curves : plot multiple profiles (along p, lat, lon, time, ...)

Plot a series of xy curves (along time, lat, lon or pressure/z_index) for an ensemble dataset using NCL, and allowing for tuning a number of graphic attributes

References : http://www.ncl.ucar.edu

Provider / contact : climaf at meteo dot fr

Inputs (in the order of CliMAF call):

  • an ensemble dataset which can be up to 4-dimensional, but with only one non-degenerated dimension. Members can have different vector size.

Remarks :

  • If x axis is time and time units are different among members, the script convert all time periods to first’s one.
  • Order of all data dimensions is supposed to be time, height, lat, lon.

Mandatory arguments: None

Optional arguments:

  • title : string for graphic title; default: no title

    Remarks: the ~ character has a special meaning in NCL strings. It represents a function code. See function codes example page http://www.ncl.ucar.edu/Applications/fcodes.shtml for (more) examples of function codes. Particularly:

    • The ~C~ will put a carriage return to the title. By default it is left justified. If you need it centered, you will have to add spaces.
    • Use a ~Z#~ to resize text in mid-stream. The # refers to the percent of normal.
  • labels : a string with one label per member, separated by character ‘$’

  • colors : a string with one NCL color name per member, separated by whitespaces

  • scale, offset : for scaling the input field (x -> x*scale + offset); default = 1. and 0. (no scaling)

  • scale_aux, offset_aux : for scaling the input auxiliary fields (x -> x*scale_aux + offset_aux); default = 1. and 0. (no scaling). These arguments will apply of the second to the nth field.

  • units : name of the main field units; used in the caption; default is to use the corresponding CF metadata

  • y : y axis style

    • “lin” (default): data-linear spacing
    • “index” : index-linear spacing, or
    • “log” : logarithmic scale
  • X_axis : drives X axis when member profiles do not cover the same range :

    • X_axis=”real” (default) : X axis will be the union of all X axes
    • X_axis=”aligned” : X axes will be aligned to the same origin (taking the first dataset as reference)
  • invXY : set it to True to invert X axis and Y axis; default: False

  • min, max : min and max values for main field axis

  • fmt: a string specifying the format of the tick labels for time x axis. This string is parsed as follows: the ‘%’ acts as the escape character. The single character after every ‘%’ is formatted according to the rule described here:

    https://www.ncl.ucar.edu/Document/Functions/User_contributed/time_axis_labels.shtml

    In case fmt is absent, a minimal algorithm exists which tries to determine the format string depending on the time range length.

  • lgcols : number of columns for legend; default: 3.

  • options, aux_options : strings for setting NCL graphic resources directly for main field and auxiliary fields respectively. These resources are separated by “|”, as e.g. : ‘ options=”tiMainString=lv|xyLineThicknessF=5.”, aux_options=”xyLineColor=red” ‘. It is recommended to use argument aux_options only if you plot exactly two fields. Warning: all graphic resources set by options are applied to all fields, and graphic resources set by aux_options overwrite it for the second to the nth field.

    These resources have higher priority than CliMAF default ones, which are :

    • txFontHeightF = 0.010
    • tmXBLabelFontHeightF=0.008
    • tmYLLabelFontHeightF=0.008
    • tiXAxisFontHeightF=0.014
    • tiYAxisFontHeightF=0.014
    • tmXBLabelFontThicknessF = 3.0
    • tmYLLabelFontThicknessF = 3.0
    • txFontThicknessF = 3.0
    • xyLineThicknessF = 3.0
    • xyMonoDashPattern = True
    • pmLegendDisplayMode = “Always”
    • pmLegendWidthF = 0.12
    • pmLegendHeightF = 0.15
    • lgLabelFontHeightF = 0.009
    • lgPerimOn = False
    • lgBoxMinorExtentF = 0.2
    • tiXAxisString, tiYAxisString= data @long_name (units) if data has “long_name” attribute (take the first file as ref.)

    For more details, see: https://www.ncl.ucar.edu/

  • format : graphic output format, either ‘png’, ‘pdf’ or ‘eps’; default: ‘png’. For ‘png’ format, all the surrounding extra white space are cropped with optional argument trim (but not for ‘pdf’ or ‘eps’ format). In case of ‘pdf’ or ‘eps’ format, if you want to trim extra white space, use ‘cpdfcrop’ (which is ‘pdfcrop’ tool) or ‘cepscrop’ operator respectively.

