What is NetCDF?Geopoints is Metview's own format for storing irregularly distributed geographical data (typically observations). A geopoints file is an ASCII file containing a header section and a data section consisting of several columns, so it can be regarded as specialised CSV (Comma Separated Values) file. NetCDF (Network Common Data Form) is a binary format for array-oriented scientific data. The full specification of the format, as used in Metview, can be found on the NetCDF overview page. The official homepage of NetCDF is hosted by UCAR: http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/netcdf/There are some different 'flavours' of the format, which described here in detail. The NetCDF iconNetCDF files are represented by this icon in the user interface: ![NETCDF.png](/plugins/servlet/confluence/placeholder/unknown-attachment?locale=en_GB&version=2)
Examining Geopoints NetCDF contentsThe contents of a Geopoints NetCDF file can be inspected with the Geopoints NetCdf Examiner, which can be started up from the user interface (right-click examine on the icon). Image Added
Visualisation on mapsGeopoints can be directly visualised in Metview on a map view. In the user interface just right-click visualise on the icon to get a plot with the default settings. These plots can be further customised with Symbol Plotting (scalar values) and Wind Plotting (vector values) icons. Image Removed Image RemovedVisualisation with Table VisualiserSince Geopoints is a CSV data format it can be also visualised with the Table Visualiser icon, which can handle generic CSV data files. Geopoints and BUFRThe typical way to handle BUFR data in Metview is to filter it into a Geopoints file using the Observation Filter and the Bufr Picker icons. The resulting data is then visualised or further processed with Metview's rich Geopoints API. Image RemovedOperators between GRIB and GeopointsIt is atypical scenario in Metview that we have forecast data in GRIB format and some corresponding observations in Geopoints (probably filtered from BUFR) and we want to compute the difference between them. Using Metview's script interface it can be done in a single line like this (supposing g is a fieldset while gpt is a geopoints object): Code Block |
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| gpt_diff = g - gpt |
For a full fledged example just click the image below. Image Removed
Conversion between Geopoints and GRIBDirect visualisation of NetCDF is not available in Metview but it is implemented via the NetCDF Visualiser icon. With this icon we can specify the view type, the variable and the dimensions (with slicing) to generate the actual plot. Visualisation is supported both on maps and xy-charts for scalar and vector data, as well. Image Added Image Added Image Added Image Added Image Added
Metview uses NetCDF as an internal format to store the data prepared for the so-called analysis views (various sections and profiles). The data preparation icons of these views (including Cross Section Data, Average Data, Hovmoeller Data, Thermo Data and Vertical Profile Data) all store their results in NetCDFA GRIB fields can be directly exported into Geopoints using the Grib To Geopoints icon. The other direction is also possible with the Geopoints To Grib icon, which offers various interpolation techniques to compute the grid point values from the values available at scattered locations. Script language supportMetview provides full support for Geopoints NetCDF from its Macro and Python interfaces. This includes: - accessing dimensions, variables and attributes
- performing arithmetic on variables' values
The list of available functions for Geopoints NetCDF can be found on the Geopoints the NetCDF Functions page. |