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Installation

Stable Package Installation

Install ClimateTools from the general Julia package registry:

using Pkg
Pkg.add("ClimateTools")

ClimateTools targets Julia 1.10 and newer.

Development Installation

To work on the package locally:

using Pkg
Pkg.develop(path="/path/to/ClimateTools")

Core Dependencies

ClimateTools is built around:

  • YAXArrays.jl for labeled gridded arrays and dataset loading
  • DimensionalData.jl selectors for subsetting
  • Interpolations.jl, NearestNeighbors.jl, and related tools for interpolation and regridding

Most workflows do not require a Python stack.

For reproducible work, it is recommended to create a dedicated Julia environment:

using Pkg
Pkg.activate("climate-project")
Pkg.add(["ClimateTools", "YAXArrays", "Plots"])

Optional Plotting Stack

ClimateTools keeps plotting optional. The built-in plotting helpers are activated through a package extension when GeoMakie.jl is available.

To use the ClimateTools plotting API:

using Pkg
Pkg.add(["ClimateTools", "GeoMakie", "CairoMakie"])

Then load the packages in your session:

using ClimateTools
using GeoMakie
using CairoMakie

CairoMakie.activate!()

GeoMakie.jl provides the map projection layer and CairoMakie.jl is a reliable backend for scripts, tests, and documentation builds. For interactive work you can replace CairoMakie with GLMakie or another Makie backend.

Other common choices still include:

  • Plots.jl for quick inspection plots
  • Makie.jl for more customized figures
  • GIS or Python tools outside Julia for publication-quality cartographic layouts

Reading Datasets

Most users will also need YAXArrays.jl explicitly in their project when opening files:

using ClimateTools
using YAXArrays

cube = Cube(open_dataset("mydata.nc"))

Building the Documentation Locally

If you want to build this documentation site from the repository root:

using Pkg
Pkg.activate("docs")
Pkg.instantiate()
include("docs/make.jl")

Notes on Python and PyCall

Older ClimateTools workflows often relied on a Python-backed plotting stack. That is no longer required for the core package workflows documented here.

If your own visualization workflow uses PyCall, Cartopy, or other Python tools, manage that environment separately from the ClimateTools installation.

Next Step

After installation, continue with the Quick Start page.