Articles | Volume 25, issue 8
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-4549-2021
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-4549-2021
Education and communication
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24 Aug 2021
Education and communication | Highlight paper |  | 24 Aug 2021

Rainbow color map distorts and misleads research in hydrology – guidance for better visualizations and science communication

Michael Stoelzle and Lina Stein

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Short summary
We found with a scientific paper survey (~ 1000 papers) that 45 % of the papers used rainbow color maps or red–green visualizations. Those rainbow visualizations, although attracting the media's attention, will not be accessible for up to 10 % of people due to color vision deficiency. The rainbow color map distorts and misleads scientific communication. The study gives guidance on how to avoid, improve and trust color and how the flaws of the rainbow color map should be communicated in science.
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