# pygmt.Figure.grdcontour¶

Figure.grdcontour(grid, **kwargs)

Convert grids or images to contours and plot them on maps

Takes a grid file name or an xarray.DataArray object as input.

Full option list at https://docs.generic-mapping-tools.org/latest/grdcontour.html

Aliases:

• A = annotation

• B = frame

• C = interval

• G = label_placement

• J = projection

• L = limit

• Q = cut

• R = region

• S = resample

• U = timestamp

• V = verbose

• W = pen

• X = xshift

• Y = yshift

• l = label

• p = perspective

• t = transparency

Parameters
• grid (str or xarray.DataArray) – The file name of the input grid or the grid loaded as a DataArray.

• interval (str or int) –

Specify the contour lines to generate.

• The filename of a CPT file where the color boundaries will be used as contour levels.

• The filename of a 2 (or 3) column file containing the contour levels (col 1), (C)ontour or (A)nnotate (col 2), and optional angle (col 3)

• A fixed contour interval cont_int or a single contour with +[cont_int]

• annotation (str, int, or list) –

Specify or disable annotated contour levels, modifies annotated contours specified in -C.

• Specify a fixed annotation interval annot_int or a single annotation level +[annot_int]

• Disable all annotation with '-'

• Optional label modifiers can be specified as a single string '[annot_int]+e' or with a list of options ([annot_int], 'e', 'f10p', 'gred').

• limit (str or list of 2 ints) – Do no draw contours below low or above high, specify as string '[low]/[high]' or list [low,high].

• cut (str or int) – Do not draw contours with less than cut number of points.

• resample (str or int) – Resample smoothing factor.

• projection (str) – Required if this is the first plot command. Select map projection.

• region (str or list) – Required if this is the first plot command. 'xmin/xmax/ymin/ymax[+r][+uunit]'. Specify the region of interest.

• frame (str or list) – Set map boundary frame and axes attributes.

• label_placement (str) – [d|f|n|l|L|x|X]params. The required argument controls the placement of labels along the quoted lines. It supports five controlling algorithms. See https://docs.generic-mapping-tools.org/latest/grdcontour.html#g for details.

• timestamp (bool or str) – Draw GMT time stamp logo on plot.

• verbose (str) –

Select verbosity level [Default is w], which modulates the messages written to stderr. Choose among 7 levels of verbosity:

• q - Quiet, not even fatal error messages are produced

• e - Error messages only

• w - Warnings [Default]

• t - Timings (report runtimes for time-intensive algorthms);

• i - Informational messages (same as “verbose=True”)

• c - Compatibility warnings

• d - Debugging messages

• pen (str) – Set pen attributes for lines or the outline of symbols.

• xshift (str) – [a|c|f|r][xshift]. Shift plot origin in x-direction.

• yshift (str) – [a|c|f|r][yshift]. Shift plot origin in y-direction. Full documentation is at https://docs.generic-mapping-tools.org/latest/gmt.html#xy-full.

• label (str) – Add a legend entry for the contour being plotted. Normally, the annotated contour is selected for the legend. You can select the regular contour instead, or both of them, by considering the label to be of the format [annotcontlabel][/contlabel]. If either label contains a slash (/) character then use | as the separator for the two labels instead.

• perspective (list or str) – '[x|y|z]azim[/elev[/zlevel]][+wlon0/lat0[/z0]][+vx0/y0]'. Select perspective view and set the azimuth and elevation angle of the viewpoint. Default is [180, 90]. Full documentation is at https://docs.generic-mapping-tools.org/latest/gmt.html#perspective-full.

• transparency (float) – Set transparency level, in [0-100] percent range. Default is 0, i.e., opaque. Only visible when PDF or raster format output is selected. Only the PNG format selection adds a transparency layer in the image (for further processing).