NetCDF file handling in Fluidity
Based on the comments on bug 930706 https:/
This blueprint is for Fluidity users to define which NetCDF files are used and to describe their characteristics (e.g. equi-spaced points, unstructured data, one variable, multiple variable, on a lat/long grid, etc, etc).
From this we can define what the reader should be able to handle and create a single interface for reading NetCDF files.
Currently NetCDF files are used for:
- reading in forcing data (ERA40) for surface fluxes
- Initialising free surface
- For the bathymetry when extruding
- As boundary condition input from the NEMO ocean model
Blueprint information
Whiteboard
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Features required
- equispaced data (I can't think of anything that doesn't have this requirement and if it does, GMT can be used to make it equispaced)
- On a lat/long grid (I can't think of anything that uses other coordinates, and again GMT can be used to transform data)
- Contains multiple variables (ERA40 should contain 8-9 for example)
- Need to be interpolated in space and time, handling real world dates. What about NEMO data? Is that in real dates?
- Needs to handle wrapping around globe
- Ability to create a mesh that matches the topology of the NetCDF file
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Notes:
GMT has c and c++ interfaces. Python and fortran are planned/in development. GMT 5 which includes the API is considered "not safe" for day-to-day work. It would also need packaging in our PPA (more work for Tim!)
Found an interpolation package called: SOSIE (http://
