The following output was generating by running the ncdump netCDF utility on one of our netCDF TEC output files. This listing shows the specific values in this file for the various parameters and attributes along with the self-documentation provided by the listing. The parameters in the dimensions section provide the word-count length for time-series variables in the file; those in the variables section are the various time-series records which can be stored in the file, along with attributes such as the name of the data-type stored in each variable and the units of the data; and those in the global attributes section are metadata which provide description and documentary information about the data in the file. These latter are either strings or single-word values.

We will make no attempt to explain the file format in any further detail at this time, but will simply provide this listing as an example of what a standardized file format might entail. For those interested in further information about netCDF, check the UCAR Unidata netCDF web site.

We have plans to put together a netCDF file to be used for images from our tomographic inversion processor, but those have not progressed beyond the discussion stage.

netcdf 200109061544d {
dimensions:
   time = 1040 ;
   rms_time = 103 ;
variables:
   double time(time) ;
      time:long_name = "Time, UTC" ;
      time:units = "seconds since 2001-09-06 15:44:57 UTC" ;
   double tec(time) ;
      tec:long_name = "relative TEC" ;
      tec:units = "10^16 el/m^2" ;
   double flag_uhf(time) ;
      flag_uhf:long_name = "UHF intensity flag" ;
      flag_uhf:units = "N/A" ;
   double flag_vhf(time) ;
      flag_vhf:long_name = "VHF intensity flag" ;
      flag_vhf:units = "N/A" ;
   double flag_phase(time) ;
      flag_phase:long_name = "phase flag" ;
      flag_phase:units = "N/A" ;
   double azimuth(time) ;
      azimuth:long_name = "azimuth" ;
      azimuth:units = "degrees from true North" ;
   double elevation(time) ;
      elevation:long_name = "elevation" ;
      elevation:units = "degrees above the horizon" ;
   double flat(time) ;
      flat:long_name = "F-layer IPP lat" ;
      flat:units = "deg" ;
   double flon(time) ;
      flon:long_name = "F-layer IPP lon" ;
      flon:units = "deg" ;
   double elat(time) ;
      elat:long_name = "E-layer IPP lat" ;
      elat:units = "deg" ;
   double elon(time) ;
      elon:long_name = "E-layer IPP lon" ;
      elon:units = "deg" ;
   double rms_time(rms_time) ;
      rms_time:long_name = "Time, UTC" ;
      rms_time:units = "seconds since 2001-09-06 15:44:57 UTC" ;
   double rmsp(rms_time) ;
      rmsp:long_name = "RMS phase" ;
      rmsp:units = "radians" ;

// global attributes:
      :title = "Relative TEC Scans from ITS10 Receiver" ;
      :instrument = "NWRA ITS10 Receiver" ;
      :instrument_details = "VHF/UHF coherent receiver" ;
      :source = "HAARP" ;
      :version = "NWRA custom software" ;
      :data_product = "NWRA custom" ;
      :availability = "Unrestricted access - do not modify" ;
      :investigator = "Ed Fremouw/NWRA, ed@nwra.com" ;
      :source_location = "Delta, AK" ;
      :source_latitude = 63.902 ;
      :source_longitude = -145.24 ;
      :source_altitude = 390. ;
      :experiment = "Relative Total Electron Content" ;
      :start_time = "2001-09-06 15:44:57 UTC" ;
      :time_at_max_el = "2001-09-06 15:52:41.0 UTC" ;
      :end_time = "2001-09-06 16:02:17 UTC" ;
      :sample_rate_hz = 1 ;
      :conventions = "HAARP" ;
      :satellite_name = "OSCAR 31" ;
      :max_elevation = 73.1 ;
      :az_at_max_el = 272.3 ;
      :rise_azimuth = 187. ;
      :set_azimuth = 2. ;
      :norad_line_1 = "1 19420U 88074B   01241.59301887  .00000066  00000-0  10000-3 0  6940" ;
      :norad_line_2 = "2 19420  89.7995  71.7154 0094610 327.2894  32.2413 13.41498509636942" ;
}