

Goetz, F. (2016g). Importance of perspective [Word and Photoshop graphic]. Graphic created

April 5, 2016.

Figure 20

Forbes, D.L., Manson, G.K., Charles, J., Thompson, K.R., & Taylor, R.B. (2009). Halifax

Harbour extreme water levels in the context of climate change: Scenarios for a 100-year

planning horizon [Report image]. Retrieved from

http://www.halifax.ca/regionalplanning/documents/of6346final.pdf

36

Figure 21

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2015a). Sea level rise and coastal flooding

impacts [Website images]. Retrieved from https://coast.noaa.gov/slr/

Figure 22

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2015b). Sea level rise and coastal flooding

impacts [Website screenshot]. Retrieved from https://coast.noaa.gov/slr/

Figure 23

Goetz, F. (2016h). Visualizing future extreme water levels in Halifax’s Northwest Arm [Website

screenshot]. Retrieved from http://arcg.is/1W3bFcR

A - 1

Appendix A – How to record and display accurate photo locations

Equipment required: Camera, GPS

Software required: ArcCatalog, ArcMap

1. Take your photo.

2. Before you move, record your coordinates in your GPS. Most GPS units will allow you

to do this with a “Place Marker” function. Your GPS should also allow you to review

your markers in a different page/tab, where you can also see each marker’s coordinates.

The GPS I used recorded coordinates in UTM Coordinates. Knowing which type of

coordinates were recorded will be essential for the following steps.

3. Open ArcCatalog, click Connect To Folder to connect to your working folder. Find the

folder that you will be working from and click Ok. If you do not have a working folder,

click Make New Folder to create your working folder.

4. Click File>New>Shapefile…

5. Enter a name for the new shapefile in the blank Name: space (I called mine

Photo_Locations), and have Point selected as the Feature Type. Then click Edit to set

the coordinate system for the new shapefile.

A - 2

6. Click Projected Coordinate Systems>National Grids>Canada>NAD 1983 CSRS

UTM Zone 20N and then click Ok and Ok to close out of the dialogue boxes. Note that

the coordinate system that you select will vary depending on where your photos were

taken. I took my photos in Halifax, NS, which is why I am using NAD 1983 CSRS UTM

Zone 20N.

A - 3

7. With the new layer created, Right-click on the file and click Properties…

8. Click the Fields tab, click inside a blank Field Name space and type in Photo_Name. In

the Data Type column select Text for the Photo_Name field. Click Ok.

9. Open ArcMap, click Add Data, select the new layer you created in ArcCatalog, and

click Add. Note that you may have to connect to your working folder. Follow step 3 for

help.

A - 4

10. If Editor is not in your toolbar, right-click on your toolbar and click Editor.

A - 5

11. On the Editor tool click Editor˅ >Start Editing

12. In the Create Features window, select the file you created in ArcCatalog, and in the

Construction Tools section click Point.

A - 6

13. Right click on the data frame and click on Absolute X, Y…

Note that I added a base map to my data frame. This is not a necessary step of the

process, but it will help in providing context when placing points. Base maps can be

added by clicking on the ˅ of Add Data and then clicking Add Basemap…

14. In the box that appears click the ˅ and click on UTM. In the blank dialogue box first type

in the UTM zone (I entered 20N), then the easting (I entered 451396), then the northing (I

entered 4943177), and then press Enter on your keyboard. The full coordinate I entered

was 20N4513964943177

A - 7

15. Right click on the point that was created and click on Attributes.

A - 8

16. Click in the blank space beside the Photo_Name field and enter the desired name for the

point. This is not a necessary step, but is useful if you later want to label points on a map.

17. Repeat steps 12-16 until all photo locations have been placed. Once done, click Editor ˅,

then click Save Edits. Click Editor ˅, then click Stop Editing.

