Sankey charts are a type of data visualization that represent flows of quantities, such as energy, money, or people, between different categories or nodes. They are named after their creator, British engineer and inventor Matthew Henry Phineas Riall Sankey, who first used them in the late 19th century to display the energy efficiency of power plants. Today, Sankey charts are a powerful tool for visualizing complex flows of data, and can be used in a wide range of applications across various fields, including science, engineering, economics, and social sciences.
Creating a Sankey chart involves several steps, starting with selecting the appropriate data sources and calculating the flows between categories. Once the necessary data is collected, it can be used to create the chart using a variety of software tools, including Excel, Tableau, R, and Python with libraries such as Matplotlib and Plotly. The first step is to define the categories and nodes for the chart, which will serve as the source and destination of the flows. Then, the flows between nodes are calculated based on the data, and represented as arrows with a width that corresponds to the quantity of the flow. The color of the arrows can also be used to indicate the direction or type of flow.
Once the chart is created, the next step is to interpret the data it represents. Sankey charts provide a clear and intuitive way to visualize and compare flows between different categories and nodes. For example, a Sankey chart can reveal which categories are major sources or sinks of a certain flow, or how the flows between nodes are distributed. It can also help identify bottlenecks or inefficiencies in a system, by highlighting flows with the highest or lowest quantities. Moreover, Sankey charts provide a historical perspective on the flows over time, by allowing the visualization of changes or trends in the data.
Sankey charts can be used in a wide range of applications, depending on the data being represented. Here are some examples:
- Energy: Sankey charts can be used to visualize the flow of energy in power systems, such as the electricity grid or hydroelectric plants. They can show the distribution of renewable and non-renewable sources, the losses in transmission, and the overall efficiency of the system.
- Economics: Sankey charts can be used to represent the flow of goods and services between different sectors of the economy, such as manufacturing, agriculture, and services. They can reveal the importance of each sector, the impact of external shocks, and the potential for economic diversification.
- Health: Sankey charts can be used to visualize the flow of patients between different departments or treatments in a healthcare system. They can show the distribution of patients by age, gender, or disease, and the efficiency of the system in terms of resource allocation and patient outcomes.
- Social sciences: Sankey charts can be used to represent the flow of immigration, employment, or education between different countries or regions. They can reveal patterns of movement and integration, the impact of policies or events, and the underlying drivers of migration.
In conclusion, Sankey charts are a powerful and flexible tool for visualizing flows of data across various fields. They offer insights into complex systems and processes, and help us understand how different categories and nodes are interconnected and interdependent. By mastering the creation and interpretation of Sankey charts, we can effectively communicate and explore data that would otherwise be difficult to comprehend. So, don’t hesitate to unleash the power of Sankey charts in your next data visualization project!
SankeyMaster
SankeyMaster is your go-to tool for creating complex Sankey charts . Easily enter data and create Sankey charts that accurately reveal intricate data relationships.
