Add load_* functions to support more remote relief datasets

[seisman]

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Description of the desired feature

The GMT side is working on the lunar relief dataset for remote use and it's close to being finished (https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/gmtserver-admin/issues/167). Similar to other load_earth_* functions (xref https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/issues/1786), we need to add a load_moon_relief function to download and load the data.

• [x] Moon relief dataset https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/2674
• [x] Mars relief dataset https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/2847
• [x] Mercury relief dataset https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/3028
• [x] Pluto relief dataset https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/3027
• [x] Venus relief dataset #2906
• [ ] CNES Earth Distance to Shoreline https://www.generic-mapping-tools.org/remote-datasets/earth-dist.html
• [ ] IGPP Earth Free-Air Anomaly Errors https://www.generic-mapping-tools.org/remote-datasets/earth-faaerror.html
• [ ] IGPP Earth East-West Deflections https://www.generic-mapping-tools.org/remote-datasets/earth-edefl.html
• [ ] CNES Earth Mean Sea Surface https://www.generic-mapping-tools.org/remote-datasets/earth-mss.html
• [ ] CNES Earth Mean Dynamic Topography https://www.generic-mapping-tools.org/remote-datasets/earth-mdt.html
• [ ] IGPP Earth South-North Deflections https://www.generic-mapping-tools.org/remote-datasets/earth-ndefl.html

[michaelgrund]

Would like to work on this if the GMT-side implementation is done!

[Esteban82]

Not just the Moon. Also Mercury, Venus, Mars and Pluto.

[seisman]

Not just the Moon. Also Mercury, Venus, Mars and Pluto.

Thanks, I've updated the PR title.

[seisman]

As shown in https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/gmtserver-admin/issues/219, the building of the planetary relief datasets is almost finished. These new datasets are still not available on the GMT main server but are available on the candidate server (http://candidate.generic-mapping-tools.org/server/).

I think @PaulWessel decided to release these new datasets at the same time as the GMT 6.5 release, which may happen shortly (maybe in a few weeks).

It would be great if we could add load_* function to support these new datasets. When the new datasets are released with GMT 6.5, we can add the following sentence to the announcement：

You may also want to try the latest PyGMT dev version, which already provides the load_xxx_relief functions to help you load these new datasets as xarray.DataArray.

We can also decide if these new functions are worth a new PyGMT release, i.e., releasing GMT 6.5, the new datasets, and PyGMT v0.11.0 at the same day, although PyGMT v 0.10.0 was released only a few days ago.

[Esteban82]

I think @PaulWessel decided to release these new datasets at the same time as the GMT 6.5 release, which may happen shortly (maybe in a few weeks).

Most likely, because in order to access the highest resolution of the some planets a new GMT version is needed (see https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/gmtserver-admin/issues/171#issuecomment-1650082556). Maybe will you have the same issue?

[seisman]

I think @PaulWessel decided to release these new datasets at the same time as the GMT 6.5 release, which may happen shortly (maybe in a few weeks).

Most likely, because in order to access the highest resolution of the some planets a new GMT version is needed (see GenericMappingTools/gmtserver-admin#171 (comment)). Maybe will you have the same issue?

Didn't realize the issue yet. Will read and see what happens.

[weiji14]

We can also decide if these new functions are worth a new PyGMT release, i.e., releasing GMT 6.5, the new datasets, and PyGMT v0.11.0 at the same day, although PyGMT v 0.10.0 was released only a few days ago.

Probably just need a patch release (v0.10.1) to support GMT 6.5? Depends on how backward incompatible things are. It sounds like most other functions should still be ok, just the remote datasets are affected.

[seisman]

Depends on how backward incompatible things are. It sounds like most other functions should still be ok, just the remote datasets are affected.

See https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/gmtserver-admin/issues/171 for more discussions if you're interested. As far as I can see, there are no backward incompatibilities between 6.4 and 6.5. GMT 6.4 can access all these new remote datasets except a few full-resolution grids (e.g., pluto grid with a 52.0732883317s increment), while GMT 6.5 can.

Probably just need a patch release (v0.10.1) to support GMT 6.5?

The point is to provide more load functions (e.g., load_moon_relief in PR #2674) to load the new datasets into xarray.DataArray object. These are new features and should be included in v0.11.0. The question is, do we want to release v0.11.0 in Jan, 2024 following our quarterly release policy, or release earlier, on the same day as GMT 6.5.

[weiji14]

The question is, do we want to release v0.11.0 in Jan, 2024 following our quarterly release policy, or release earlier, on the same day as GMT 6.5.

When is the planned release date for GMT 6.5? October? November?

[seisman]

The question is, do we want to release v0.11.0 in Jan, 2024 following our quarterly release policy, or release earlier, on the same day as GMT 6.5.

When is the planned release date for GMT 6.5? October? November?

Ping @PaulWessel

[PaulWessel]

We are close but I have many non-GMT days next 2 weeks so maybe Oct 15