B - 1

Appendix B – How to fix errors and blemishes in images with Photoshop

Equipment required: Camera

Software required: Adobe Photoshop

I used ZoomBrowser EX, a program that comes installed with my camera (Canon G11), to stich

my photos together. Stitching is used to combine multiple photos together into one panoramic

photo. Using the program is quite simple (simply upload the photos, arrange the photos, and then

the program stiches the photos), but will often produce errors in the final photo

Notice how the images did not line up perfectly. These errors can be fixed in Adobe Photoshop.

1. Open the image you are fixing by clicking File > Open… (or press Ctrl + O) and select

the photo you intend to fix. Before editing the photo, save the photo as a Photoshop file

by clicking File > Save As (or pressShift + Ctrl + S) and then select Photoshop

(*PSD.*PDD) as the format. Remember to save frequently while using Photoshop.

B - 2

2. In the Layers tab, Right click on the image you opened (it should be labelled as

“Background”) and click on Duplicate Layer… Keeping the layer’s name as

Background Copy will be fine.

3. With the background layer selected, click on the Clone Stamp Tool (or press S). Note

that if Pattern Stamp Tool is selected, click and hold the Pattern Stamp Tool button

and then click on Clone Stamp Tool.

Notice how the photos did not line up perfectly so now there is an odd transition from

grass to pavement. We can use the clone tool to either add more grass or add more

pavement.

B - 3

4. To add more pavement, hold the alt key and click on pavement. This will set the

reference for what will be cloned when using the Clone Stamp Tool. Release the alt key,

then click and swipe the grass that is near the pavement, the result being:

If you wanted to instead add more grass (press Ctrl + Alt + Z to undo the previous

cloning) hold the alt key and click on the grass. Release the alt key, then click and swipe

the pavement that is near the grass, the result being:

The Spot Healing Brush Tool is useful for removing small objects and marks in a photo. I will

be removing ducks from the water with the tool.

B - 4

5. Click on the Spot Healing Brush Tool (or press J). Remember to click and hold and

then select the tool if the Spot Healing Brush Tool is not already selected.

6. Now click and swipe over the ducks. Once the click is released, the ducks should be

removed.

Light settings will sometimes change when taking photos for a panoramic photo. This can

happen because a cloud suddenly blocks the sun or the camera automatically adjusts light

settings. One photo will then be brighter or darker than the other photo(s). This error can be

fixed in Photoshop as well.

B - 5

7. Click on the Rectangular Marquee Tool (or press M). Remember to click and hold and

then select the tool if the Rectangular Marquee Tool is not already selected.

8. Click and drag a square over the area that needs its lighting adjusted. It helps to first click

outside of the image if you want to select the entire or most of the image. You may have

to zoom out (using the Zoom Tool (press Z)) in order to click outside of the image.

9. The selected area will have a dotted square around it. Click

Image>Adjustments>Brightness/Contrast…

10. Have the Preview box checked, this will show you how the selected area is changing as

you move the Brightness and Contrast sliders. Adjust the sliders until the selected area

has a similar lighting as the unselected area of the image. Then click OK.

B - 6

11. Press Ctrl + D or click Select>Deselect to unselect the area that was just being adjusted.

12. Save your work once you are satisfied with the adjustments you made to fix and clean up

the photo. Afterwards click File>Save As (or press Shift + Ctrl + S) and then select your

desired image format.

Before

After

B - 7

Sometimes when photos are merged together into a panoramic photo, the panoramic photo will

look warped and have an unnatural bend. This can be fixed by rotating sections of the photo.

13. Select the warped area with the Rectangular Marquee Tool. Then click

Edit>Transform>Rotate.

14. Hover the cursor outside of the selected area. The cursor will look like a bent line with

arrowheads on both ends. Hold click and drag to rotate the selected area until it is level

with the unselected area. Then move the selected area by clicking within the selected

area, holding the click and then dragging (or use the arrow keys to move) the

selected area until it is in line with the unselected area. Press Enter/Return to stop

rotating the selected area, then click Select>Deselect.

B - 8

15. Notice that there are now blank or checkered spaces (if you have not done so already,

turn off the background layer’s visibility by clicking on the eye beside the layer. This

area can be filled in with the Spot Healing Brush Tool (press J).

