VITAS is aimed to create plots that support the analysis
of dual-Doppler radar synthesis derived from airborne platforms. The code is being developed and therefore is changing constantly.
The current version is a python script working as command line tool. Hopefully, in the future the code will become an installable python module. Also, it is limited to ingest a CEDRIC netCDF synthesis and flight level data in RAF netCDF format.
Copy the repository to your local computer (for example to your home folder). Then, within the VITAS folder call ./vitas.py with the options described in the help menu.
There are several python modules that are required:
- Basemap
- gdal
- matplotlib
- numpy
- netCDF4
- geographiclib
- pandas
- scipy
Installation of miniconda (python package manager) is highly recommended. Once miniconda is installed, modules can be installed by using:
$ conda install [name of the module]
Modules that are not located in the conda database can be installed with binstar.
VITAS is being developed in a Linux (Ubuntu and RedHat 6) environment so Windows/OSX tests are necessary.
Help about how to use the script can be obtained by:
$./vitas.py -h
which prints
usage: vitas.py [--help] [--ced file] [--std file] [--print_list_synth]
[--panel num] [--zoomin str] [--wind] [--mask] [--multi]
[--no_plot] [--all | --field STR [STR ...]] [--print_shapes]
[--print_global_atts] [--print_axis STR [STR ...]]
[--slicez float) [(float) ...]]
[--slicem (float) [(float) ...]] [--slice (lat,lon,az,dist)]
[--terrain] [--slope] [--meteo]
[--valid level (int) [level (int) ...]]
[--prof (lat,lon) [(lat,lon ...]]
Help:
--help, -h shows this help message and exit
Input files:
--ced file, -c file netCDF CEDRIC synthesis with format CaseName/LegName.
Example: c03/leg01.cdf
--std file, -s file netCDF NOAA-P3 standard tape file using RAF format.
Example: 010123I.nc
--print_list_synth print list with synthesis availables
Plot options:
--panel num, -p num choose a panel (1-6); otherwise plots a figure with 6 panles
--zoomin str, -z str zoom-in over an area specified in vitas.config zoom_center
--wind, -w include wind vectors
--mask, -m mask pixels with NaN vertical velocity
--multi, -ml disable plotting functions and return an array; used for processing multiple legs
--no_plot, -np disable plotting profile
--all, -a [default] plot all fields (DBZ,SPD,CON,VOR)
--field STR [STR ...], -f STR [STR ...]
specify radar field(s) to be plotted
Print options:
--print_shapes print field variables and arrays with their shapes and exit
--print_global_atts print CEDRIC file global attributes and exit
--print_axis STR [STR ...], -pa STR [STR ...]
print axis values (X,Y,Z)
Slice options:
--slicez (float) [(float) ...], -slz (float) [(float) ...]
latitude coordinates for zonal slices
--slicem (float) [(float) ...], -slm (float) [(float) ...]
longitude coordinates for meridional slices
--slice (lat,lon,az,dist), -sl (lat,lon,az,dist)
initial coordinate, azimuth [degrees], and distance [km] for cross section
Terrain options:
--terrain plot a terrain map
--slope plot a slope map
Flight level options:
--meteo plot meteo data from flight level
Validation options:
--valid level (int) [level (int) ...], -v level (int) [level (int) ...]
plot validation info for a given level between 0 and max num of vertical levels
--prof (lat,lon) [(lat,lon) ...]
plot wind profile at given coordinates
A configuration file named vitas.config has to be created in the VITAS folder. This file is meant to personalize VITAS and contains the following parameters that are read by VITAS :
folder_synthesis='~/folder_1/folder_2/.../folder_n'
folder_flight_level='~/folder_1/folder_2/.../folder_n'
filepath_dtm ='~/folder_1/folder_2/.../folder_n/DTMfile.tif'
coast_line_color='black'
coast_line_width=1
coast_line_style='-'
flight_line_color='blue'
flight_line_width=1
flight_line_style='-' #[solid | dashed | dashdot | dotted]
flight_dot_on=True
flight_dot_color='red'
flight_dot_size=15
figure_size={'single':(8,8),'multi':(8,11),'vertical':(12,10)}
markers_locations={'BBY': {'lat': 38.32, 'lon': -123.07,'color':'blue', 'type':'s'}, 'CZD': {'lat': 38.61, 'lon': -123.22,'color':'blue', 'type':'s'}} # coordinates from ESRL/PSD web
profile_field=None
section_slice_line_color=(0,0,0.5)
section_slice_line_width=2
section_slice_line_style='-' # use 'none' for toggle off
synthesis_field_name={'DBZ':'MAXDZ', 'U':'F2U','V':'F2V','WVA':'WVARF2','WUP':'WUPF2','VOR':'VORT2','CON':'CONM2'}
synthesis_field_cmap_name={'DBZ':'rainbow', 'U':'RdBu_r', 'V':'RdBu_r', 'WVA':'RdBu_r', 'WUP':'PRGn', 'VOR':'PuOr', 'CON':'RdBu_r', 'SPD':'RdBu_r'}
synthesis_field_cmap_range={'DBZ':[0,45], 'U':[-8,8], 'V':[-15,15], 'WVA':[-2,2], 'WUP':[-2,2], 'VOR':[-2,2], 'CON':[-2,2], 'SPD':[0,40]}
synthesis_field_cmap_delta={'DBZ':5, 'U':2, 'V':2, 'WVA':1, 'WUP':1, 'VOR':1, 'CON':1, 'SPD':2}
synthesis_grid_name={'X':'x','Y':'y','Z':'z'}
synthesis_horizontal_gridmajor_on=False
synthesis_horizontal_gridminor_on=False
synthesis_vertical_gridmajor_on=False
synthesis_vertical_gridminor_on=False
terrain_contours=[600.,1000.]
terrain_contours_color=[(0.4,0.4,0.4),(0.6,0.6,0.6)]
terrain_profile_facecolor=(0.5,0.5,0.5)
terrain_profile_edgecolor=(0,0,0)
wind_profiler={'name':'BBY','lat': 38.32, 'lon': -123.05,'case':'3'}
wind_vector_vertical_component='WVA'
wind_vector_jump={'x':3,'y':3,'z':1}
wind_vector_color='black'
wind_vector_edgecolor=None
wind_vector_linewidth=0.3
wind_vector_width=1
wind_vector_magnitude=20 # [m/s]
wind_vector_scale=1.0 # smaller values increase vector size (e.g. 0.5 -> double size)
zoom_center={'offshore':(38.6,-123.5),'onshore':(38.85,-123.25),'south':(38.2,-123.2),'north':(38.8,-123.6),'center':(38.5,-123.2)}
zoom_del={'x':1.2,'y':1.1}
Each variable contains a valid python object (string, integer, tuple, list, or dictionary) that agrees with the input argument of the matplotlib object being modified. For example:
flight_line_color='red'
or
flight_line_color=(0.3, 0.1, 0.4)
are both valid, but:
flight_line_color=2
is not.
Calling a single panel of DBZ with wind vectors and offshore zoom in (defined within the code):
$ ./vitas.py -c c03/leg01.cdf -s 010123I.nc -f DBZ -p 1 --wind -z offshore
Adding the option --meteo produces the following additional plot:
Changing the panel number gives different altitudes of analyses. With no panel option -p, VITAS plots six default panels:
$ ./vitas.py -c c03/leg01.cdf -s 010123I.nc -f DBZ --wind -z offshore
