update docstrings and changelog

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ Code freeze date: YYYY-MM-DD
 
 ### Added
 
+- `climada.hazard.tc_tracks.compute_track_density` function [#1003](https://github.com/CLIMADA-project/climada_python/pull/1003)
 - Add `osm-flex` package to CLIMADA core [#981](https://github.com/CLIMADA-project/climada_python/pull/981)
 - `doc.tutorial.climada_entity_Exposures_osm.ipynb` tutorial explaining how to use `osm-flex`with CLIMADA
 - `climada.util.coordinates.bounding_box_global` function [#980](https://github.com/CLIMADA-project/climada_python/pull/980)

climada/hazard/tc_tracks.py

@@ -2870,18 +2870,23 @@ def _zlib_from_dataarray(data_var: xr.DataArray) -> bool:
 
 
 def compute_track_density(
-    tc_track: TCTracks, res: int = 5, time_step: float = 0.5, mode: str = "normalized"
+    tc_track: TCTracks, res: int = 5, time_step: float = 1, mode: str = "absolute"
 ) -> tuple[np.ndarray, tuple]:
-    """Compute absolute and normalized tropical cyclone track density as the number of points per
-    grid cell.
+    """Compute absolute and normalized tropical cyclone track density. First, the function ensure
+    the same temporal resolution of all tracks by calling :py:meth:`equal_timestep`. Second, it
+    creates 2D bins of the specified resolution (e.g. 1° x 1°). Third, since tracks are not lines
+    but a series of points, it counts the number of points per bin. Lastly, it returns the absolute
+    or normalized count per bin. This function works under the hood of :py:meth:`plot_track_density`
+    but can be used separtly as input data for more sophisticated track density plots.
+
     Parameters:
     ----------
-    res: int (optional)
+    res: int (optional) Default: 5°
         resolution in degrees of the grid bins in which the density will be computed
-    time_step: float (optional)
+    time_step: float (optional) default: 1h
         temporal resolution in hours to be apllied to the tracks, to ensure that every track
         will have the same resolution.
-    mode: str (optional)
+    mode: str (optional) default: absolute
         "normalized" or "absolute" density
 
     Returns:

climada/hazard/test/test_tc_tracks.py

@@ -1203,7 +1203,7 @@ def test_track_land_params(self):
         )
 
     def test_compute_density_tracks(self):
-        """Test compute density track to ensure proper density count."""
+        """Test :py:meth:`compute_track_density` to ensure proper density count."""
         # create track
         track = xr.Dataset(
             {