GenericMappingTools · seisman · Dec 29, 2025 · Dec 29, 2025 · Dec 29, 2025 · Dec 29, 2025
diff --git a/CITATION.cff b/CITATION.cff
@@ -76,9 +76,9 @@ authors:
   family-names: Wessel
   affiliation: University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, USA
   orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5708-7336
-date-released: 2025-10-03
-doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17156962
+date-released: 2026-01-06
+doi: 10.5281/zenodo.18080259
 license: BSD-3-Clause
 repository-code: https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt
 type: software
-version: 0.17.0
+version: 0.18.0
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ Feel free to cite our work in your research using the following BibTeX:
 
 ```
 @software{
-  pygmt_2025_17156962,
+  pygmt_2026_18080259,
   author       = {Tian, Dongdong and
                   Leong, Wei Ji and
                   Fröhlich, Yvonne and
@@ -157,12 +157,12 @@ Feel free to cite our work in your research using the following BibTeX:
                   Uieda, Leonardo and
                   Wessel, Paul},
   title        = {{PyGMT: A Python interface for the Generic Mapping Tools}},
-  month        = oct,
-  year         = 2025,
+  month        = jan,
+  year         = 2026,
   publisher    = {Zenodo},
-  version      = {0.17.0},
-  doi          = {10.5281/zenodo.17156962},
-  url          = {https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17156962}
+  version      = {0.18.0},
+  doi          = {10.5281/zenodo.18080259},
+  url          = {https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18080259}
 }
 ```
 

diff --git a/doc/_static/version_switch.js b/doc/_static/version_switch.js
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
   var all_versions = {
     'latest': 'latest',
     'dev': 'dev',
+    'v0.18.0': 'v0.18.0',
     'v0.17.0': 'v0.17.0',
     'v0.16.0': 'v0.16.0',
     'v0.15.0': 'v0.15.0',

