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User Story

Linking Water Patterns to Water Quality Through Microscopy & Art

byZEISS Microscopy 25 May 2022 2 min read

Introduction

SciArt is not a new concept since both artists and scientists have always aimed to explore their environment and understand it through their respective mediums. Julie Askew’s fascinating work is natural science based and aims to encourage conservation. She uses stereo microscopy to visualize ecology and her current research is focusing on water.

Julie Askew  has an extensive background in scientific illustration and fine art. Her PhD with  Bath Spa University  is an interdisciplinary science and art research project, examining and interpreting water patterning and its potential application in the environmental and physical sciences, focusing on Glaciology and Polar Science.

She is working with the  British Antarctic Survey  and the  Cabot Institute for the Environment, analyzing water drop residue from ice cores and glacial melt and how the resulting patterns correlate with scientific data.

Ms. Askew is documenting conservation issues and highlighting scientific findings with the  LIFELINE Project, a media platform producing SciArt, international eco-education tutorials and film documentaries from field expeditions.

Interview

What is the focus of your work?

My current research is focused on investigating the links between patterns of water and water quality. I have recently come across the work of German artist Ruth Kübler who first observed that different liquid residues left varied patterns on a surface when viewed through a darkfield microscope. This observation was further developed by Professor Bernd Kröplin and his team at Stuttgart University and is in the preliminary stages of scientific research and testing at other institutions. Especially for instance in the field of medicine where blood and saliva patterning research has the potential to provide a cheap and non-invasive method for disease diagnosis. Also in agriculture, visual analysis of water drop patterns seem to indicate crop quality. My research has initially indicated that there could be potential benefits to wetland and marine ecology, and I have now started the first visual identification of water contaminants in ice core samples. My aim is to develop a tool for quality identification by documenting water patterns.

In ice cores, the environmental history can be read through the contaminants trapped in annual layers of snow. As well as concentrations of algae, ash, guano, nutrients and trace metals within the ice layers, levels of CO2 are a main indicator of climate change.

My research can potentially visualize longitudinal data to show climate change throughout 800,000 years of history.

Julie Askew | Bath Spa University

How does microscopy come into play?

It appears that the patterns left within the water residue are indicatory of contaminants such as microorganisms and trace metals. Through darkfield microscopy, controlled water drop samples are scrutinized quantitatively, photographed, and to ensure accuracy of color, scientifically illustrated by hand.

Well

Consistent methodology is required, as differing external factors like drying temperature and dust can impact on the resulting patterning.
40x, Darkfield

Pond

Within some of the residue patterns distinctive shapes can develop, like Brownian trees, dendrite formations and other crystalline-like organizations of particles.
60x, Darkfield

Glacier Melt

Glacier melt water and snow is considered ‘pure’ however, even snow contains contaminates like dust, ash, and micro plastics and melt water collects minerals and micro organic matter as it runs off into rivers. Consequently residue patterning occurs.
80x, Darkfield

Desintegration of a Drop

The residue patterns evolve and disintegrate over weeks, with the single dots often linking together to form chain formations before crumbling apart.
80x, Darkfield

Deionized Water

The contaminates of metals or biological material gather in different forms throughout the drop. Guided by the tension of the surface dome as the drop dries, the drying starts at the pinning (edge) and moves inwards changing the tension in the drop, placement of the residue creates the patterning.
40x, Darkfield

The first tests with glacier water indicate identifiable patterns in different melt water courses, but from the same glacier source. The ZEISS Stemi 305 stereo microscope and ZEN software is thus invaluable to my research.

Julie Askew | Bath Spa University

Public Outreach Activities

The images are presently on display by invitation of the In Absentia Pavilion at the ‘Wrong Biennale’ online and in Foggia, Italy. Furthermore, in autumn 2022, the first major exhibition took place at the Nature in Art Museum, Gloucestershire England.

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