  • trim : set it to True if you want to crop all the surrounding extra white space for ‘png’ format; default: True.

  • resolution : string for output image resolution

    • if format is “png”, resolution specifies the width and height of resultant image in pixels as e.g. 800x1200; default (ncl): 1024x1024
    • if format is “pdf” or “eps”, resolution specifies either the width and height of the paper, as above but in inches unit, or a standard paper size by name, as e.g. ‘A4’. Ncl uses a resolution of 72 dots per inch (dpi); default (ncl): 8.5x11 or “letter” (<=> 612x792 in pixels)
Outputs :
  • main output : a PNG or PDF or EPS figure

Climaf call example:

>>> # Two time series
>>> j0=ds(project='example',simulation="AMIPV6ALB2G", variable="tas", frequency='monthly', period="1980")
>>> j1=ds(project='example',simulation="AMIPV6ALB2G", variable="tas", frequency='monthly', period="1981")
>>> ens=cens({'1980':j0, '1981':j1})
>>> tas_ga=space_average(ens)
>>> # Time axis is "aligned"
>>> p=curves(tas_ga,title="Surface Temperature global average",X_axis="aligned",fmt="%c",options="tiMainString=my_title|xyLineThicknessF=5.",
... lgcols=2,format="pdf",resolution="11*17")
>>> cshow(p)
>>> # Time axis is "real" and X and Y are inverted
>>> p=curves(tas_ga,title="Surface Temperature global average",fmt="%c",options="tiMainString=my_title|xyLineThicknessF=5.",
... lgcols=2,trim=False,invXY=True)
>>> cshow(p)

>>> # Some datasets of "CNRM-CM5" model
>>> d0=ds(project='CMIP5', model="CNRM-CM5", experiment="1pctCO2", variable="tas", period="1860")
>>> d1=ds(project='CMIP5', model="CNRM-CM5", experiment="1pctCO2", variable="tas", period="1861")
>>> d2=ds(project='CMIP5', model="CNRM-CM5", experiment="1pctCO2", variable="tas", period="1862")
>>> d3=ds(project='CMIP5', model="CNRM-CM5", experiment="1pctCO2", variable="tas", period="1863")
>>> d4=ds(project='CMIP5', model="CNRM-CM5", experiment="1pctCO2", variable="tas", period="1864")
>>> ens2=cens({'1960':d0, '1961':d1, '1962':d2, '1963':d3, '1964':d4})
>>> moy=space_average(ens2)
>>> p=curves(moy,title="Surface Temperature global average") # Time axis is "real"
>>> cshow(p)

>>> # Zonal mean on different domains (different vector size)
>>> d0=ds(project='CMIP5', model="CNRM-CM5", experiment="1pctCO2", variable="tas", period="186001", domain=[-90,0,30,80])
>>> d1=ds(project='CMIP5', model="CNRM-CM5", experiment="1pctCO2", variable="tas", period="186001", domain=[0,40,30,80])
>>> ta_zonal_mean=ccdo(d0,operator="zonmean")
>>> ta_zonal_mean1=ccdo(d1,operator="zonmean")
>>> ens=cens({'box1':ta_zonal_mean,'box2':ta_zonal_mean1})
>>> figens=curves(ens,title="zonal mean")
>>> cshow(figens)
>>> # Same as above and X and Y are inverted
>>> figens=curves(ens,title="zonal mean", invXY=True)
>>> cshow(figens)

>>> # Profil pressure/z_index
>>> january_ta=ds(project='example', simulation="AMIPV6ALB2G", variable="ta", frequency='monthly', period="198001")
>>> ta_zonal_mean=ccdo(january_ta, operator="zonmean")
>>> ta_profile=ccdo(ta_zonal_mean, operator="mermean")
>>> a=curves(ta_profile, title='A profile',y="index")
>>> cshow(a)
>>> # Same as above and X and Y are inverted
>>> a=curves(ta_profile, title='A profile',y="index",invXY=True)
>>> cshow(a)

Side effects : None

Implementation : Basic use of ncl: gsn_csm_xy

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