[idvusers] Contours on point data - how to use GMT and NetCDF to grid or analyze point data for the IDV

• To: Andy_Holland@xxxxxxxxxxx
• Subject: [idvusers] Contours on point data - how to use GMT and NetCDF to grid or analyze point data for the IDV
• From: Stuart Wier <wier@xxxxxxxxxx>
• Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2008 11:14:58 -0700

Andy,

Here are instructions for converting a text data file to a gridded NetCDF file 
which the IDV can contour.

get GeoNET gravity data from

http://paces.geo.utep.edu/welcome.shtml  which has long-lat-data column order 
suitable for GMT
see also http://paces.geo.utep.edu/gdrp/Search.aspx for gravity

or from
http://gis.utep.edu/Projects/DataCatalog/tabid/57/Default.aspx

and thence esp. from http://irpsrvgis00.utep.edu/repositorywebsite/
"GeoNet Gravity and Magnetic Dataset Repository Pan American Center for Earth and 
Environmental Sciences (PACES)"



Cut out desired columns of data:

for the old paces .dat data files get - the 9th column in this case, plus cols 
1 and 2: (all one line)

for the new paces *.txt data files use

to get lat (col 3) long (col 5), and bouger anom (col 12).

the result is an a "GMT xzy file",  an ascii csv file; (long and lat in that 
order must be first output columns)
remove the first 3 to 6 bad lines which are relicts from the source file header 
lines.


Run the GMT "blockmean" program like:

blockmean -R-110/-101/36/42 -I78c -V paces_colorado_gravity_Bouger_values.xzy > 
paces_colorado_gravity_Bouger_blockmean.xzy

or

or

blockmean -R-112/-104/41/45 -I30c -V paces_wyoming_gravity_bouger.xyz > 
paces_wyoming_gravity_bouger_blockmean.xyz

results like:
blockmean: Given domain implies x_inc = 0.0216867
blockmean: Given domain implies y_inc = 0.0216606
blockmean: W: -110 E: -101 S: 36 N: 42 nx: 416 ny: 278
blockmean: Using a total of 3.53 Mb for all arrays.
blockmean: Working on file paces_colorado_gravity_Bouger_values.xzy
blockmean: Calculating block means
blockmean: N read: 61775 N used: 61775 N outside_area: 0 N cells filled: 21613


grid the values with the GMT surface program:

surface paces_colorado_gravity_Bouger_blockmean.xzy -R-109/-102/37/41 -I30c 
-Gpaces_colorado_gravity_Bouger_values.grd -V

note the -R should be the same area or smaller than in the blockmean command;
the -I argument should be the same number or larger than in blockmean command.

results:
surface: Given domain implies x_inc = 0.0216718
surface: Given domain implies y_inc = 0.0216216
surface: W: -109 E: -102 S: 37 N: 41 nx: 323 ny: 185
surface:  WARNING:  Your grid dimensions are mutually prime.
surface:  HINT:  Choosing nx = 324, ny = 192 might cut run time by a factor of 
107.9177
surface:  HINT:  Choosing nx = 360, ny = 192 might cut run time by a factor of 
103.50099
surface:  HINT:  Choosing nx = 324, ny = 216 might cut run time by a factor of 
101.5696
surface:  HINT:  Choosing nx = 360, ny = 200 might cut run time by a factor of 
98.96357
surface:  HINT:  Choosing nx = 384, ny = 192 might cut run time by a factor of 
98.139326
surface:  HINT:  Choosing nx = 360, ny = 216 might cut run time by a factor of 
92.68345
surface:  HINT:  Choosing nx = 400, ny = 192 might cut run time by a factor of 
91.257045
surface:  HINT:  Choosing nx = 400, ny = 200 might cut run time by a factor of 
89.046667
surface:  HINT:  Choosing nx = 432, ny = 192 might cut run time by a factor of 
87.091478
surface:  HINT:  Choosing nx = 324, ny = 240 might cut run time by a factor of 
86.334161
surface: Minimum value of your dataset x,y,z at: surface: -106.361 39.2009 
-339.29
surface: Maximum value of your dataset x,y,z at: surface: -102.517 40.9699 
-107.975
surface: 496 unusable points were supplied; these will be ignored.
surface: You should have pre-processed the data with block-mean, -median, or 
-mode.
surface: Grid   Mode    Iteration       Max Change      Conv Limit      Total 
Iterations
surface:    1   D            250        0.169843        0.0357331              
250
surface: Fit info: N data points  N nodes       mean error      rms error       
curvature
surface:           16416           60264        2.75099e-05     0.0202926       
3230.9

The ".grd" file made is a NetCDF file.



To use this NetCDf file in the IDV you need to have identify which variable are 
latitude and longitude.

Convert the binary netcdf file to its ascii CDL equivalent with the NetCDF 
command

ncdump paces_colorado_gravity_Bouger_values.grd > 
paces_colorado_gravity_Bouger_values.cdl

Edit the .cdl file and replace all instances of the variable name "x" with 
"lon" and all instances of
the variable name "y" with "lat".  You may also rename the field variable "z" 
to a more informative name such
as in this case "bouger_anomaly."

Now convert the new CDL file into a ".nc" NetCDF file usable in the IDV with 
the NetCDF command:

ncgen -o paces_colorado_gravity_Bouger_values.nc  
paces_colorado_gravity_Bouger_values.cdl

This is a nornal NetCDF grid file that the IDV can display.

I have data that consists of latitude, longitude and a value in a text
file.  Is it possible for me to generate a display that doesn't show the
locations, but draws contour lines based on this data?

Thanks,

Andy Holland
Air Quality Modeler
URS Corporation
1600 Perimeter Park Drive
Suite 400

Morrisville, NC 27560//www.unidata.ucar.edu/mailing_lists/

--
Stuart Wier

UNAVCO  6350 Nautilus Drive  Boulder, CO 80301  (303) 381-7500 x 450

The GEON IDV  http://geon.unavco.org
For 4D exploration and display of your geophysics data

The UNAVCO WInSAR Archive  http://winsar.unavco.org

• References:
  • [idvusers] Contours on point data
    • From: Andy_Holland
  • Re: [idvusers] Contours on point data
    • From: Stuart Wier