[Esip-documentation] NetCDF satellite swath example added to wiki

[Armstrong, Edward M (398M)]

Hey Chris,

Some responses below.  FYI we will also be updating this site with some Level 1 CF examples from NOAA develop by Alexander Jelenak.

On May 3, 2013, at 6:42 AM, Lynnes, Christopher S. (GSFC-6102) wrote:

> Ed,
> Thanks for posting the example!  A few quick questions on the time dimension:
> (1) I see you have :coordinates = "lat lon" for 3-dimensional datasets, i.e., not including time.  What is the rationale for leaving time out of the :coordinates attribute? Does this have any effect on tools working with the data?

Just following the CF examples.  I dont think I ever saw one that had the time dimension in the :coordinates attribute. In any case the convention that we used works great in tools such as Panoply and ncview. They view and plot these granules no problem.

> 
> (2) What do you put in for the single time value?  Scene start time, end time, or halfway in between? (Actually, it might be useful to include this in the long_name for time, as "reference" time is a little ambiguous.)

Depends on the Level. For Level 2 it is the time of the first observation in the scene.  For Level 4 its the center of the "analysis window." Level 3  is similar to Level 2 I believe.

> 
> (3) Would there be any benefit to making time the record dimension? This might allow tools such as ncrcat to be used for quick aggregation of, say, a day's worth of scenes.

I think we have done something to this end for Level 3/4 datasets.  THere was some discussion a few years ago that we needed to make Level 4 "friendly" for time aggregation such as performed by the NCO tools and THREDDS. Let me check and get back to you.



> 
> (4) Would it be possible to post the corresponding netCDF file, or the link to it if it is online, so we can run it through various tools to see what it looks like?

OK. I can do this.  We do have an example of a VIIRS L2P that I can post.  THere are also tons of older GDS version 1 Level 2 that I can post.  Give me a few days to clean up the site.


> 
> On Apr 17, 2013, at 3:54 PM, "Armstrong, Edward M (398M)" <Edward.M.Armstrong at jpl.nasa.gov> wrote:
> 
>> Hello:
>> 
>> An example how to package satellite swath (Level 2) data/metadata in netCDF/CF has been uploaded to the Documentation Cluster wiki:
>> 
>> http://wiki.esipfed.org/index.php/NetCDF/CF_example_--_satellite_swath_data
>> 
>> -ed
>> 
>> Ed Armstrong
>> JPL Physical Oceanography DAAC
>> 818 519-7607
>> 
>> 
>> 
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> 
> --
> Dr. Christopher Lynnes     NASA/GSFC, Code 610.2    phone: 301-614-5185
> "Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity." -- C. Mingus
> 
> 

-ed

Ed Armstrong
JPL Physical Oceanography DAAC
818 519-7607