NcML/GML (NetCDF and GML)

NcML-GML is an extension of the netCDF Markup Language (ncML); it enables encoding of netCDF datasets in terms of GML 3.1.1 elements. It was conceived to facilitate interoperability between the data systems of the atmospheric sciences and the GIS community.

ncML-GML contains all the core netCDF semantics adding semantics useful for GIS-based applications, with particular attention to coordinate systems and projection information. Core netCDF semantics is encoded using core ncML grammar, GIS-related sematics is encoded using GML 3.1 grammar, respectively. GML grammar is very precise and complete as far as coordinate systems and projection metadata is concerned.

http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/projects/THREDDS/GALEON/TestDatasets/NcMLAndGML.htm

NetCDF (network Common Data Form) is a set of software libraries and machine-independent data formats that support the creation, access, and sharing of array-oriented scientific data.

http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/netcdf/

An excellent presentation on NcML-GML was presented at GML Days 2005 by Ben Domenico.

http://www.gmldays.com/gml2005/presentations/ncML-GML%20v.0.3.2,%20Ben%20Domenico.pdf