Using gdal to read/write the metadata fields for a geotiff and for specific bands within the geotiff.

gdal_geotiff_metadata.ipynb

{
 "metadata": {
  "name": "geotiff_metadata"
 },
 "nbformat": 3,
 "nbformat_minor": 0,
 "worksheets": [
  {
   "cells": [
    {
     "cell_type": "code",
     "collapsed": false,
     "input": [
      "import numpy as np\n",
      "from osgeo import gdal, gdalconst"
     ],
     "language": "python",
     "metadata": {},
     "outputs": [],
     "prompt_number": 1
    },
    {
     "cell_type": "code",
     "collapsed": false,
     "input": [
      "geotiff_drv = gdal.GetDriverByName('GTiff')\n",
      "w = h = 10\n",
      "dst = geotiff_drv.Create('test.tif', w, h, 1, gdalconst.GDT_Byte)\n",
      "\n",
      "dst.SetDescription('Override the description')\n",
      "\n",
      "# All values must be strings\n",
      "dst.SetMetadata( {'key1': '1', 'key2': 'yada'} )\n",
      "\n",
      "band = dst.GetRasterBand(1)\n",
      "band.SetMetadata( {'bandkey1': 'foo', 'bandkey2': 'bar', 'bk3': '3.1415'} )\n",
      "\n",
      "band.WriteArray(np.random.random_integers(0,255, (10,10)))\n",
      "dst.GetMetadata()\n",
      "del band\n",
      "del dst"
     ],
     "language": "python",
     "metadata": {},
     "outputs": [],
     "prompt_number": 2
    },
    {
     "cell_type": "code",
     "collapsed": false,
     "input": [
      "!gdalinfo -mm test.tif"
     ],
     "language": "python",
     "metadata": {},
     "outputs": [
      {
       "output_type": "stream",
       "stream": "stdout",
       "text": [
        "Driver: GTiff/GeoTIFF\r\n",
        "Files: test.tif\r\n",
        "Size is 10, 10\r\n",
        "Coordinate System is `'\r\n",
        "Metadata:\r\n",
        "  key1=1\r\n",
        "  key2=yada\r\n",
        "Image Structure Metadata:\r\n",
        "  INTERLEAVE=BAND\r\n",
        "Corner Coordinates:\r\n",
        "Upper Left  (    0.0,    0.0)\r\n",
        "Lower Left  (    0.0,   10.0)\r\n",
        "Upper Right (   10.0,    0.0)\r\n",
        "Lower Right (   10.0,   10.0)\r\n",
        "Center      (    5.0,    5.0)\r\n",
        "Band 1 Block=10x10 Type=Byte, ColorInterp=Gray\r\n",
        "    Computed Min/Max=2.000,251.000\r\n",
        "  Metadata:\r\n",
        "    bandkey1=foo\r\n",
        "    bandkey2=bar\r\n",
        "    bk3=3.1415\r\n"
       ]
      }
     ],
     "prompt_number": 3
    },
    {
     "cell_type": "code",
     "collapsed": false,
     "input": [
      "src = gdal.Open('test.tif', gdalconst.GA_ReadOnly)"
     ],
     "language": "python",
     "metadata": {},
     "outputs": [],
     "prompt_number": 4
    },
    {
     "cell_type": "code",
     "collapsed": false,
     "input": [
      "# Description lost\n",
      "src.GetDescription()"
     ],
     "language": "python",
     "metadata": {},
     "outputs": [
      {
       "output_type": "pyout",
       "prompt_number": 5,
       "text": [
        "'test.tif'"
       ]
      }
     ],
     "prompt_number": 5
    },
    {
     "cell_type": "code",
     "collapsed": false,
     "input": [
      "src.GetMetadata()"
     ],
     "language": "python",
     "metadata": {},
     "outputs": [
      {
       "output_type": "pyout",
       "prompt_number": 6,
       "text": [
        "{'key1': '1', 'key2': 'yada'}"
       ]
      }
     ],
     "prompt_number": 6
    },
    {
     "cell_type": "code",
     "collapsed": false,
     "input": [
      "band = src.GetRasterBand(1)\n",
      "band.GetMetadata()"
     ],
     "language": "python",
     "metadata": {},
     "outputs": [
      {
       "output_type": "pyout",
       "prompt_number": 7,
       "text": [
        "{'bandkey1': 'foo', 'bandkey2': 'bar', 'bk3': '3.1415'}"
       ]
      }
     ],
     "prompt_number": 7
    },
    {
     "cell_type": "code",
     "collapsed": false,
     "input": [],
     "language": "python",
     "metadata": {},
     "outputs": []
    }
   ],
   "metadata": {}
  }
 ]
}