Work with ARM Data

Most ARM data are made available as time-series data in netCDF (network Common Data Form), which is a set of libraries and self-describing, platform-independent data formats that support creating, accessing, and sharing array-oriented scientific data. It is relatively compact, appendable, and capable of storing descriptive “metadata” along with measurement data.

NetCDF includes data access libraries for a wide variety of programming languages. Example software programs for reading and writing netCDF files using C, C++, Fortran, IDL^®, Java^TM, MATLAB^®, Python^TM, and Perl, as well as more information about netCDF, including downloads, documentation, and frequently asked questions, can be found on the Unidata website.

Quick-look plots provide users the ability to assess the content of ARM data files without specialized software or downloading. The plots are available from the ARM Data Center through Data Discovery after selecting a set of data to order.

After data have been ordered, ARM’s DQ-Zoom provides the means to perform a variety of data extraction, data conversion, and data visualization tasks.

For questions regarding ARM data, please use the Data Questions form, or call 1-888-ARM-DATA. If your question is instrument-specific, please use the ARM contact form and select Instruments from the topics. If your question is related to Value Added Products (VAP), please contact the translator associated with that VAP.