# UAH LTG IDL Library

## IDL Routines from Phillip Bitzer and UAH Lightning Group

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# pmb_spatial_temporal_limits.pro

Misc, Data Processing, Spatial Limit, Temporal Limit

Given arrays of times, x, y, and z, and corresponding limits, return a set of indices in which all the data falls within the given limits. This routine is handy when trying to limit data both spatially and temporally.

Basically, this routine is a wrapper for an operation I do quite often: given some data in time and space, limit the data to a particular field of view.

Although the parameters are named xyz, this certainly could be lat/lon values. See the example.

## Examples

This is pretty straightfoward:

 npts = 100 lats = RANDOMU(1L, npts)*2 + 34 ;random nums between 34 and 36 lons = RANDOMU(2L, npts)*2 - 87 ;random nums between -87 and -85 alts = RANDOMU(2L, npts)*15 ;random nums between 0 and 15 times = FINDGEN(npts) ;an array of times 
Limit the data between a lat range of [34.5, 35.5] and lon range of [-86.5, -85.2] and keep eveything else:
 ind = PMB_SPATIAL_TEMPORAL_LIMITS(times, lats, lons, alts, \$ X_LIMITS=[34.5, 35.5], Y_LIMITS=[-86.5, -85.2]) 
Notice the routine doesn't really care about what is "really" xy - it just looks at the appropriate positional parameters.

Plot the result:

 cgPlot, lons, lats, PSYM=4, /YNO cgCOLORFILL, [-86.5, -85.2, -85.2, -86.5], [34.5, 34.5, 35.5, 35.5] ;highlight the good region cgPlots, lons[ind], lats[ind], PSYM=4, COLOR='red' 

## Author information

Author

Phillip M. Bitzer, University of Alabama in Huntsville, pm.bitzer "AT" uah.edu

History

Modification History:

 First written: Nov 2, 2012 (Finally) added documentation and released. 20140424 PMB 

## top pmb_spatial_temporal_limits

result = pmb_spatial_temporal_limits(times, x, y, z [, T_limits=array] [, X_limits=array] [, Y_limits=array] [, Z_limits=array] [, Count=long integer])

This function will limit spatial-temporal data within the given limits.

### Return value

Indices of the array(s) that all fall within the limits.

### Parameters

times in required type=array

An n element array of times. Needs to be the same size as x, y and z.

x in required type=array

An n element array of times. Needs to be the same size as x and y.

y in required type=array

An n element array of times. Needs to be the same size as x and y.

z in required type=array

An n element array of times. Needs to be the same size as x and y.

### Keywords

T_limits in optional type=array default=[MIN(times), MAX(times)]

A two element array that specifies the min and max time to consider.

X_limits in optional type=array default=[MIN(x),MAX(x)]

A two element array that specifies the min and max x to consider.

Y_limits in optional type=array default=[MIN(y),MAX(y)]

A two element array that specifies the min and max y to consider.

Z_limits in optional type=array default=[MIN(z),MAX(z)]

A two element array that specifies the min and max z to consider.

Count out optional type=long integer

The number of elements that are within all limits.

## File attributes

 Modification date: Fri Feb 10 20:51:04 2017 Lines: 40 Docformat: rst rst