Example Bubble Style Data Map

Bubble style maps use different size circles to represent numerical data across geographical regions.  As the number increases, so does the circle size within the parameters you set.  This style map gives the page user a quick contrast view of regional severity and where high occurrences are.  The bubble map can also help reduce the size bias of smaller regions representing smaller numbers.  This is because the circles represent the total number of occurrences, not the geographical boundaries.

A drawback to this style map can be visual confusion if overlapping smaller regions have overly large circles.  We’ve added transparency to the “bubbles” and the ability to control the size of the circles to help mitigate this issue.  Over plotting can also be a potential issue with this style of map.  If a majority of the map would end up having bubbles, consider a standard data map.