private void writeStationData(List<ucar.unidata.geoloc.Station> stnList) throws IOException {
    this.stnList = stnList;
    int nstns = stnList.size();
    stationMap = new HashMap<String, StationTracker>(2 * nstns);
    if (debug) System.out.println("stationMap created");

    // now write the station data
    ArrayDouble.D1 latArray = new ArrayDouble.D1(nstns);
    ArrayDouble.D1 lonArray = new ArrayDouble.D1(nstns);
    ArrayDouble.D1 altArray = new ArrayDouble.D1(nstns);
    ArrayObject.D1 idArray = new ArrayObject.D1(String.class, nstns);
    ArrayObject.D1 descArray = new ArrayObject.D1(String.class, nstns);
    ArrayObject.D1 wmoArray = new ArrayObject.D1(String.class, nstns);

    for (int i = 0; i < stnList.size(); i++) {
      ucar.unidata.geoloc.Station stn = stnList.get(i);
      stationMap.put(stn.getName(), new StationTracker(i));

      latArray.set(i, stn.getLatitude());
      lonArray.set(i, stn.getLongitude());
      if (useAlt) altArray.set(i, stn.getAltitude());

      idArray.set(i, stn.getName());
      descArray.set(i, stn.getDescription());
      if (useWmoId) wmoArray.set(i, stn.getWmoId());
    }

    try {
      ncfile.write(latName, latArray);
      ncfile.write(lonName, lonArray);
      if (useAlt) ncfile.write(altName, altArray);
      ncfile.writeStringData(idName, idArray);
      ncfile.writeStringData(descName, descArray);
      if (useWmoId) ncfile.writeStringData(wmoName, wmoArray);

    } catch (InvalidRangeException e) {
      e.printStackTrace();
      throw new IllegalStateException(e);
    }
  }
  private void createStations(List<ucar.unidata.geoloc.Station> stnList) throws IOException {
    int nstns = stnList.size();

    // see if there's altitude, wmoId for any stations
    for (int i = 0; i < nstns; i++) {
      ucar.unidata.geoloc.Station stn = stnList.get(i);

      // if (!Double.isNaN(stn.getAltitude()))
      //  useAlt = true;
      if ((stn.getWmoId() != null) && (stn.getWmoId().trim().length() > 0)) useWmoId = true;
    }

    /* if (useAlt)
    ncfile.addGlobalAttribute("altitude_coordinate", altName); */

    // find string lengths
    for (int i = 0; i < nstns; i++) {
      ucar.unidata.geoloc.Station station = stnList.get(i);
      name_strlen = Math.max(name_strlen, station.getName().length());
      desc_strlen = Math.max(desc_strlen, station.getDescription().length());
      if (useWmoId) wmo_strlen = Math.max(wmo_strlen, station.getName().length());
    }

    LatLonRect llbb = getBoundingBox(stnList);
    ncfile.addGlobalAttribute(
        "geospatial_lat_min", Double.toString(llbb.getLowerLeftPoint().getLatitude()));
    ncfile.addGlobalAttribute(
        "geospatial_lat_max", Double.toString(llbb.getUpperRightPoint().getLatitude()));
    ncfile.addGlobalAttribute(
        "geospatial_lon_min", Double.toString(llbb.getLowerLeftPoint().getLongitude()));
    ncfile.addGlobalAttribute(
        "geospatial_lon_max", Double.toString(llbb.getUpperRightPoint().getLongitude()));

    // add the dimensions
    Dimension recordDim = ncfile.addUnlimitedDimension(recordDimName);
    recordDims.add(recordDim);

    Dimension stationDim = ncfile.addDimension(stationDimName, nstns);
    stationDims.add(stationDim);

    // add the station Variables using the station dimension
    Variable v = ncfile.addVariable(latName, DataType.DOUBLE, stationDimName);
    ncfile.addVariableAttribute(v, new Attribute("units", "degrees_north"));
    ncfile.addVariableAttribute(v, new Attribute("long_name", "station latitude"));

    v = ncfile.addVariable(lonName, DataType.DOUBLE, stationDimName);
    ncfile.addVariableAttribute(v, new Attribute("units", "degrees_east"));
    ncfile.addVariableAttribute(v, new Attribute("long_name", "station longitude"));

    if (useAlt) {
      v = ncfile.addVariable(altName, DataType.DOUBLE, stationDimName);
      ncfile.addVariableAttribute(v, new Attribute("units", "meters"));
      ncfile.addVariableAttribute(v, new Attribute("long_name", "station altitude"));
    }

    v = ncfile.addStringVariable(idName, stationDims, name_strlen);
    ncfile.addVariableAttribute(v, new Attribute("long_name", "station identifier"));

    v = ncfile.addStringVariable(descName, stationDims, desc_strlen);
    ncfile.addVariableAttribute(v, new Attribute("long_name", "station description"));

    if (useWmoId) {
      v = ncfile.addStringVariable(wmoName, stationDims, wmo_strlen);
      ncfile.addVariableAttribute(v, new Attribute("long_name", "station WMO id"));
    }

    v = ncfile.addVariable(numProfilesName, DataType.INT, stationDimName);
    ncfile.addVariableAttribute(
        v, new Attribute("long_name", "number of profiles in linked list for this station"));

    v = ncfile.addVariable(firstProfileName, DataType.INT, stationDimName);
    ncfile.addVariableAttribute(
        v, new Attribute("long_name", "index of first profile in linked list for this station"));
  }