Manhattan plot

A Manhattan plot is a type of scatter plot, usually used to display data with a large number of data-points, many of non-zero amplitude, and with a distribution of higher-magnitude values. The plot is commonly used in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to display significant SNPs. A Manhattan plot is a type of scatter plot, usually used to display data with a large number of data-points, many of non-zero amplitude, and with a distribution of higher-magnitude values. The plot is commonly used in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to display significant SNPs. It gains its name from the similarity of such a plot to the Manhattan skyline: a profile of skyscrapers towering above the lower level 'buildings' which vary around a lower height. In GWAS Manhattan plots, genomic coordinates are displayed along the X-axis, with the negative logarithm of the association P-value for each single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) displayed on the Y-axis, meaning that each dot on the Manhattan plot signifies a SNP. Because the strongest associations have the smallest P-values (e.g., 10−15), their negative logarithms will be the greatest (e.g., 15).