16. Save your work by clicking File>Save (or press Ctrl + S).

Before

After

C - 1

Appendix C – How to simulate storm-like conditions with Photoshop

Equipment required: Camera

Software required: Adobe Photoshop

1. In Photoshop, open the cleaned and fixed base photo (in its Photoshop file). The photo

should open as the Background layer. Duplicate the layer by right-clicking the layer and

then select Duplicate Layer… or with the layer selected press Ctrl + J. The duplicated

layer will appear as Layer 1.

2. Open the photo with the gray sky (File>Open…>select the photo). This will open the

photo in a new tab in Photoshop. Select the entire image by clicking Select>All or press

Ctrl + A. With the entire image selected click Edit>Copy or press Ctrl + C. Then switch

to the base photo tab and click Edit>Paste or press Ctrl + V to paste the gray sky photo

into the base photo tab. The pasted gray sky photo will appear as Layer 2.

a. Consider renaming Layer 1 and 2 to avoid confusion. Rename Layer 1 to Base,

and Layer 2 to Gray. Rename a layer by double clicking the layer name in the

layers tab.

3. Click and drag the gray sky layer so that it is between the background layer and the base

photo layer.

4. Select the base layer and click Add layer mask. The layer mask will be used to remove

areas in the base layer so that the gray layer shows underneath. Unlike using the erase

tool though, removed areas can be restored with the layer mask. This will be

demonstrated later on.

C - 2

5. Select the base layer, but not the layer mask.

a. If the base layer’s sky is clear, click Select>Color Range… This feature can be

used to select everything in the photo that has the same colour, such as the clear

blue sky.

In the window that opens, click on the sky so that the sky turns white. If the entire

sky does not turn white, hold Shift and drag click over the sky’s black areas.

Move the Fuzziness slider to adjust what is considered the same colour. Whatever

is white will be selected, while whatever is black will not be selected. Then click

OK.

C - 3

b. If the base layer’s sky is partially cloudy, use the Quick Selection Tool (press W)

to select the sky. Click and drag over the sky. If the wrong areas are selected

press and hold Alt and click drag over the wrong areas to remove them from the

selection. Adjust the brush size to select smaller areas.

6. With the base layer’s sky selected, select the layer mask, and then select the Brush Tool

(press B).

a. The brush’s default colour in the layer mask should be black and white. If it is

not, click Default Foreground and Background Colors or press D

.

To switch between black and white click Switch Foreground and Background

Colors or press X

.

7. With the brush tool and the colour set to black, click drag through the selected sky. This

will reveal the gray sky layer. Enlarge the brush size to make the brushing process

quicker. If you ever make a mistake (i.e. removing something that is not the sky) press

Ctrl + Z or brush over the area with the white colour (switch between black and white by

pressing X).

C - 4

8. Click Select>Deselect or press Ctrl + D to deselect the sky. To see if you missed any

areas in the sky, create a new layer and place it between the base and gray sky layers.

Select the layer and fill the layer with a contrasting colour (like yellow) with the Paint

Bucket Tool (press G).

This will make it very obvious which areas were missed.

9. Select the base layer’s layer mask, select the Brush Tool (press B). Zoom in to the areas

that need fixing with the Zoom Tool (press Z) and reduce the brush size so that it is small

enough to brush in the fine area (i.e. between tree branches). Switch between black and

white as needed (press X).

a. The Color Range selection method is recommended here to select the areas

between tree branches. Remember to have the base layer selected (not the layer

mask), click Select>Color Range…, click on areas between branches, adjust the

Fuzziness slider, and then click OK. Select the layer mask and use the Brush

Tool (press B) to remove the areas with the black colour. Remember to deselect

afterwards (press Ctrl + D).

C - 5

10. If you turn off the visibility of the contrasting layer, you might notice some of the base

layer’s trees have a blue glow.

