Create KML files for Google Earth in ArcGis (ArcMap) from NetCDF files

ArcGIS is a software package consist of geographical information system product produced by ESRI. ArcGIS includes windows-based software such as ArcReader and ArcDesktop. ArcDesktop has three license level : ArcView, ArcEditor, and ArcInfo.

In this post I use ArcMap (Arcview level) as one of ArcGIS package. As an example I will show Sea Surface Temperature (SST) of the world in Google Earth converted into KML files using ArcMap.

Before create KML files, we need some resource such as :

• Installed and running ArcMap (of course).
• Daily mean SST file obtained from ESRL NOAA. This is a NetCDF  files type.
• Installed and running Google Earth.

Ok, lets start now ....

1. First Step : ArcMap

• After download SST file from NOAA. Open ArcMap.
• Open ArcToolbox, navigate to Multidimension Tools and click Make NetCDF Raster Layer.
• After that you will see window like this

• In Input NetCDF File column, navigate and add your SST file. After add SST file, Variable, X Dimension, and Y Dimension column will be loaded automaticaly, make sure that Variable, X Dimension, and Y dimension is true, in here Variables is sst, X Dimension is longitude (lon), Y Dimension is latitude (lat). Don't forget to fill Output Raster Layer column, this column will be the layer name in ArcMap windows later, in here I write sst_Layer. Click OK. This is a conversion process from NetCDF to ArcMap layer. 
• Wait until converting process finish. 
• After that in ArcMap you will get layer like this

• Open ArcToolbox, navigate and click Conversion Tools, and then expand To KML and choose Layer To KML.

• In Layer To KML window, add SST layer with click arrow in Layer column. The Output File folder will be directed automaticaly, but if you want to change output file folder location, you can click folder icon beside column. This is a process to convert ArcMap layer to KML files (.kmz).

• Click OK, and wait until converting process finish.

Step one finish, Continue to next step....

2. Last Step : Google Earth

• Open Google Earth.
• Click File menu and click Open. Navigate to your .kmz file and click Open.
• And Taraaa .... process is finished.

Ok only that, it's so simple to make KML files, this step can also used for another marine data and any data what you want. But make sure that latitude range is -90 to 90 and the longitude range is 0 to 360.