Dear All,<br><br>Has anyone successfully opened IBTraCS file in GrADS? I have recently found about this typhoon data archive combining different agencies best track in a netcdf file format, the data is downloadable in this link:<br>
<a href="ftp://eclipse.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/ibtracs/v03r03/wmo/netcdf/year/">ftp://eclipse.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/ibtracs/v03r03/wmo/netcdf/year/</a> <br clear="all"><br>However, when I tried to open it in GrADS 2.0.1, I received this error:<br>
<br><i>ga-&gt; sdfopen <a href="http://Year.1901.ibtracs_wmo.v03r03.nc">Year.1901.ibtracs_wmo.v03r03.nc</a> <br>Scanning self-describing file:  <a href="http://Year.1901.ibtracs_wmo.v03r03.nc">Year.1901.ibtracs_wmo.v03r03.nc</a><br>
gadsdf: SDF file has no discernable X coordinate.<br>  To open this file with GrADS, use a descriptor file with an XDEF entry.<br>  Documentation is at <a href="http://iges.org/grads/gadoc/SDFdescriptorfile.html">http://iges.org/grads/gadoc/SDFdescriptorfile.html</a></i><br>
<br>I tried to read the documentation given above but I still can&#39;t figure out how to make a descriptor file for the said file. ncdump gives the following details about the file:<br><br>dimensions:<br>        storm = UNLIMITED ; // (16 currently)<br>
        time = 137 ;<br>        ncharsn = 13 ;<br>        ncharnm = 55 ;<br>        center = 24 ;<br>        ncharcn = 10 ;<br>variables:<br>        char storm_sn(storm, ncharsn) ;<br>                storm_sn:long_name = &quot;Storm serial number&quot; ;<br>
        char name(storm, ncharnm) ;<br>                name:long_name = &quot;Storm name&quot; ;<br>        short numObs(storm) ;<br>                numObs:long_name = &quot;Number of observations for the storm&quot; ;<br>
        short season(storm) ;<br>                season:long_name = &quot;Year based on season&quot; ;<br>                season:Note = &quot;Following WMO,\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;NH Seasons begin 1 January and \n&quot;,<br>
                        &quot;SH Seasons begin 1 July the prior year&quot; ;<br>        byte track_type(storm) ;<br>                track_type:long_name = &quot;Track type&quot; ;<br>                track_type:key = &quot;0 = main - cyclogenesis to cyclolysis\n&quot;,<br>
                        &quot;1 = merge - cyclogenesis to merger\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;2 = split - split to cyclolysis\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;3 = other - split to merger&quot; ;<br>        byte genesis_basin(storm) ;<br>
                genesis_basin:long_name = &quot;Basin of genesis&quot; ;<br>                genesis_basin:units = &quot; &quot; ;<br>                genesis_basin:key = &quot;0 = NA - North Atlantic\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;1 = SA - South Atlantic\n&quot;,<br>
                        &quot;2 = WP - West Pacific\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;3 = EP - East Pacific\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;4 = SP - South Pacific\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;5 = NI - North Indian\n&quot;,<br>
                        &quot;6 = SI - South Indian\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;7 = AS - Arabian Sea\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;8 = BB - Bay of Bengal\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;9 = EA - Eastern Australia\n&quot;,<br>
                        &quot;10 = WA - Western Australia\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;11 = CP - Central Pacific\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;12 = CS - Carribbean Sea\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;13 = GM - Gulf of Mexico\n&quot;,<br>
                        &quot;14 = MM - Missing&quot; ;<br>                genesis_basin:Note = &quot;Based on where the storm began&quot; ;<br>        byte num_basins(storm) ;<br>                num_basins:long_name = &quot;Number of basins through which the storm passes&quot; ;<br>
                num_basins:units = &quot; &quot; ;<br>        byte basin(storm, time) ;<br>                basin:long_name = &quot;Basin&quot; ;<br>                basin:units = &quot; &quot; ;<br>                basin:key = &quot;0 = NA - North Atlantic\n&quot;,<br>
                        &quot;1 = SA - South Atlantic\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;2 = WP - West Pacific\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;3 = EP - East Pacific\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;4 = SP - South Pacific\n&quot;,<br>
                        &quot;5 = NI - North Indian\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;6 = SI - South Indian\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;7 = AS - Arabian Sea\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;8 = BB - Bay of Bengal\n&quot;,<br>
                        &quot;9 = EA - Eastern Australia\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;10 = WA - Western Australia\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;11 = CP - Central Pacific\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;12 = CS - Carribbean Sea\n&quot;,<br>
                        &quot;13 = GM - Gulf of Mexico\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;14 = MM - Missing&quot; ;<br>                basin:Note = &quot;Based on present location&quot; ;<br>                basin:_FillValue = -127b ;<br>
