Rapid social-ecological change has placed Planet Earth on a trajectory characterized by regime shifts that can inflict substantial costs on economies and human well-being. Current attempts to communicate these changes and their consequences have often failed to resonate; hence, more effective approaches are needed to increase public awareness of these potentially catastrophic events. This paper explores data sonification, a tool that transforms data into sound, as a means of conveying ecological regime shifts through music. In this study, prior assessments of a 7000-year paleo-sequence of diatoms in Foy Lake (Montana, USA) were converted into “The Regime Shift Solo” (based on Fisher Information analysis) and “The Regime Shift Symphony” (based on canonical ordination analysis). Structured focus groups (n = 12) evaluated how these compositions were perceived. Results showed that the solo was consistently valued for clarity and accessibility, whereas the symphony was judged to be more realistic, complex, and emotionally resonant, often eliciting feelings of unease, awe, or urgency. Compared to graphs, sonification was seen as complementary: graphs provided analytical clarity, whereas music offered immediacy and affective depth. By combining these modes, sonification can foster both cognitive and emotional engagement with ecological tipping points. Such dual engagement may enhance science communication and contribute to initiatives that help societies navigate social-ecological uncertainties in the Anthropocene.
Angeler et al. (Thu,) studied this question.