| ingrid | The Postscript-based software on which the Data Library is built. |
| CPT | Climate Predictability Tool More information |
| ferret | Interactive computer visualization and analysis software. More information |
| GrADS | Grid Analysis and Display System More information |
| matlab | Data analysis and visualization software. More information |
| NCL | NCAR Command Language More information |
| WinDisp | A public domain software package for the display and analysis of satellite images, maps and associated databases, with an emphasis on early warning for food security. More information |
| Full Information Formats
These files contain all of the available metadata. | |
| OPeNDAP | A system which downloads data directly to software, such as matlab, Ferret, GrADS, etc. Specific instructions are available in the table above. Note: OPeNDAP was formerly known as DODS (Distributed Oceanographic Data System). More Information |
| netCDF (network Common Data Form) | A commonly supported self-describing data format. More Information |
| Partial Information Formats
These files contain only some of the available metadata. | |
| Columnar Table | A table with separate columns of numbers for each independent variable (i.e., grids) and for the data. This columnar table is available in a variety of file and column formats here. Note: By setting the helper for mime-type text/tab-separated-values, you can have this loaded directly into your favorite spreadsheet. This file will be approximately 3708288 bytes, with 3 columns of 309024 numbers. |
| 2-Dimensional Tab-Separated Tables | Tab-separated-values (tsv) file with information about the independent variables (i.e., grids). The list to the left allows you to specify the format of the table. Note: The variable running across the top of the table (identifing columns) is listed first and the variable running down the side of the table (identifing rows) is listed second. |
| GIS-Compatible Formats
There are three GIS-compatible formats available. | |
| X T 2-Dimensional Table T X 2-Dimensional Table | A 2-dimensional ascii file that includes an ArcInfo Header. |
| IDA Image | File(s) in the Image Display and Analysis format. Typically used with WinDisp. |
| LAN Image | File(s) in the ERDAS LAN format. Typically used with various GIS programs, including ArcView and HealthMapper. |
| GeoTIFF Image | File in GeoTIFF format. Typically used with various GIS programs, including ArcView and ENVI. |
| Data Only Formats
These files contain just the data without any of the available metadata. | |
| Binary direct access | A big-endian, ieee single-precision file in floating-point format. Also known as a binary random access file. This is a random-access file; it is purely data with no record-structuring information. The data is structured to correspond to the independent variables (i.e., grids) in T X order, with the first grid varying the fastest. |
| DEC ALPHA direct access | Same as the binary random/direct access format above except that it is byte-swapped for DEC ALPHA's and PC's (little-endian). |
| Binary FORTRAN sequential access | A big-endian, ieee, single-precision file in floating-point format. This is a sequential-access file with each record containing all the T points. It must be read using FORTRAN sequential access. Records correspond to X. |
| DEC ALPHA sequential access | Same as the binary sequential access format above except that it is byte-swapped for DEC ALPHA's and PC's (little-endian). |
| Text with tab-separated-values | Text file where data values corresponding to different T
are separated by tabs and data values corresponding to different
X are on different lines. This is readable by most programs, including spreadsheets, but will be about four times larger than the binary or netCDF/HDF files noted above.
As an alternative, you can access a tab-separated file with the following independent variables (i.e., grids) grouped on each line: T X | T X |
|
| Text | Text file where data is arranged in chunks of T. There are five values per line and each chunk starts on a new line. This will be about four times larger than the binary or netCDF/HDF files. |