To fix this, select the base layer, and use the Lasso Tool (press L) to select the branches

with the blue glow. To lasso multiple branches, hold Shift while encircling an area. With

the branches selected, click Image>Adjustments>Hue/Saturation… (or press Ctrl + U)

and in the dialogue box that opens, move the saturation slider to reduce the saturation

which will remove the blue glow. Then click OK and deselect the branches (press Ctrl +

D).

C - 6

11. You may notice that buildings and other objects in the gray sky layer appeared when

sections of the base layer were removed.

To fix this, turn of the base layer’s visibility and select the gray sky layer. Select the

Clone Stamp Tool (press S), sample the sky near the building/object (Hold Alt + Left

Click), then click drag over the building/object until it is removed. Turn the base layer’s

visibility back on to see the difference.

12. To complete simulating storm-like conditions, the water needs to be adjusted as well.

Select the base layer, then use the Quick Selection Tool (press W) and click drag to

select the water. Adjust the brush size and hold Alt while click dragging to remove a

part of the selection. When all of the water is selected, click

Image>Adjustments>Hue/Saturation… (or press Ctrl + U). Adjust the saturation

slider so that the water goes from blue to gray, and then click OK.

C - 7

13. Select both base and gray sky layers (Ctrl + click each layer), right click and select

Merge Layers. Save your work (press Ctrl + S).

Before

After

D - 1

Appendix D – How to perform photo scaling calculations

Equipment required: Camera, GPS

Software required: Adobe Photoshop, Google Earth Pro, ArcMap

1. In Photoshop, open the base photo Photoshop file and the height reference photo(s). In

the height reference photo, use the Rectangular Marquee Tool (press M) and drag a

rectangle over the height reference object (I used my friend and a metre stick) and

noticeable features near the object (such as tree, bench, or sign). Copy the selection by

clicking Edit>Copy or press Ctrl + C.

2. Switch to the base photo and paste the selection by clicking Edit>Paste or press Ctrl +

V. The height reference photo selection will appear as a new layer. For better

organization, rename the layer by double clicking on the layer name, and name the layer

to what the layer refers to (I named it Friend 1. My next height reference selection would

be called Friend 2, the next Friend 3, and so on).

3. Select the Friend 1 layer and reduce its opacity to 50%. Then move the layer with the

Move Tool (press V) so that it lines up with the base photo. Look for the same noticeable

features (tree, bench, sign) to help line up the layer.

D - 2

You will likely need to transform (scale and rotate) the Friend 1 layer so that it properly

lines up with the base photo. Transform the layer by clicking Edit>Free Transform or

press Ctrl + T. Hold Shift and click drag to scale the layer. Click drag outside of the

layer (the cursor should look like ) to rotate the layer. Press Enter or Return to stop

and keep the edits from the free transformation.

4. Restore the Friend 1 layer’s opacity to 100%. Use the Rectangle Tool (press U) and click

drag a rectangle that is as tall as the height reference object (I used a metre stick). It is

crucial that you know the height of your height reference object. I also suggest changing

the rectangle’s colour to a colour that is more obvious, such as red.

When the click is released, the rectangle is created in its own layer. The Properties tab

should also automatically open. If not, click Properties. The H: refers to the rectangle’s

height. The rectangle also represents the height reference object, which means in my case

D - 3

where my friend was standing at a specific distance, 1m is 76 pixels (px) in the image.

This information will later be used for the photo scaling calculation.

a. Double click on the rectangle layer’s name and rename it so that it refers to the

height reference layer. I renamed the rectangle to 1m Friend 1.

5. Repeat steps 1 through 4 for your other height reference photos.

6. In Google Earth, add the GPS point shapefile that was created in Appendix A by clicking

File>Import>Select the Shapefile (.shp)>Open.

7. Draw a line/path from the base photo’s GPS point to where the height reference object

was. Do this by clicking on Add Path (Google Earth – New Path dialogue box should

automatically open), click on the GPS point, click on where the height reference object

was, but before clicking OK, click on the Measurements tab in the dialogue box and set

the length’s units to Meters. This length measurement will also be used in the photo

scaling calculation. If you need to review the path’s length after clicking OK, in Google

Earth’s sidebar right click on the path and select Properties to open the dialogue box.

