Future Mountain
As part of the Burn Cycle Project, Future Mountain is a collaborative effort with artist Ethan Turpin and UCSB ecohydrologist Naomi Tague. The project uses a Unity-based system to visualize data from the Regional Hydro-Ecologic Simulation System (RHESSYs) — a sophisticated model that simulates how water, carbon, and nutrients move through landscapes over time.
Through an immersive 3D interface, users can explore future scenarios by adjusting climate warming levels, controlling the passage of time, scrubbing through specific years, and comparing individual terrain “cubes” side-by-side under different climate conditions. These interactive tools help reveal how fire, water, and vegetation patterns may shift across real-world landscapes depending on both natural variability and projected climate change.
Future Mountain debuted at the Community Arts Workshop in Santa Barbara in 2019, engaging the public in conversations around fire and climate resilience. This initial prototype laid the groundwork for future improvements to the project, including an online version of the experience, now available at futuremtn.org, expanding access to anyone interested in the dynamic interplay of fire, water, and climate.
In 2025, a more refined version was featured in the WILDLAND Exhibit at Westmont College, running for the full length of the show. This updated version included a streamlined instruction screen, significantly faster loading times, optimized graphics, bug fixes, and a more intuitive user interface.
Press Releases:
Burn Cycle @ Santa Barbara Community Arts Workshop (2019)
Santa Barbara Independent (2025): The Art of Fire
Montecito Journal (2025): Strangely Beautiful Wildland
Noozhawk (2025): Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum Hosts Multimedia Wildland
Forward Pathway (2025): The Intersection of Art and Science in Climate Change
Edhat (2025): How an Artist and a Scientist Uncovered Hidden Landscapes
Related:
RHESSys Model
AGU Poster: Land Surface Heterogeneity Modeling (2017)
Virtual Fire Safe Council (2020)