| PackageDescription | matplotlib toolkit to plot on map projections
The matplotlib basemap toolkit is a library for plotting 2D data on maps in
Python. It is similar in functionality to the matlab mapping toolbox, the IDL
mapping facilities, GrADS, or the Generic Mapping Tools. PyNGL and CDAT are
other libraries that provide similar capabilities in Python.
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Basemap does not do any plotting on its own, but provides the facilities to
transform coordinates to one of 23 different map projections (using the PROJ.4
C library). Matplotlib is then used to plot contours, images, vectors, lines or
points in the transformed coordinates. Shoreline, river and political boundary
datasets (from Generic Mapping Tools) are provided, along with methods for
plotting them. The GEOS library is used internally to clip the coastline and
polticial boundary features to the desired map projection region.
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Basemap provides facilities for reading data in netCDF and Shapefile formats,
as well as directly over http using OPeNDAP. This functionality is provided
through the PyDAP client, and a Python interface to the Shapefile C library.
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Basemap is geared toward the needs of earth scientists, particular
oceanographers and meteorologists. The author originally wrote Basemap to help
in his research (climate and weather forecasting), since at the time CDAT was
the only other tool in Python for plotting data on map projections. Over the
years, the capabilities of Basemap have evolved as scientists in other
disciplines (such as biology, geology and geophysics) requested and contributed
new features. |