        byte wind_avg_period(center) ;<br>                wind_avg_period:long_name = &quot;Wind speed averaging period&quot; ;<br>                wind_avg_period:units = &quot;min&quot; ;<br>                wind_avg_period:_FillValue = -127b ;<br>
        char source(center, ncharcn) ;<br>                source:long_name = &quot;Source name&quot; ;<br>                source:Note = &quot;This order matches the dimension in source_* variables&quot; ;<br>        double time_wmo(storm, time) ;<br>
                time_wmo:long_name = &quot;Modified Julian Day&quot; ;<br>                time_wmo:units = &quot;days since 1858-11-17 00:00:00&quot; ;<br>                time_wmo:_FillValue = 9.96921e+36 ;<br>        short lat_wmo(storm, time) ;<br>
                lat_wmo:long_name = &quot;Storm center latitude&quot; ;<br>                lat_wmo:units = &quot;degrees_north&quot; ;<br>                lat_wmo:scale_factor = 0.01f ;<br>                lat_wmo:_FillValue = -32767s ;<br>
        short lon_wmo(storm, time) ;<br>                lon_wmo:long_name = &quot;Storm center longitude&quot; ;<br>                lon_wmo:units = &quot;degrees_east&quot; ;<br>                lon_wmo:scale_factor = 0.01f ;<br>
                lon_wmo:_FillValue = -32767s ;<br>        byte alt(storm, time) ;<br>                alt:long_name = &quot;Altitude&quot; ;<br>                alt:units = &quot;m&quot; ;<br>                alt:_FillValue = -127b ;<br>
                alt:note = &quot;only included in an attempt to have THREDDS recognize the file as a trajectory&quot; ;<br>        short wind_wmo(storm, time) ;<br>                wind_wmo:long_name = &quot;Maximum Sustained Wind (MSW)&quot; ;<br>
                wind_wmo:units = &quot;kt&quot; ;<br>                wind_wmo:scale_factor = 0.1f ;<br>                wind_wmo:_FillValue = -32767s ;<br>        short pres_wmo(storm, time) ;<br>                pres_wmo:long_name = &quot;Minimum Central Pressure (MCP)&quot; ;<br>
                pres_wmo:units = &quot;mb&quot; ;<br>                pres_wmo:scale_factor = 0.1f ;<br>                pres_wmo:_FillValue = -32767s ;<br>        byte sub_basin(storm, time) ;<br>                sub_basin:long_name = &quot;Sub-Basin&quot; ;<br>
                sub_basin:units = &quot; &quot; ;<br>                sub_basin:key = &quot;0 = NA - North Atlantic\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;1 = SA - South Atlantic\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;2 = WP - West Pacific\n&quot;,<br>
                        &quot;3 = EP - East Pacific\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;4 = SP - South Pacific\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;5 = NI - North Indian\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;6 = SI - South Indian\n&quot;,<br>
                        &quot;7 = AS - Arabian Sea\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;8 = BB - Bay of Bengal\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;9 = EA - Eastern Australia\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;10 = WA - Western Australia\n&quot;,<br>
                        &quot;11 = CP - Central Pacific\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;12 = CS - Carribbean Sea\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;13 = GM - Gulf of Mexico\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;14 = MM - Missing&quot; ;<br>
                sub_basin:Note = &quot;Based on present location&quot; ;<br>                sub_basin:_FillValue = -127b ;<br>        byte nature_wmo(storm, time) ;<br>                nature_wmo:long_name = &quot;Storm nature&quot; ;<br>
                nature_wmo:key = &quot;0 = TS - Tropical\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;1 = SS - Subtropical\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;2 = ET - Extratropical\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;3 = DS - Disturbance\n&quot;,<br>
                        &quot;4 = MX - Mix of conflicting reports\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;5 = NR - Not Reported\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;6 = MM - Missing\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;7 =  - Missing&quot; ;<br>
                nature_wmo:Note = &quot;Based on classification from original sources&quot; ;<br>                nature_wmo:_FillValue = -127b ;<br>        byte source_wmo(storm, time) ;<br>                source_wmo:long_name = &quot;Source used as WMO agency&quot; ;<br>
                source_wmo:flag_values = &quot;0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23&quot; ;<br>                source_wmo:flag_meanings = &quot;hurdat_atl td9636 reunion atcf ds824_sh ds824_ni bom ds824_au jtwc_sh jtwc_wp ds824_wp jtwc_io cma hurdat_epa jtwc_ep ds824_ep jtwc_cp tokyo neumann hko cphc wellington newdelhi nadi&quot; ;<br>
                source_wmo:_FillValue = -127b ;<br><br>// global attributes:<br>                :Title = &quot;IBTrACS-WMO: NetCDF reformat&quot; ;<br>                :Version = &quot;v03r03&quot; ;<br>                :Description = &quot;IBTrACS-WMO data reformatted to contain \n&quot;,<br>
                        &quot;all data in one netCDF file. Also an attempt has been made\n&quot;,<br>                        &quot;to have the data appear as trajectories in the CDM&quot; ;<br>                :cdm_datatype = &quot;Trajectory&quot; ;<br>
                :trajectoryDimension = &quot;storm&quot; ;<br>                :Conventions = &quot;CF-1.0&quot; ;<br>}<br><br><br>Sorry for the long mail. Thanks in advance for any help..<br><br>Best regards,<br><br>Mar<br>
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