Time format in netcdf files

Hi,

II want to extract time series from a netcdf file but the time format is like this:

datetime_start = 2006-01-16T12:00:00Z

datetime_stop = 2100-12-16T12:00:00Z

ncid = netcdf.open('pr_Amon_inmcm4_rcp85_r1i1p1_200601-210012.nc','NC_NOWRITE');
filename = ncinfo('pr_Amon_inmcm4_rcp85_r1i1p1_200601-210012.nc');
disp(filename);
ncdisp('pr_Amon_inmcm4_rcp85_r1i1p1_200601-210012.nc');

% 2. EXTRACT VARIABLES
longitude = ncread('pr_Amon_BNU-ESM_rcp85_r1i1p1_200601-210012.nc','lon');% 
latitude = ncread('pr_Amon_BNU-ESM_rcp85_r1i1p1_200601-210012.nc','lat');% 
time = ncread('pr_Amon_BNU-ESM_rcp85_r1i1p1_200601-210012.nc','time');% the time is in months

So how can I extract time series from this file from 2020-01-01 to 2050-01-12

[dpb]

Would help to have a (small) sample file if want folks to try something...I've never used netcdf so "know nuthink!" about it. Looks like a standard time format, though.

What's the problem?

[Walter Roberson]

I have never seen a netcdf file that represented time in anything like 2006-01-16T12:00:00Z .

The netcdf files I have seen represent time in terms of elapsed fixed-length units since a particular date. For example "days" where "day" has been defined as 24*60*60 seconds (so ignoring leap seconds and ignoring timezones.) The only time I have seen "months" as the units was when an integral number of months was used, in which case you could never narrow in as finely as a particular time of a particular day of the month.

It is not uncommon in netcdf to use time units of convenience that do not correspond to real practices -- for example using months as is they were exactly 30 days each, or using fixed 365 day years as if leap years do not exist.

Answer 1

[per isakson]

"I want to extract time series from a netcdf file but the time format is like this: " Why "but", that's the way date-time is stored in this particular nc-file. You need to convert the text of the nc-file to a suitable Matlab data type, e.g. datetime

See datetime, infmt — Format of input text

>> dt = datetime( '2100-12-16T12:00:00Z' ...
                , 'InputFormat','yyyy-MM-dd''T''HH:mm:ssXXX' ...
                , 'TimeZone','UTC' )
dt = 
  datetime
   16-Dec-2100 12:00:00   

"So how can I extract time series from this file from 2020-01-01 to 2050-01-12" You cannot use these dates as input arguments to the function, ncread(). There are two alternatives

• read the entire time series as you show in your question, convert the values of your variable, time, to a datetime variable, and finally delete the parts of the series that you don't need.
• You know beforehand which "rows" you want to read and use the input arguments, start and count of ncread()

[mahmoud zemzami]

Hi,

Thank you for your answer.

Here you find a link to the netcdf file with which I'm trying to work.

As I mentionned previously, I want to extract data from a date (let say since 2020-01-01 to 2030-01-01)

The stroed data are monthly.

https://wetransfer.com/downloads/7d919fa9e5cd7e4357286c04dd06a6fc20200629101507/d25adce1ddb1c646c43b74ae231ea10020200629101530/379e5f

[Walter Roberson]

Are you expecting that the data in the file goes to December 2100 ? (Note: I do not mean December 2010 !!)

If I read the attributes correctly, the file is using a fixed 365 day year, and the entries in the variable time are days since 1850-1-1 . If you use days(TheTime) + datetime(1850,1,1) then all of the entries come out as nice noon or midnights. But if you start to correct for leap years, then the entries get messy.

Ah.. see https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/266143-loss-of-precision-with-netcdf-time-when-using-datenum#answer_208584

Answer 2

[mahmoud zemzami]

Hi, the data starts since 1850-01-01 and the calendar is with no leap.

My question is very basic. How can I extract time series from for example 1800-01-01 to 1805-01-01.

I used this function but I'dont know how to use time in it.

ncid = netcdf.open('pr_Amon_BNU-ESM_rcp26_r1i1p1_200601-210012.nc','NC_NOWRITE');
filename = ncinfo('pr_Amon_BNU-ESM_rcp26_r1i1p1_200601-210012.nc');
disp(filename);
ncdisp('pr_Amon_BNU-ESM_rcp26_r1i1p1_200601-210012.nc');

% 2. EXTRACT VARIABLES----------------------------------------------
longitude = ncread('pr_Amon_BNU-ESM_rcp26_r1i1p1_200601-210012.nc','lon');
latitude = ncread('pr_Amon_BNU-ESM_rcp26_r1i1p1_200601-210012.nc','lat');
time = ncread('pr_Amon_BNU-ESM_rcp26_r1i1p1_200601-210012.nc','time');
precipitation1 = ncread('pr_Amon_BNU-ESM_rcp26_r1i1p1_200601-210012.nc','pr');

An then I'ma not able to use time in this function:

precipitation3 = ncread('pr_Amon_BNU-ESM_rcp26_r1i1p1_200601-210012','pr',[30 20 45],[10 10 5900],[1 1 1]);