D - 4

8. Now draw a line from the GPS point to a point where you do not have a height reference

photo. Record the line’s length.

9. We now have the necessary information to complete a photo scaling calculation by using

the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (2016) photo scaling formula.

If = Image Height (in Photoshop) of Feature. This will be calculated in step 9.

Af = Actual Height of Feature. For simplicity, have the feature’s actual height the same

as reference object (in my case, 1m).

Ar = Actual Height of Reference Object. My reference object is the metre stick, which

has a height of 1m.

Dr = Distance from Reference. This is the line’s length that was determined in step 7.

Df = Distance from Feature. This is the line’s length that was determined in step 8.

Ir = Image Height (in Photoshop) of Reference Object. This is the rectangle’s pixel height

that was determined in step 4.

Using the information used in this appendix’s examples, the filled in formula looks like

If = (1m/1m)X(22.2m/234m)X(76px) = 7.2px

At the location without a height reference photo, 1m will be 7.2 pixels tall in Photoshop.

D - 5

10. In Photoshop, duplicate the rectangle from step 4 by right clicking on the layer and

select Duplicate Layer… or select the layer and press Ctrl + J. Using the Move Tool

(press V), move the duplicated rectangle to location without the height reference photo.

11. Adjust the rectangles height by clicking on Properties and by H: enter the value

calculated in step 9 and press Enter/Return.

a. Remember to rename the new rectangle’s layer name, such as 1m Far.

12. Repeat steps 7 through 11 to calculate heights for other areas without a height reference

photo.

a. To help with organization, I suggest compiling all of the rectangle layers and

height reference photos into one group. Do this by clicking Create a new group,

hold click the layers and drag them into the group.

13. Save the Photoshop file by clicking File>Save or press Ctrl + S.

E - 1

Appendix E – How to simulate extreme water levels with Photoshop

Software required: Adobe Photoshop, Flaming Pear’s Flood plugin (note that I used the Original

Flood plugin, not Flood 2)

1. In Photoshop, open the Photoshop file that has the height reference measurements by

clicking File>Open… or press Ctrl + O (from Appendix D).In the layers tab, create a

new group and drag the base photo into the new group.

2. With the base photo selected, click on the Lasso Tool (press L) and select the immediate

foreground by hold clicking and trace the foreground. When the click is released, the

trace will close and the foreground will be selected.

E - 2

3. With the foreground still selected, duplicate the foreground by pressing Ctrl + J. This

input should also deselect the foreground, but if not, click Selection>Deselect (or press

Ctrl + D).

4. Select the base photo in the layers tab and repeat steps 2 and 3, but instead of selecting

the foreground, select objects at further depths.

With the base photo’s visibility turned off, the image should look like this.

5. Select the group folder with the base photo and the different depths, and duplicate the

group by pressing Ctrl + J until you have as many duplicated groups as the amount of

water level scenarios. I had three water level scenarios in my situation. I also left one

group as “Normal” because it is important to show current conditions as well, and I

wanted to have a backup copy in case I made a mistake.

E - 3

a. It also helps with organization to rename the groups so that they represent the

specific scenario.

6. In the Measure group, select every 1m rectangle that was created in Appendix D by

holding Ctrl and clicking on each rectangle in the group tab. Then duplicate the

rectangles by pressing Ctrl + J. The duplicated rectangles should still be selected, but if

not select them again, and then move them slightly to the side with the Move Tool (press

V).

7. Select one of these duplicated rectangles and alter its height so that it represents the

height of the first scenario. This can be done by clicking Properties and then entering the

pixel height of the corresponding water level in the H: section.

E - 4

In my situation, my base photo was taken during high tide, which is 80cm above mean

sea level. A 1m rise above mean sea level would then be 20cm above the water level in

my base photo. Because my height reference object was a metre stick, I know how many

pixels tall one metre is, and then I can multiply the pixel number by 0.2 to get the pixel

height of 20cm.

