Adaptation to climate change is becoming an pertinent issue, as climate change mitigation options have not been implemented to asufficient degree.  The impacts of climate change will have to be dealt with by various stakeholders including the insurance industry and homeowners.  These stakeholders, also including the scientific community, need to work together in order to distribute climate change information in a manner that enables homeowners to become part of the climate change discussion.  This study discusses the use of web-based climate visualization platforms and the perception of the users of these platforms through focus group studies.    By analyzing six web-based climate visualizations through content analysis and then having five focus groups analyze two web-based climate visualization platforms, Caladapt and Plan2Adapt, the study aims to determine how users of web-based climate visualization platforms perceive the platforms, tools and visual representations presented to them and what additional information and components should be included.   The overall analysis determined that adaptation information is not adequately communicated within any of the examined platforms. Rather than vulnerability or adaptation, the effects of climate change were represented as 2D maps and graph visual representations.  Participants found this information to be secondary information since it did not interest or seem relevant to the users.  As homeowners, participants did not want to have to analyze or interpret data rather they wanted usable information that they could apply if they felt it was valid and applied to their situation.  The study presents many aspects that could be applied to future web-based visualization platforms.

The impacts of climate change have resulted in the need for adaptation tools to provide stakeholders with the ability to respond to a broad range of potential impacts. Geovisualizations serve as powerful engagement tools due to their capacity in communicating complex climate data to various audiences. Studies have shown a preference towards conveying climate data through geo-visual representations, to quickly present ideas rooted in geographical challenges and solutions. However, a rapid pace of technological advancements has paved the way for an abundance of geovisualization products that have eclipsed the necessary theoretical inquiry and knowledge required to establish effective visualization principles. This study addresses this research gap by conducting a structured review of the geovisualization for climate change literature, and creating a conceptual framework that classifies existing geovisualization products into themes relating to visualization features, audiences, and the intended outcome or purpose of the visualization medium. The Climate Visualizations for Adaptation Products (CVAP) framework, is a tool for researchers and practitioners to use as a decision support system to discern an appropriate type of geovisualization product to implement within a specific use case or towards a particular audience. The process of developing a geovisualization software tool for displaying sea ice probability (SIP) in Arctic regions is detailed, in the context of suggested best practices for web development. Challenges and opportunities encountered while adhering to the best practice protocols and guidelines are examined. A usability evaluation is suggested to assess the general user attitude towards a website or service. Finally a summary with conclusions and suggestions for future research are provided. / Graduate