Surface Tension

by Caitlin & Misha

This visualization maps streamflow data from the United States Geological Survey in real time across the US. Water supports life but can also drown and destroy. People are mostly water, but the melting ice caps threaten our very existence. Harnessing this elemental force requires a balancing act and this artwork is a reflection on humanity's fraught relationship with freshwater.

Special thanks to NC State Libraries, the Immersive Scholar Residency, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the Raleigh USGS.

caitlinandmisha.com/surface-tension

• lib.ncsu.edu
• immersivescholar.org
• usgs.gov