My file: variables: double LONGITUDE(LONGITUDE) ; LONGITUDE:standard_name = "longitude" ; LONGITUDE:long_name = "longitude" ; LONGITUDE:units = "degrees_east" ; LONGITUDE:axis = "X" ; double LATITUDE(LATITUDE) ; LATITUDE:standard_name = "latitude" ; LATITUDE:long_name = "latitude" ; LATITUDE:units = "degrees_north" ; LATITUDE:axis = "Y" ; double time(time) ; time:standard_name = "time" ; time:units = "months since 2010-01-16 00:00:00" ; time:calendar = "standard" ; double BC(time, LATITUDE, LONGITUDE) ; BC:long_name = "Black_Carbon" ; BC:_FillValue = -1.e+34 ---------------------- need in this way: variables: float lon(lon) ; lon:long_name = "Longitude" ; lon:units = "degrees_east" ; lon:standard_name = "longitude" ; lon:axis = "X" ; float lat(lat) ; lat:long_name = "Latitude" ; lat:units = "degrees_north " ; lat:standard_name = "latitude" ; lat:axis = "Y" ; double time(time) ; time:units = "days since 1850-01-01 00:00:00" ; time:calendar = "standard" ; float BC(time, lat, lon) ; BC:long_name = "Black_Carbon" ; BC:standard_name = "tendency_of_atmosphere" ; BC:units = "kg m-2 s-1" ; BC:code = 6 ; BC:species = "BC" ; BC:molecular_weight = 12.f ; BC:molecular_weight_units = "g mole-1" ;