cdm/src/main/java/ucar/nc2/dataset/conv/GDVConvention.java
@Override
  protected void findCoordinateAxes(NetcdfDataset ds) {

    for (VarProcess vp : varList) {
      if (vp.isCoordinateVariable) continue;

      Variable ncvar = vp.v;
      if (!(ncvar instanceof VariableDS)) continue; // cant be a structure

      String dimName = findAlias(ds, ncvar);
      if (dimName.length() == 0) // none
        continue;
      Dimension dim = ds.findDimension(dimName);
      if (null != dim) {
        vp.isCoordinateAxis = true;
        parseInfo.format(" Coordinate Axis added (GDV alias) = %s for dimension %s%n", vp.v.getFullName(), dimName);
      }
    }

    super.findCoordinateAxes(ds);

    // desperado
    findCoordinateAxesForce(ds);
  }
@Override
  protected void findCoordinateAxes(NetcdfDataset ds) {

    for (VarProcess vp : varList) {
      if (vp.isCoordinateVariable) continue;

      Variable ncvar = vp.v;
      if (!(ncvar instanceof VariableDS)) continue; // cant be a structure

      String dimName = findAlias(ds, ncvar);
      if (dimName.length() == 0) // none
        continue;
      Dimension dim = ds.findDimension(dimName);
      if (null != dim) {
        vp.isCoordinateAxis = true;
        parseInfo.format(" Coordinate Axis added (GDV alias) = %s for dimension %s%n", vp.v.getFullName(), dimName);
      }
    }

    super.findCoordinateAxes(ds);

    // desperado
    findCoordinateAxesForce(ds);
  }
look for aliases.