Plotting netcdf in R with correct grid - r

Question

My goal is to plot nitrate (no3) data on a world map, using the correct longitude and latitude for these data.
There are two netcdf files:
1. with the data
2. with the grid information
Summary info on the data:
no3 is an array of length x*y*sigma
no3_df is 'x*y obs. of 3 variables'
x = integer [180]
y = integer [193]
sigma = array[53]
I want to look at sigma ('depth') 20. I therefore did the following:
# Load the needed libraries to handle netcdf files
library(ncdf)
library(akima)
# Open data and grid files
file1 <- open.ncdf(file.choose())
grid <- open.ncdf(file.choose())
# Read relevant variables/parameters from data file1
x <- get.var.ncdf(file1,varid="x")
y <- get.var.ncdf(file1,varid="y")
sigma <- get.var.ncdf(file1,varid="sigma")
no3 <- get.var.ncdf(file1,varid="no3")
sigma_plot <- no3[,,sigma=20]
# Read relevant variables/parameters from grid file
plon <- get.var.ncdf(grid,varid="plon")
plat <- get.var.ncdf(grid,varid="plat")
# Each cell of sigma_plot corresponds to one cell of plon and plat.
A <- array(c(plon,plat,sigma_plot),dim=c(180,193,3))
# Now B is an array containing for each row: (longitude, latitude, value).
B <- apply(A, 3, cbind)
# But it is not a regular grid, so interpolate to a regular grid. akima library
C <- interp(B[,1],B[,2],B[,3],
xo=seq(-180,180,1),yo=seq(-90,90,by=1), # tweak here the resolution
duplicate='mean') # extra y values are duplicates
#########
# PLOTTING
#########
# This one works, but doesn't have a correct longitude and latitude:
filled.contour(x,y,sigma_plot, col=rich.colors(18))
# Try to plot with lon and lat
filled.contour(C, col=rich.colors(30))
Since the filled.contour plot doesn't have correct longitude and latitude, I would like to use ggplot. However, I don't know how to do this...
# And the plotting with ggplot
ggplot(aes(x=plon_datafrm,y=plat_datafrm),data=no3_df) +
geom_raster() +
coord_equal() +
scale_fill_gradient()
This doesn't seem to work. I am net to ggplot so that might be the reason, I would truly appreciate any help.

Answer 1

library(ncdf)
data <- open.ncdf(file1)
no3 <- get.var.ncdf(data,varid="no3")
sigma_plot <- no3[,,20]
grid <- open.ncdf(file2)
plon <- get.var.ncdf(grid,varid="plon")
plat <- get.var.ncdf(grid,varid="plat")
Contrary to what I previously understood, each cell of sigma_plot corresponds to one cell of plon and plat.
A <- array(c(plon,plat,a),dim=c(180,193,3))
B <- apply(A, 3, cbind)
Now B is an array containing for each row: (longitude, latitude, value). But it is not a regular grid, so you need to interpolate a regular grid. Easiest way would be using interp from package akima:
library(akima)
C <- interp(B[,1],B[,2],B[,3],
xo=seq(-180,180,1),yo=seq(-90,90,by=1), #you can tweak here the resolution
duplicate='mean') #for some reasons some entries are duplicates, i don t know how you want to handle it.
image(C) #for instance, or filled.contour if you prefer
library(maptools)
data(wrld_simpl)
plot(wrld_simpl, add=TRUE, col="white") #To add a simple world map on top