Plotting your data#

Access and visualise output#

After the workflow has completed successfully:

  1. Navigate to the output data directory.

  2. Explore the generated files.

  3. Try plotting the output data to analyse the results.

(Plotting methods will depend on your preferred tools, e.g., Python, Iris, or other analysis scripts.)

For quick visualisation of NetCDF data files, you can use terminal-based GUI tools such as xconv and ncview. These tools allow you to inspect data quickly without writing any code.

Running graphical applications over SSH

If you are connected to a remote system over SSH, graphical applications need X11 forwarding to display on your computer. Start an X server on your computer first (for example, XQuartz on macOS), then connect from a terminal using generic host details supplied by your service:

$ ssh -AY <remote-host>

Repeat the options for every additional SSH hop. The -Y option enables trusted X11 forwarding. The -A option forwards your SSH authentication agent and should only be used with systems you trust. A terminal integrated into an editor such as VS Code works in the same way as any other terminal.

On the system where you will start the graphical application, run echo "$DISPLAY". It should return a value. If it is blank, disconnect and reconnect with X11 forwarding enabled at every hop before continuing.

You can also visualise the output data using the CSET tool, or develop your own custom analysis scripts.

A sample Python script is provided in the Plotting your data section of the Exercises in Global Configurations part of this tutorial. This can be used as a starting point for creating your own plots and exploring the model output.