How to Visualize HDF-EOS data Using Ferret OPeNDAP

Ferret is a visualization and analysis tool for gridded and non-gridded data. The OPeNDAP protocol allows users to access data anywhere from the internet using a variety of client/server methods, including Ferret.

Installing Ferret

Users can download Ferret from here. Recent binary distributions exist for RedHat Linux. Windows users are recommended to run the Linux executable under the (free) Virtual Box virtualization environment. See the WINDOWS README file for more details.

We will examine an HDF4 data file from the NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GESDISC).

Ferret can retrieve the attributes and fields of the data file via the OPeNDAP interface using the show data command. Ferret responds as follows. The SHOW DATA command verifies that this is indeed a remote dataset.

Next we will examine an HDF5 data file from NASA GESDISC.

Generate a FILLED plot of the A0COLUMNAMOUNTO data field Draw the coastlines onto the map using the land script.

Next we will examine an HDF-EOS2 grid file from NASA Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (LPDAAC).

We have omitted 15 data fields from the output report.

We generate a FILLED plot of the LST_NIGHT_CMG data field.

Last modified: 07/07/2011