netcdf ☆

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Description:
Libraries and data formats for array-oriented scientific data

Type: Formula | Latest Version: 4.9.3@2 | Tracked Since: Nov 5, 2025

Links: Homepage | @Unidata | formulae.brew.sh

Category: Other

Tags: scientific-computing data-formats hpc climate oceanography

Install: brew install netcdf

About:
NetCDF (Network Common Data Form) is a set of software libraries and machine-independent data formats that support the creation, access, and sharing of array-oriented scientific data. It is widely used in meteorology, oceanography, and climate modeling for storing multidimensional variables like temperature or precipitation. Its main value is providing a standardized, self-describing format that ensures data portability and integrity across different computing platforms.

Key Features:

Self-describing data format that stores metadata alongside data
Cross-platform and language-agnostic (C, Fortran, Java, Python)
Supports parallel I/O for high-performance computing
Defines the CDM (Common Data Model) for abstract data representation

Use Cases:

Storing and sharing large climate and weather simulation datasets
Archiving oceanographic and atmospheric measurement data
Exchanging multidimensional scientific data in research collaborations

Alternatives:

HDF5 – HDF5 is a more general-purpose hierarchical data format; NetCDF-4 is built on top of HDF5 but adds specific semantic conventions for scientific data.
GRIB – GRIB is a standard specifically for meteorological data, whereas NetCDF is more flexible for general array-oriented scientific data.

Version History

Detected	Rev	Change	Commit
Jan 22, 2026 1:08am	2	REVISION_ONLY	3a426d4c
Jan 21, 2026 6:21pm	1	REVISION_ONLY	4b69152e
Nov 5, 2025 6:44am	1	VERSION_BUMP	635c68c5
Nov 5, 2025 6:44am	1	VERSION_BUMP	275df1f5
Sep 11, 2025 12:10pm	0	VERSION_BUMP	125a4649
Sep 28, 2024 6:07pm	2	VERSION_BUMP	6c5b904a
Sep 27, 2024 10:13am	2	VERSION_BUMP	d28c40c4