Data Formats and Access Methods for the UNAVCO IDV
Data Formats and Access Methods for the UNAVCO IDV
Data Access for the IDV
The IDV can access data from
- local files on disk.
Data files must be in formats that the IDV can read.
- files on an HTTP server -- files with a URL.
Data files must be in formats that the IDV can read.
- Catalogs.
Catalogs are online services for data discovery and downloadwith
listings in plain-language categories rather than lists of obscure data file names or URLs of the files.
Catalogs are more informative and useful than URLS.
Some catalogs are supplied in the IDV, and you can easily connect to others.
- WMS (web map servers)
- RSS feeds
- Web cameras
- OPeNDAP servers
Data on a
OPeNDAP server, WMS server, RSS, or
on a catalog must be in the right format; not any data on such servers works!.
Data Formats
The IDV can display many types of earth-located data.
-
For data in 2D grids (latitude/longitude), 3D grids (latitude/longitude/altitude or depth),
or 4D grids (latitude/longitude/altitude(or depth) and time), the IDV uses NetCDF format files.
See
NetCDF Data for the IDV
(general description), and
Using the NetCDF Data Format for Seismic Tomography
which also applies to other 2D and 3D grids grids.
To put data into NetCDF format,
see Making NetCDF 3D Grids for the IDV.
-
Point data - values at random latitude/longitude/altitude(or depth) locations - see
Point Data Formats.
Examples of point data in the IDV include
Earthquake locations,
Earthquake focal mechanisms,
and Tectonic plate velocity vectors.
-
Seismic raypaths, tracks, trajectories, see
Track Data for the IDV
-
RSS feeds; for example see
USGS "This Week's Earthquakes" Data Source for the IDV
-
Image formats: gif, png, jpg, TIFF, geo-TIFF, Quicktime movies, and web cameras; see
IDV User Guide
-
Topography data including DEM-s; see
Topography Data Sources for the IDV.
- Data online from web servers (WMS); see
IDV User Guide
and
Web Servers Data Sources for the IDV