The Origins of the Generic Mapping Tools: From Table Tennis to Geoscience
Abstract The Generic Mapping Tools (GMT) is one of the most used toolsets in the Earth, Ocean, and Planetary sciences, originating as far back as the 1980s. It is an early example of an open‐source software code modeled after contemporaneous UNIX tools, and it was one of the first to employ PostScri...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Perspectives of Earth and Space Scientists |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2023CN000231 |
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| author | Paul Wessel |
| author_facet | Paul Wessel |
| author_sort | Paul Wessel |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The Generic Mapping Tools (GMT) is one of the most used toolsets in the Earth, Ocean, and Planetary sciences, originating as far back as the 1980s. It is an early example of an open‐source software code modeled after contemporaneous UNIX tools, and it was one of the first to employ PostScript as its graphics language and netCDF for binary files to ensure portability across different computing platforms. Here I trace the origin and evolution of GMT to the present day. The additions of MATLAB, Python, and Julia wrappers around the GMT C Application Program Interface (API) are now introducing GMT to numerous new and younger users and the platform shows no sign of diminishing after almost 40 years; in fact, usage continues to expand. Pursuing GMT for fun (and funding) has positively affected other areas of my scientific interests, and my new research modules continue to be added to GMT. The future holds many promises but will require formation and leadership of communities to steer and maintain the essential science tools that have served us well for many decades. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1817b0af63a141fcbe151f595895d11d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2637-6989 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Perspectives of Earth and Space Scientists |
| spelling | doaj-art-1817b0af63a141fcbe151f595895d11d2025-08-20T03:49:40ZengWileyPerspectives of Earth and Space Scientists2637-69892024-12-0151n/an/a10.1029/2023CN000231The Origins of the Generic Mapping Tools: From Table Tennis to GeosciencePaul Wessel0Department of Earth Sciences School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology University of Hawai'i at Mānoa Honolulu HI USAAbstract The Generic Mapping Tools (GMT) is one of the most used toolsets in the Earth, Ocean, and Planetary sciences, originating as far back as the 1980s. It is an early example of an open‐source software code modeled after contemporaneous UNIX tools, and it was one of the first to employ PostScript as its graphics language and netCDF for binary files to ensure portability across different computing platforms. Here I trace the origin and evolution of GMT to the present day. The additions of MATLAB, Python, and Julia wrappers around the GMT C Application Program Interface (API) are now introducing GMT to numerous new and younger users and the platform shows no sign of diminishing after almost 40 years; in fact, usage continues to expand. Pursuing GMT for fun (and funding) has positively affected other areas of my scientific interests, and my new research modules continue to be added to GMT. The future holds many promises but will require formation and leadership of communities to steer and maintain the essential science tools that have served us well for many decades.https://doi.org/10.1029/2023CN000231 |
| spellingShingle | Paul Wessel The Origins of the Generic Mapping Tools: From Table Tennis to Geoscience Perspectives of Earth and Space Scientists |
| title | The Origins of the Generic Mapping Tools: From Table Tennis to Geoscience |
| title_full | The Origins of the Generic Mapping Tools: From Table Tennis to Geoscience |
| title_fullStr | The Origins of the Generic Mapping Tools: From Table Tennis to Geoscience |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Origins of the Generic Mapping Tools: From Table Tennis to Geoscience |
| title_short | The Origins of the Generic Mapping Tools: From Table Tennis to Geoscience |
| title_sort | origins of the generic mapping tools from table tennis to geoscience |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2023CN000231 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT paulwessel theoriginsofthegenericmappingtoolsfromtabletennistogeoscience AT paulwessel originsofthegenericmappingtoolsfromtabletennistogeoscience |