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17.2: DataArrays

  • Page ID
    24683
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    Xarray's DataArray is a counterpart to Pandas' Series. Much like a Series, a DataArray holds a single data set along with labeled dimensions, coordinates, and metadata. However, while a Series is limited to one-dimensional data, a DataArray can hold two or more dimensions, which is crucial for representing more complex datasets.

    Consider a simple example where you're working with temperature data from various cities.  An Xarray DataArray could hold this data like this:

    import xarray as xr
    import numpy as np, pandas as pd

    data = np.array([[22, 20, 18], [18, 16, 14], [30, 32, 34]])
    times = pd.date_range("2023-01-01", periods=3, freq='6H')
    cities = ['New York', 'London', 'Mumbai']

    temperature_data_array = xr.DataArray(data, coords=[cities, times], dims=['city', 'time'])

    `temperature_data_array` is a two-dimensional DataArray with cities and times as coordinates.

    Converting a Pandas Series into an Xarray DataArray is straightforward due to the compatibility between these two libraries. Each Series has an index, and during conversion, this index becomes a coordinate in the DataArray. Here's how you can perform this conversion:

    Let's begin with a Pandas Series example:

    # Create a Pandas Series with an index
    series = pd.Series([1, 2, 3], index=['a', 'b', 'c'])

    To convert this Series into a DataArray, you can simply use the `xr.DataArray` constructor:

    # Convert the Pandas Series to an Xarray DataArray
    data_array = xr.DataArray(series)

    After this conversion, the `data_array` object is an Xarray DataArray. The labeled index 'a', 'b', 'c' from the Pandas Series becomes the coordinate for the DataArray, and the integer values become the data.

    You can check the contents of the `data_array` to confirm the structure:

    print(data_array)

    This command will show you the values, the coordinate, and the associated dimension.

    Furthermore, if your Series includes a `DatetimeIndex` or any other type of specialized index, Xarray will handle this appropriately, maintaining the nature of the index as a coordinate in the DataArray. This feature is particularly useful for time series data, which is common in atmospheric and environmental sciences.


    17.2: DataArrays is shared under a not declared license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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