NetCDF to GeoJSON Converter User Guide¶

Introduction¶

The netCDF_2_GeoJSON.py script converts a NetCDF Earth model file into a GeoJSON footprint containing both the geographic bounding box and key metadata.
This enables quick visualization of model coverage and inspection of metadata in a lightweight, widely supported format.

Usage Examples¶

Basic command¶

python src/netCDF_2_GeoJSON.py -i /path/to/model.nc

Command-line flags¶

Flag	Long form	Required	Value	Description
`-i`	`--input`	✅	Path to a NetCDF file	Input NetCDF Earth model file
`-h`	`--help`	❌	—	Show usage information and exit

Example¶

python src/netCDF_2_GeoJSON.py -i samples/KEA20-Moho.r0.0.nc
# → writes KEA20-Moho.r0.0.geojson in the current directory

Output Structure¶

Filename: {input_stem}.geojson
Example: samples/KEA20-Moho.r0.0.geojson
Format: GeoJSON FeatureCollection containing one Feature.

Example (abridged)¶

{
  "type": "FeatureCollection",
  "features": [
    {
      "type": "Feature",
      "geometry": {
        "type": "Polygon",
        "coordinates": [[
          [lon_min, lat_min],
          [lon_max, lat_min],
          [lon_max, lat_max],
          [lon_min, lat_max],
          [lon_min, lat_min]
        ]]
      },
      "properties": {
        "model": "...",
        "title": "...",
        "summary": "...",
        "reference": "...",
        "reference_pid": "...",
        "repository_doi": "...",
        "year": "...",
        "data_revision": "r0.0",
        "version": "v0.0",
        "model_type": "Tomography Earth Model",
        "model_subtype": "Radially anisotropic S velocities (km/s) and Moho depth (km)",
        "filename": "KEA20-Moho.r0.0.nc",
        "size_mb": 0.19,
        "format": "NETCDF4_CLASSIC",
        "grid_ref": "latitude_longitude",
        "projection_type": "geographic_wgs84",
        "projection_notes": "Unprojected geographic coordinates, WGS 84 datum",
        "grid_dim": "2D",
        "geospatial_lat_min": 15.0,
        "geospatial_lat_max": 51.0,
        "geospatial_lat_resolution": 0.20,
        "geospatial_lat_units": "degrees_north",
        "geospatial_lon_min": 70.0,
        "geospatial_lon_max": 150.0,
        "geospatial_lon_resolution": 0.20,
        "geospatial_lon_units": "degrees_east",
        "geospatial_vertical_min": 0.0,
        "geospatial_vertical_max": 0.0,
        "geospatial_vertical_units": "",
        "variables": {
          "moho": "Moho depth relative to a mean Earth radius of 6371 km"
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}

Note: The footprint polygon is assumed to be in geographic (WGS84) coordinates. The script does not perform reprojection; it uses metadata attributes directly.

Additional Resources¶

Comments or Questions?
For any questions or feedback about EMC Earth models or EMC-Tools,
please email: es-help@earthscope.org