Identification

Title

On a structural similarity index approach for floating-point data

Abstract

Data visualization is typically a critical component of post-processing analysis workflows for floating-point output data from large simulation codes, such as global climate models. For example, images are often created from the raw data as a means for evaluation against a reference dataset or image. While the popular Structural Similarity Index Measure (SSIM) is a useful tool for such image comparisons, generating large numbers of images can be costly when simulation data volumes are substantial. In fact, computational cost considerations motivated our development of an alternative to the SSIM, which we refer to as the Data SSIM (DSSIM). The DSSIM is conceptually similar to the SSIM, but can be applied directly to the floating-point data as a means of assessing data quality. We present the DSSIM in the context of quantifying differences due to lossy compression on large volumes of simulation data from a popular climate model. Bypassing image creation results in a sizeable performance gain for this case study. In addition, we show that the DSSIM is useful in terms of avoiding plot-specific (but data-independent) choices that can affect the SSIM. While our work is motivated by and evaluated with climate model output data, the DSSIM may prove useful for other applications involving large volumes of simulation data.

Resource type

document

Resource locator

Unique resource identifier

code

https://n2t.org/ark:/85065/d7x352qp

codeSpace

Dataset language

eng

Spatial reference system

code identifying the spatial reference system

Classification of spatial data and services

Topic category

geoscientificInformation

Keywords

Keyword set

keyword value

Text

originating controlled vocabulary

title

Resource Type

reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

Geographic location

West bounding longitude

East bounding longitude

North bounding latitude

South bounding latitude

Temporal reference

Temporal extent

Begin position

End position

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2024-09-01T00:00:00Z

Frequency of update

Quality and validity

Lineage

Conformity

Data format

name of format

version of format

Constraints related to access and use

Constraint set

Use constraints

Limitations on public access

None

Responsible organisations

Responsible party

contact position

OpenSky Support

organisation name

UCAR/NCAR - Library

full postal address

PO Box 3000

Boulder

80307-3000

email address

opensky@ucar.edu

web address

http://opensky.ucar.edu/

name: homepage

responsible party role

pointOfContact

Metadata on metadata

Metadata point of contact