  We present Submerse, an end-to-end framework for visualizing flooding
scenarios on large and immersive display ecologies. Specifically, we
reconstruct a surface mesh from input flood simulation data and generate a
to-scale 3D virtual scene by incorporating geographical data such as terrain,
textures, buildings, and additional scene objects. To optimize computation and
memory performance for large simulation datasets, we discretize the data on an
adaptive grid using dynamic quadtrees and support level-of-detail based
rendering. Moreover, to provide a perception of flooding direction for a time
instance, we animate the surface mesh by synthesizing water waves. As
interaction is key for effective decision-making and analysis, we introduce two
novel techniques for flood visualization in immersive systems: (1) an automatic
scene-navigation method using optimal camera viewpoints generated for marked
points-of-interest based on the display layout, and (2) an AR-based
focus+context technique using an auxiliary display system. Submerse is
developed in collaboration between computer scientists and atmospheric
scientists. We evaluate the effectiveness of our system and application by
conducting workshops with emergency managers, domain experts, and concerned
stakeholders in the Stony Brook Reality Deck, an immersive gigapixel facility,
to visualize a superstorm flooding scenario in New York City.
