Copying from GrADS

[Hyacinth Cyprain Nnamchi]

Thanks Chuck. You are right, I was later able to figure out how to do that with ncdump.

However, the problem remains as I am not able to read the data.The data 'am using is the NCEP Reanalysis derived from: http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/data/gridded/data.ncep.reanalysis.derived.sigma.html. This is the ctl file I am trying to use (I have also included details on the original data below):

title monthly mean values of v. potential from 1950 to 2006
undef -9.96921e+36 
options yrev
xdef 192 linear 0 1.875 
ydef 94	levels  -88.542  -86.6531  -84.7532  -82.8508  -80.9473 -79.0435 -77.1394 -75.2351 -73.3307 -71.4262 -69.5217 -67.6171 -65.7125 -63.8079 -61.9033 -59.9986 -58.0939  -56.1893 -54.2846 -52.3799 -50.4752  -48.5705  -46.6658 -44.7611     -42.8564 -40.9517 -39.047 -37.1422 -35.2375 -33.3328 -31.4281  -29.5234 -27.6186
	-25.7139 -23.8092 -21.9044 -19.9997 -18.095 -16.1902  -14.2855 -12.3808 -10.47604 -8.57131 -6.66657 -4.76184 -2.8571 -0.952368 0.952368 2.8571 4.76184 6.66657 8.57131 10.47604 12.3808 14.2855 16.1902 18.095 19.9997 21.9044 23.8092 25.7139  27.6186	29.5234 31.4281 33.3328 35.2375 37.1422 39.047  40.9517 42.8564
	44.7611 46.6658 48.5705 50.4752 52.3799 54.2846 56.1893 58.0939	59.9986 61.9033 63.8079 65.7125 67.6171 69.5217 71.4262 73.3307	75.2351 77.1394 79.0435 80.9473 82.8508 84.7532 86.6531 88.542
zdef5 linear 0.995 0.8458 0.2582 0.2101, 0.1682 
tdef 684 linear 01JAN1950 1mo
vars 1
chi 5 -999 monthly mean values of v. potential from 1950 to 2006
endvars



********original data**********
netcdf chi.mon.mean {
dimensions:
	lon = 192 ;
	lat = 94 ;
	level = 5 ;
	time = UNLIMITED ; // (732 currently)
variables:
	float lat(lat) ;
		lat:units = "degrees_north" ;
		lat:actual_range = 88.542f, -88.542f ;
		lat:long_name = "Latitude" ;
	float lon(lon) ;
		lon:units = "degrees_east" ;
		lon:long_name = "Longitude" ;
		lon:actual_range = 0.f, 358.125f ;
	float level(level) ;
		level:units = "sigma_level" ;
		level:long_name = "Sigma" ;
		level:positive = "down" ;
		level:actual_range = 0.995f, 0.1682f ;
	double time(time) ;
		time:units = "hours since 1-1-1 00:00:0.0" ;
		time:long_name = "Time" ;
		time:actual_range = 17067072., 17601072. ;
		time:delta_t = "0000-01-00 00:00:00" ;
		time:avg_period = "0000-01-00 00:00:00" ;
		time:prev_avg_period = "0000-00-01 00:00:00" ;
	float chi(time, level, lat, lon) ;
		chi:long_name = "Monthly Mean of Velocity Potential" ;
		chi:valid_range = -9.96921e+36f, 9.96921e+36f ;
		chi:actual_range = -3.1595e+07f, 3.0159e+07f ;
		chi:units = "m*m/s" ;
		chi:add_offset = 0.f ;
		chi:scale_factor = 1.f ;
		chi:missing_value = -9.96921e+36f ;
		chi:precision = 3s ;
		chi:least_significant_digit = 3s ;
		chi:var_desc = "Velocity Potential" ;
		chi:dataset = "CDC Derived NCEP Reanalysis Products" ;
		chi:level_desc = "Multiple Level" ;
		chi:statistic = "Mean" ;
		chi:parent_stat = "Mean" ;

// global attributes:
		:title = "NCEP reanalysis" ;
		:history = "created 2002/08/30 by Hoop" ;
		:description = "Data is from NCEP initialized reanalysis\n",
    "(daily means).  It consists of T42  variables." ;
		:Conventions = "COARDS" ;