ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the results of an online survey designed to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of dynamic and static point symbols in earthquake visualization. Effectiveness was measured as the accuracy of responses across four task types: motion-based (magnitude), size-based (fatalities), color-based (depth), and time-based (year with the most earthquakes). Efficiency was assessed through response times, with statistical tests applied to compare correct and incorrect answers across map variants. The analysis shows that while static maps were generally the most efficient, dynamic variants such as pulsation and pictorial motion offered advantages in effectiveness for certain tasks. This chapter also investigates participant characteristics, including gender, education level, and self-assessed map-reading skills, to determine their impact on task performance. Results indicate few statistically significant differences across demographic groups, with most participants performing similarly regardless of background. Overall, the findings highlight the nuanced trade-offs between symbol types, suggesting that dynamic symbols can enhance interpretation in specific contexts but also impose cognitive demands that influence task completion time.
