To represent data at scattered points it is convenient to use a variable with one dimension to represent the measurement locations. Auxiliary coordinate variables are used to associate a single spatial dimension with multiple independent coordinates.
Example 5.4. Timeseries of station data
dimensions:
station = 10 ; // measurement locations
pressure = 11 ; // pressure levels
time = UNLIMITED ;
variables:
float humidity(time,pressure,station) ;
humidity:long_name = "specific humidity" ;
humidity:coordinates = "lat lon" ;
double time(time) ;
time:long_name = "time of measurement" ;
time:units = "days since 1970-01-01 00:00:00" ;
float lon(station) ;
lon:long_name = "station longitude";
lon:units = "degrees_east";
float lat(station) ;
lat:long_name = "station latitude" ;
lat:units = "degrees_north" ;
float pressure(pressure) ;
pressure:long_name = "pressure" ;
pressure:units = "hPa" ;
humidity(n,k,i) is associated with the coordinate values time(n), pressure(k), lat(i), and lon(i).