  The passionate plea for the use of scientific colour maps misses some aspects
in the visual presentation of scientific data. While a linear colour map based
on scientific human colour perception is useful for the presentation of some
images, like the three examples given of the topography of the earth, an apple
and a passport photograph, scientific data are not presented. In this note it
will be shown that there is more in scientific oceanographic data as they are
presented in forms varying from historic equidistant contours, via a linear
black-(grey)-white b&w map, a linear colour map and a nonlinear colour map.
From an objective perspective, equidistant contouring is the best means for
presenting scientific information in a relatively unbiased way. Nonlinear
colour maps may add information to that by highlighting certain aspects also by
varying the colour range if needed. Such information is not available from
linear colour maps. Finally, the aesthetic aspect of visual data presentation
is discussed.
