Read, write and merge profiles

Start a new profile from scratch

To create a new blank SnowProfile object, in which to add your data, run:

import snowprofile
sp = snowprofile.SnowProfile()

The dataset created has no name, and the spatial location and time are the default. You have to set the correct information:

• Set the location:

sp.location.name = 'Col de Porte'
sp.location.latitude = 45.295043
sp.location.longitude = 5.76559

• Set the observation time:

import datetime
sp.time.record_time = datetime.datetime(2019, 12, 25, 10, 0)
sp.time.report_time = datetime.datetime.now()

To add an observed density profile, first create the profile and then add it to the SnowProfile object:

dp = snowprofile.profiles.DensityProfile(
    method_of_measurement="Snow Cutter",
    quality_of_measurement="Good",
    probed_thickness=0.03,  # 3cm cutter thickness
    data = {'top_height': [1.2, 1.1, 1, 0.5],
            'thickness': [0.1, 0.1, 0.5, 0.5],
            'density': [75, 100, 180, 230]}
)
sp.density_profiles.append(dp)

To modify a profile, you have to re-assign the dataframe to the data key of the profile otherwise the changes are not taken into account:

df = dp.data
# Let's put a little bit more snow on the ground!
df['thickness'] *= 2
df['top_height'] *= 2
dp.data = df[['thickness', 'top_height', 'density']]

Read an existing CAAML file

If you have an existing .caaml file, created with Niviz for example, you can open it, modify it or add more data to it (such as the data that could not be entered with Niviz). Reading your .caaml file with the SnowProfile package also gives you the option of processing your data using python code, as your data is converted into a python object.

To open an existing CAAML file:

import snowprofile.io
filename = 'path/to/caaml_file.caaml'
sp = snowprofile.io.read_caaml6_xml(filename)

See Reading and writting data for details.

Merge data

To combine two souces of data of the same measurement set, when loaded as two SnowProfile elements, sp1 and sp2, run:

sp1.merge(sp2)

See snowprofile.SnowProfile.merge() for details.

Write a CAAML file

To save your SnowProfile object called sp, run:

import snowprofile.io
filename = 'path/to/my_new_caaml_file.caaml'
version = 'version='6.0.5'
snowprofile.io.write_caaml6_xml(sp, filename, version)

See Reading and writting data for details.