PyEarthViz3D

A lightweight Python package for 3D visualization of Earth science data.

Note: PyEarthViz3D is part of the PyEarthSuite ecosystem. The original PyEarth package has been restructured into several specialized packages to keep each package lightweight and focused:

• pyearth - Core GIS operations, spatial toolbox, and system utilities
• pyearthviz - 2D visualization utilities
• pyearthviz3d (this package) - 3D visualization with GeoVista
• pyearthriver - River network graph algorithms and data structures
• pyearthmesh - Mesh generation and manipulation tools (currently not implemented)
• pyearthhelp - Helper utilities for data access (NWIS, NLDI, GSIM) and HPC operations

This modular approach allows you to install only what you need while maintaining the ability to use all packages together.

About PyEarthViz3D

PyEarthViz3D is designed to be lightweight, versatile, and reliable for creating publication-quality 3D visualizations of geospatial and scientific data. It provides a comprehensive suite of plotting functions built on top of matplotlib and cartopy, with specialized tools for:

• Geographic mapping and spatial data visualization
• Time series analysis and plotting
• Statistical plots (scatter, histogram, box plots, etc.)
• Advanced plot types (ridge plots, ladder plots, animations)
• Customizable color schemes and styling

If you find this package useful, please cite it in your work. You can also support it by buying me a coffee or sponsoring it on GitHub.

Dependency

PyEarthViz3D depends on the following packages:

Required:

1. numpy - numerical computing
2. gdal - geospatial data abstraction library
3. geovista - geospatial plotting library
4. pyearth - core GIS operations and spatial utilities

Documentation

Please refer to the documentation for details on how to get started using the PyEarthViz3D package.

Installation

PyEarthViz3D depends on several packages, including GDAL and Cartopy, which can be challenging to install through pip alone. You are recommended to use conda to install dependencies:

# Install from conda (recommended)
conda install pyearthviz3d

# Or install from pip (requires GDAL and Cartopy pre-installed)
pip install pyearthviz3d

Building from Source

PyEarthViz3D uses modern pyproject.toml configuration. To build from source:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/changliao1025/pyearthviz3d.git
cd pyearthviz3d

# Create and activate conda environment from environment.yml (recommended)
conda env create -f environment.yml
conda activate pyearthviz3d

# Build and install in development mode
pip install -e .

# Or build a distributable package
python -m build

Alternative: Manual dependency installation

# Install dependencies using conda
conda install numpy gdal geovista pyvista

# Install pyearth (required dependency)
pip install pyearth>=0.2.2

# Build and install
pip install -e .

Content

PyEarthViz3D provides specialized visualization functions organized into several categories:

1. Map Module

Comprehensive geospatial visualization tools:

• Raster mapping: Visualize GeoTIFF, NetCDF, and other raster formats
• Vector mapping: Plot points, lines, and polygons with custom styling
• Multi-layer maps: Combine multiple vector datasets
• Study area visualization: Create publication-ready maps with custom projections
• Animation: Create animated visualizations of temporal geospatial data
• Zebra frame: Add professional zebra-striped coordinate frames

Acknowledgment

This research was supported as part of the Next Generation Ecosystem Experiments-Tropics, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Biological and Environmental Research at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The study was also partly supported by U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science Biological and Environmental Research through the Earth and Environmental System Modeling program as part of the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) project.

License

Copyright © 2022, Battelle Memorial Institute

1. Battelle Memorial Institute (hereinafter Battelle) hereby grants permission to any person or entity lawfully obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (hereinafter "the Software") to redistribute and use the Software in source and binary forms, with or without modification. Such person or entity may use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software and may permit others to do so, subject to the following conditions:

• Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimers.

• Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.

• Other than as used herein, neither the name Battelle Memorial Institute or Battelle may be used in any form whatsoever without the express written consent of Battelle.

2. THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL BATTELLE OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

References

If you make use of PyEarthViz3D in your work, please consider including a reference to the following:

• Chang Liao. (2026). A lightweight Python package for 3D visualization of Earth science data (v0.1.2). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18827302