diff --git a/doc/changes.md b/doc/changes.md
@@ -1,5 +1,88 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## Release v0.18.0 (2026/01/06)
+
+[![Digital Object Identifier for PyGMT v0.18.0](https://zenodo.org/badge/DOI/10.5281/zenodo.18080259.svg)](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18080259)
+
+### Highlights
+
+* 🎉 Eighteenth minor release of PyGMT 🎉
+* Enhanced GMT embellishment (e.g., scale bar, GMT logo, image) placement and styling with a Pythonic `Position` class and additional controlling parameters
+* Five new or updated gallery examples ([#4231](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4231), [#4229](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4229), [#4228](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4228), [#4265](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4265), [#4214](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4214))
+
+### New Features
+
+* Add the Position class for GMT embellishment placement ([#4212](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4212))
+
+### Enhancements
+
+* AliasSystem: Migrate the 'registration' parameter to the new alias system and support descriptive arguments ([#4182](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4182))
+* pygmt.grdfilter: Let the parameter 'nans' support descriptive arguments ([#4310](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4310))
+* Figure.grdview: Improve parameters plane/facade_fill/facade_pen to set the plane and facade ([#4235](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4235))
+* Figure.histogram: Split parameter bar_width into bar_width and bar_offset ([#4316](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4316))
+* Figure.inset: Add parameters position/width/height to specify inset position and dimensions ([#4047](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4047))
+* Figure.image: Add aliases for -I (invert) and -B (frame) ([#4089](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4089), [#4301](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4301))
+* Figure.image: Add parameters position/width/height/dpi/replicate to control image position and properties ([#4045](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4045))
+* Figure.legend: Add aliases for -S (scale) and -B (frame) ([#4254](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4254))
+* Figure.legend: Add parameters position/width/height/line_spacing to specify legend position and properties ([#4046](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4046))
+* Figure.logo: Add parameters position/width/height to specify logo position and dimensions ([#4014](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4014))
+* Figure.wiggle: Add parameters position/length/label/label_alignment for the scalebar position and properties ([#4049](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4049))
+
+### Deprecations
+
+* Figure: Remove the deprecated _preprocess method (Deprecated since v0.16.0) ([#4146](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4146))
+* pygmt.grdfill: Deprecate parameters splinefill/constantfill/neighborfill/gridfill to spline_fill/constant_fill/neighbor_fill/grid_fill (Will be removed in v0.20.0) ([#4273](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4273))
+* pygmt.grdlandmask: Deprecate parameters bordervalues/maskvalues to broder_values/mask_values (Will be removed in v0.20.0) ([#4281](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4281))
+* pygmt.grdsample: Deprecate parameter 'translate' to 'toggle' (Will be removed in v0.21.0) ([#4187](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4187))
+* Figure.grdview: Deprecate parameters contourpen/facadepen/meshpen to contour_pen/facade_pen/mesh_pen (Will be removed in v0.20.0) ([#4260](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4260))
+* Figure.grdview: Deprecate parameter drapegrid to drape_grid (Will be removed in v0.20.0) ([#4276](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4276))
+* Figure.histogram: Deprecate parameter barwidth to bar_width (Will be removed in v0.20.0) ([#4279](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4279))
+* Figure.inset: Deprecate parameter margin to clearance (Will be removed in v0.20.0) ([#4296](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4296))
+* Figure.meca: Deprecate parameters compressionfill/extensionfill/labelbox to compression_fill/extension_fill/label_box (Will be removed in v0.20.0) ([#4269](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4269), [#4274](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4274))
+* pygmt.select: Deprecate parameter gridmask/mask to mask_grid/mask_values (Will be removed in v0.20.0) ([#4283](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4283), [#4288](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4288))
+* pygmt.surface: Deprecate parameter maxradius to max_radius (Will be removed in v0.20.0) ([#4300](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4300))
+* Figure.velo: Deprecate parameter uncertaintyfill to uncertainty_fill (Will be removed in v0.20.0) ([#4272](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4272))
+* Figure.wiggle: Deprecate parameters fillnegative/fillpositive to negative_fill/positive_fill (Will be removed in v0.20.0) ([#4271](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4271))
+* pygmt.x2sys_cross: Deprecate parameter trackvalues to track_values (Will be removed in v0.20.0) ([#4282](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4282))
+
+### Bug Fixes
+
+* load_earth_relief: Clarify that 03s/01s resolutions are available for IGPP source only ([#4192](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4192))
+* geopandas: Fix UnicodeEncodeError on Windows for geopandas.GeoDataFrame with non-ASCII characters ([#4224](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4224))
+* Figure.grdview: Fix the default z-plane to the grid z minimum when plane is set to True or only facede_fill/facede_pen is set ([#4287](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4287))
+
+### Documentation
+
+* Add example for geopandas point geometry: Use cities in Europe from Natural Earth ([#4231](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4231))
+* Update example for geopandas line geometry: Use Natural Earth dataset, change to Asia ([#4229](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4229))
+* Update example for geopandas polygon geometry: Use the Natural Earth dataset, change to Africa ([#4228](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4228))
+* Advanced tutorial "Legends": Add example for adjusting line spacing ([#4265](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4265))
+* Tutorial "Plotting data points": Add legend for size coding ([#4214](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4214))
+
+### Maintenance
+
+* fmt_docstrings: Use string template syntax for docstring placeholders and support curly braces in docstrings ([#4210](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4210))
+* SPEC 0: Bump minimum supported version to Python 3.12, NumPy 2.0, and Xarray 2024.5 ([#4248](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4248), [#4090](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4090))
+* Remove dev dependency on "geodatasets" ([#4230](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4230))
+* DOC: Update naming convention in contributors guide: separate words in parameter names by underscores ([#4284](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4284))
+* CI: Test NumPy 2.4 in the GMT Tests workflow ([#4319](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4319))
+* CI: Migrate the welcome bot to GitHub Actions ([#4149](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4149))
+* CI: Add a new workflow to cache dvc cache ([#4184](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4184))
+* Add support for Python 3.14 ([#4150](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4150))
+* Add an issue template for wrapping GMT modules ([#4152](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/4152))
+
+**Full Changelog**: <https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/compare/v0.17.0...v0.18.0>
+
+### Contributors
+
+* [Dongdong Tian](https://github.com/seisman)
+* [Yvonne Fröhlich](https://github.com/yvonnefroehlich)
+* [Wei Ji Leong](https://github.com/weiji14)
+* [Michael Grund](https://github.com/michaelgrund)
+* [Xingchen He](https://github.com/Chuan1937)
+
+---
+
 ## Release v0.17.0 (2025/10/03)
 
 [![Digital Object Identifier for PyGMT v0.17.0](https://zenodo.org/badge/DOI/10.5281/zenodo.17156962.svg)](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17156962)

diff --git a/doc/minversions.md b/doc/minversions.md
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ compatibility reasons.
 | PyGMT Version | Documentation | GMT | Python | NumPy | pandas | Xarray |
 |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | [Dev][]* | <doc:dev>, [HTML+ZIP](doc:dev/pygmt-docs.zip), [PDF](doc:dev/pygmt-docs.pdf) | {{ requires.gmt }} | {{ requires.python }} | {{ requires.numpy }} | {{ requires.pandas }} | {{ requires.xarray }} |
+| <tag:v0.18.0> | <doc:v0.18.0>, <html:v0.18.0>, <pdf:v0.18.0> | >=6.5.0 | >=3.12 | >=2.0 | >=2.2 | >=2024.5 |
 | <tag:v0.17.0> | <doc:v0.17.0>, <html:v0.17.0>, <pdf:v0.17.0> | >=6.5.0 | >=3.11 | >=1.26 | >=2.2 | >=2023.10 |
 | <tag:v0.16.0> | <doc:v0.16.0>, <html:v0.16.0>, <pdf:v0.16.0> | >=6.4.0 | >=3.11 | >=1.26 | >=2.1 | >=2023.07 |
 | <tag:v0.15.0> | <doc:v0.15.0>, <html:v0.15.0>, <pdf:v0.15.0> | >=6.4.0 | >=3.11 | >=1.25 | >=2.0 | >=2023.04 |