Patent ID: 8786604

Claim:
A computer system comprising: a processor; a memory device coupled to the processor; a pointing device coupled to the processor; a display system coupled to the processor, the display system shows a cursor whose position is based on position data generated by the pointing device; the memory device stores a program that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to: display output data of an earth model in a first pane on the display system, the output data indexed based on time; monitor successive overlaying of the cursor over a plurality of the output data in the first pane; and when the cursor overlays a particular datum display a state of the earth model in a second pane on the display device, the second pane distinct from the from pane, and the state of the earth model displayed at a modeled time associated with the particular datum; and animate the state of the earth model in the second pane over a span of time indicated by the plurality of the output data successively overlaid by the cursor.