8. Repeat step 7 for the remaining duplicated rectangles. Using the Move Tool (press V),

move the rectangles so their bottoms are where the water meets land by the height

reference object.

a. Rename the rectangles so that they reflect the height they now represent (i.e.

20cm Friend 1, 20cm Friend 2, etc.).

9. Change the visibility so that only the Measure and 1m Rise groups are visible. Expand

the 1m Rise group and select the base photo.

E - 5

10. Using the Zoom Tool (press Z), zoom in to the water’s horizon line or the furthest depth

if there is no horizon line (like in my example).

11. Select the Flood filter by clicking Filter>Flaming Pear>Flood…

a. The zip file that comes with Flood plugin will also have instructions for installing

the plugin into Photoshop. Follow these instructions if the filter does not appear.

12. In the window that opens, click the + button to zoom in to the area where you previously

zoomed in, then Adjust the Horizon slider so that the flood effect meets the top of 20cm

rectangle at the furthest depth. The Horizon line is represented as the green dotted line.

In the situation where the water has a horizon line, adjust the Horizon slider so that it is

slightly above the horizon line. You’ll notice that adjusting the slider by one point may

not be very precise. Adjust the Offset slider to adjust the flood effect with more

precision. The offset line is represented as the purple dotted line.

E - 6

Zoom out by clicking on the – button. Adjust the Perspective slider so that the water

effect looks normal. Perspective is used to match the perspective of a wide-angle or

narrow-angle lens. I’m not sure which lens my camera had, so I adjusted the slider until

the water effect looked normal. Adjusting the Altitude slider will change the water effect

so that it looks as if the camera is at a different height. Because the current scenario

represents a rise in the water level that would meet the photographer’s feet, I set a high

Altitude. As you create the flood effect for the other, higher scenarios, lower the

Altitude slider so that the water looks as if it is reaching close to the camera lens.

Adjust the Waviness, Complexity, Brilliance, and Blur sliders to change the flood

E - 7

effect so that it meets your desired water and wave effect. Waviness will adjust the wave

height, so that the water can be completely calm or have tall waves. Complexity will

adjust the waves from smooth waves to choppy waves. Brilliance will adjust the water’s

brightness and darkness. You can also adjust the water’s darkness colour, but I suggest

keeping the colour set to black. Blur will adjust the water’s clarity, at one extreme the

water will look like a mirror reflection of what is above the water.

Before clicking Ok to implement the flood effect, I suggest clicking on a small circle

around the larger square to save the parameters (the sliders’ positions and value) of the

flood effect. This will be useful if you ever need to recreate the exact flood effect.

a. The remaining sliders and buttons I did not use to simulate the extreme water

levels. More information can be found in the plugin’s guide, which is found in the

plugin’s zip file.

13. Now select one of the depths and select the Flood filter by clicking Filter>Flaming

Pear>Flood… ONLY adjust the Offset parameter (slider) so that it meets the top of the

20cm rectangle. Then click Ok to implement the flood effect.

a. If other parameters were adjusted, click on the small circle from the previous step

(a) to return to the previous settings.

14. Repeat step 13 for the other depths. Then arrange the depths in the group so the depths

are ordered that the immediate foreground is at the top and the background/deepest depth

is at the bottom of the group.

15. If you selected too much when you selected the depths in step 4, you will notice that

over-selection is very obvious.

E - 8

To fix this, select the corresponding depth in the layers tab and click on Add layer mask.

Then select the layer mask and click on the Brush Tool (or press B).

With black as the set colour (press D to get black and white, and press X to switch

between black and white) hold click and brush over the errored area to remove the area.

a. If you make a mistake, press Ctrl + Alt + Z to undo, or brush over the area with

white to bring back the removed area.

16. Repeat steps 6 through 15 to simulate the extreme water levels of the other scenarios, but

by step 6 remember to alter the rectangle’s heights so that they represent the

corresponding scenario.

17. Save your work by clicking File>Save (or press Ctrl + S).

F - 1

Appendix F – Email from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

regarding Sea Level Rise Viewer method