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3D View

The 3D view stacks horizontal maps of potential temperature (θ), absolute salinity (S), and six BGC variables down to 1000 dbar. Use it to compare water properties across depths within a selected region.

Generate a View

Sign in and load profiles. With Trajectory on, the view uses its loaded cycles.

Open Analysis → Generate 3D view (under Tools on narrower layouts), draw a rectangle on the map, and generate the view. The selection snaps to a 0.5° grid and stops expanding at the size limit. While selecting, dragging outside the rectangle redraws it instead of panning the map.

Select 1–500 profiles within the rectangle; only currently loaded profiles are used. The limit applies to the selected region, even if more than 500 profiles are loaded.

Changing the loaded data or toggling Trajectory cancels an unfinished selection.

Only one analysis job can run at a time.

Read the View

Surface represents 10 dbar; deeper levels run from 100 to 1000 dbar at 100 dbar intervals. Variables with no valid values at any calculated pressure are disabled.

Dots show values derived from profiles at each pressure, and vertical lines connect the same profile.

With Boost contrast off, each variable uses one color scale across all layers for comparing values across depths. Palettes match vertical sections, but their value ranges may differ.

Turn Boost contrast on to explore small differences within the selected layer. The palette spans that layer’s minimum and maximum values, using the Selected layer scale for its dots, surface, and contours.

Faint background layers keep the normal shared scale, so the same color can mean different values on another layer or after changing depth. Even a small value range fills the palette; color differences do not establish scientific significance or identify anomalies. Contrast does not change values or fill missing areas.

Surface and profile values together set the contrast scale, including layers with only dots. A constant layer uses one color and no contours.

The count below the plot includes only valid profiles for the current variable and pressure. Observation period covers all selected profiles, including those missing values for the current variable. It shows the earliest and latest UTC observation dates.

Levels and variables with only dots remain selectable even when there is insufficient data for a surface.

Surfaces show estimates only near valid observations for the selected variable and pressure. Areas farther away remain blank, including gaps between observation groups. See 3D view limitations for the distance limit, interpolation method, and accuracy limitations.

Use ↑ / ↓ for shallower / deeper levels and ← / → for the previous / next available variable. Each newly opened or reopened view starts with Boost contrast off.

Reopen 3D view restores the latest result without recalculation. Toggling Trajectory, or a failed or cancelled generation, keeps the latest successful result. Resetting the search, leaving Explore, or signing out clears it. Image and data export are not available from this view.