This notebook is an attempt create a CF compliant netCDF trajectory file with an IPython Notebook. The data are canned, but this notebook could serve a template for data providers wishing to create CF compliant netCDF trajectories.
This Python CF trajectory template follows NODC guidance for trajectories.
Note that there are many "RECOMMENDED" and "REQUIRED" fields, and I have done my best to adhere to those suggestions, but I may have missed some details. If so please send a pull request.
Need to import netcdf4-python and numpy.
import netCDF4
import numpy as np
Now let's create a new, empty, netCDF file open for writing. Please adjust its name and location for your purposes.
ncfile = netCDF4.Dataset('/tmp/traj.nc','w')
We will first need to create the 'obs' and 'trajectory' dimensions.
obs_dim = ncfile.createDimension('obs', 5)
trajectory_dim = ncfile.createDimension('trajectory', 2)
Now we will create some trajectory variables:
# Defining the 'trajectory' coordinate variable
trajectory = ncfile.createVariable('trajectory', 'i4', ('trajectory',))
trajectory.long_name = ""
trajectory.cf_role = "trajectory_id"
# time
times = ncfile.createVariable('time','f8',('trajectory','obs'))
times.standard_name = 'time'
times.units = 'hours since 2014-06-01T00:00:00Z'
times.axis = 'T'
# lat
lat = ncfile.createVariable('lat', 'f4', ('trajectory','obs'))
lat.units = 'degrees_north'
lat.standard_name = 'latitude'
lat.axis = 'Y'
# lon
lon = ncfile.createVariable('lon', 'f4', ('trajectory','obs'))
lon.units = 'degrees_east'
lon.standard_name = 'longitude'
lon.axis = 'X'
# z
z = ncfile.createVariable('z', 'f4', ('trajectory','obs'))
z.units = 'meter'
z.standard_name = 'altitude'
z.axis = 'Z'
z.positive = "up"
# mean sea level pressure
mslp = ncfile.createVariable('mslp','f4',('trajectory','obs'))
mslp.units = 'hPa' # hecto-Pascals also known as millibars
mslp.standard_name = 'air_pressure_at_sea_level'
mslp.coordinates = 'time lat lon z'
Now add the global attributes. If trying to adhere to Unidata Dataset Discovery v1.1, John Caron recommends adding any attribute starting with 'geospatial' or 'time'.
# global attributes
ncfile.Conventions = 'CF-1.6'
ncfile.Metadata_Conventions = 'Unidata Dataset Discovery v1.0'
ncfile.featureType = 'trajectory'
ncfile.cdm_data_type = 'Trajectory'
ncfile.nodc_template_version = 'NODC_NetCDF_Trajectory_Template_v0.9'
ncfile. standard_name_vocabulary = 'CF-1.6'
Finally, let us add the actual (in this case fake) data.
# trajectory IDs
trajectory[:] = np.array([17,42])
# times (hours since 2014-06-01T00:00:00Z)
times[:] = np.array([[0, 0, 0, 0, 0], [12, 12, 12, 12, 12]])
# lat/lon/z
lat[:] = np.array([[40, 40, 40, 40, 40], [41, 41, 41, 41, 41]])
lon[:] = np.array([[-106, -106, -106, -106, -106], [-107, -107, -107, -107, -107]])
z[:] = np.array([[0, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000], [0, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000]])
# mean sea level pressure
mslp[:] = np.array([[1000, 950, 800, 700, 625], [990, 940, 810, 690, 620]])
# Close the netCDF file
ncfile.close()
At this point we are done. You now have a CF compliant netCDF trajectory file.