PyGMT: Bridging Python and the Generic Mapping Tools for Geospatial Visualization and Analysis
Dongdong Tian, Yvonne Fröhlich, Wei Ji Leong, Michael Grund, William Schlitzer, Max Jones, Leonardo Uieda, Joaquim F. Luís · Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems · 2026
Abstract PyGMT is a free and open‐source Python library that provides a high‐level interface to the Generic Mapping Tools (GMT), a widely used command‐line toolset for geospatial data processing, analysis, and visualization in the Earth, ocean, and planetary sciences. By bridging GMT with the Python ecosystem, PyGMT enables users to access GMT's powerful visualization and analysis capabilities directly within Python‐based workflows, making them more accessible to a broader audience. PyGMT supports diverse data sources, including local and remote files, as well as familiar data structures such as numpy.ndarray, pandas.DataFrame, and xarray.DataArray objects, allowing users to process data efficiently and create a wide variety of publication‐quality figures. Compared to GMT, PyGMT provides a Pythonic interface with intuitive parameters and arguments, lowering the barrier to entry for both new and experienced users, and extends GMT's functionality by integrating seamlessly with the broader scientific Python ecosystem. The project is actively maintained as a community‐driven effort under the BSD 3‐Clause License, with source code and issue tracking hosted on GitHub and user support provided through a Discourse forum. It emphasizes reliability, usability, and sustainability while fostering an open and welcoming community that encourages contributions of all kinds.