Climate and weather science depend heavily on large observational and model datasets. These may contain measurements of temperature, pressure, precipitation, wind, atmospheric composition and many other variables collected across different locations, altitudes and periods of time.
Computational tools help researchers process, analyse and visualise this information. They can work with common scientific data formats, perform meteorological calculations, manipulate multidimensional datasets, and turn raw observations or model output into plots, maps and other visual representations.
Earth-science data analysis also extends beyond conventional weather observations. Researchers may need to examine radar measurements, atmospheric simulations and other geospatial or environmental datasets. Efficient handling of these often large and complex datasets is particularly important when comparing observations with numerical models or investigating changes over time.
Here we feature the best free and open source tools for climate, weather and Earth-science data analysis. Here’s our verdict, captured in a LinuxLinks-style ratings chart. Only free and open source software is eligible for inclusion.
Click the links below to learn more about each tool.
| Earth Science - Climate, weather and Earth-science data analysis | |
|---|---|
| GrADS | Grid Analysis and Display System |
| ncview | Quick and easy viewer for NetCDF files |
| MetPy | Tools for reading, analysing and visualising weather data |
| VAPOR | Interactive 3D visualisation for atmospheric and scientific data |
| NCO | Powerful utilities for manipulating and analysing netCDF data |
| Metview | Work with meteorological data, calculations and visualisations |
| wradlib | Process, analyse and visualise weather radar observations |
 Explore our carefully curated directory of recommended free and open source software, covering every major software category.The directory forms part of our extensive collection of articles for Linux enthusiasts. It includes hundreds of detailed reviews, together with free and open source alternatives to proprietary software from companies such as Google, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, IBM, Cisco, Oracle, and Autodesk. LinuxLinks also covers interesting projects worth exploring, Linux-compatible hardware, free programming books and tutorials, and much more. Know a useful free and open source Linux application that we haven’t covered? Tell us about it using our submission form. |
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