SCD story/photo of the week: 29 October 2004
"Python interface to NCL graphics library now available"

PyNGL: Meteogram

A meteogram is a time cross-section of meteorological data from a specific surface reporting station. Data plotted can include temperature, wind, pressure, clouds, and current weather, with visualizations taking the form of line graphs, bar graphs, symbols, numbers, and shading.

One PyNGL code produced all three visualizations at left. In the top visualization, red contours show temperature, green-filled contours show relative humidity, and wind barbs show wind direction and speed. The bottom visualizations show rainfall and temperature at a specific location in three-hour intervals.

"John Ertl of the Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center used PyNGL to produce this meteogram," says SCD software engineer Fred Clare. "His goal was to develop a template into which numbers could be input that would automatically output a visualization like this. He's using PyNGL to do real-world science."

Visualization: John Ertl, Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center