PCCORA

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PC-CORA parser for Python. Supports the format described at <https://badc.nerc.ac.uk/data/ukmo-rad-hires/pc-coradata.html>_ (accessed at 2015-12-05).

This format is used for radiosonde data <https://badc.nerc.ac.uk/data/ukmo-rad-hires/>_.

A radiosonde (Sonde is French and German for probe) is a battery-powered telemetry instrument package carried into the atmosphere usually by a weather balloon that measures various atmospheric parameters and transmits them by radio to a ground receiver. (Wikipedia)

This format is produced by old Vaisala <http://www.vaisala.com>_ equipments. Newer data is probably available in the NetCDF.

History

I was asked by a co-worker to look at some Python code with a PC-CORA parser. This co-worker also needed further analysis and processing, involving some data being created as CSV, netCDF, or plotted.

I decided to write a module for PC-CORA inspired by the original script <https://github.com/vnoel/pycode/blob/39bac18dc41497a5a00cbecd6b81ddf205736615/pccora.py>, but using Python3, OO, and packaging as a Python package to be distributed to the PYPI <https://pypi.org/project/pccora/>.

This way we could use it in scripts, or other internal applications. And it would also be easier for others to find it and re-use.

The code in this repository was used on a Doctoral Thesis <https://refubium.fu-berlin.de/handle/fub188/22207>_ published in 2018, about radiosonde, GCOS, radio occultation, and weather prediction.

Example

>>> from pccora import PCCORAParser
>>> pccora_parser = PCCORAParser()
>>> pccora_parser.parse_file('./123456789.EDT')
>>> print(pccora_parser.get_header())
>>> print(pccora_parser.get_identification())
>>> print(pccora_parser.get_data())

Obtaining Data

There are datasets available at the CEDA website <http://catalogue.ceda.ac.uk/>_ (Centre for Environmental Data Archival), however, access is restricted.

NOAA's ESRL <http://www.esrl.noaa.gov>_ (Earth System Research Laboratory) has an FTP server with some data in the the old PC-CORA sounding data format. Just search for FTP for instructions on how to access the Physical Sciences Division FTP server. Some valid files can be found at /psd3/cruises/AERO_1999/RHB/balloon/Raw (accessed 2016-01-17).

Requirements

Python 3.6 or superior, and the construct library <https://github.com/construct/construct>_ are the minimum requirements.

Installation

pip install pccora

Or, to use the bleeding edge version, git clone this repository, and have a look at the scripts folders for an example how to use the module from within a local folder. You may have to uninstall the pip module first.

python setup.py install

The PYPI URL is <https://pypi.python.org/pypi/pccora>_.

License

Licensed under the MIT License.

kinow / pccora

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