A system to distribute Navy Coastal Ocean Model data using the open Geospatial consortium's Web Map Service protocol

A method for disseminating Navy Ocean Coastal Model (NCOM) data as imagery over the Internet via the Web Map Service (WMS) protocol is presented. NCOM data are provided in multidimensional numerical data files. Distribution of NCOM data via the WMS protocol requires the data be rendered into an image. The multidimensional properties of the NCOM data allow the plotted data images to be grouped into layers based on dimensions. The NCOM WMS supports optional functionalities provided by the WMS protocol, allowing users to obtain detailed information about map images created by the NCOM WMS. By serving NCOM data via the WMS protocol, clients can access the data using common geographic information system (GIS) client software.