Streaming NetCDF to the Browser with Zarr and Icechunk

cloudnativegeo.org

Hybrid Icechunk stores for serverless web mapping

Render analysis data directly in web maps by creating ‘hybrid’ icechunk stores that combine virtualized data with GeoZarr multiscales.

Raphael Hagen and Shane Loeffler outline a complete guide to visualising NetCDF data on a web map without precompiling tile sets.

Their approach uses VirtualiZarr to create virtual Zarr references stored in Icechunk; icechunk-js, a JavaScript library to read Icechunk data; and zarr-layer, which renders Zarr data on MapboxGL or MapLibreGL maps.

Many small, single-purpose open-source libraries working together here — the way it should be. The result is surprisingly performant, considering everything is rendered on the fly, read directly from NetCDF.