def mercator_transform(data, lat_bounds, origin='upper', height_out=None):
    """
    Transforms an image computed in (longitude,latitude) coordinates into
    the a Mercator projection image.

    Parameters
    ----------

    data: numpy array or equivalent list-like object.
        Must be NxM (mono), NxMx3 (RGB) or NxMx4 (RGBA)

    lat_bounds : length 2 tuple
        Minimal and maximal value of the latitude of the image.
        Bounds must be between -85.051128779806589 and 85.051128779806589
        otherwise they will be clipped to that values.

    origin : ['upper' | 'lower'], optional, default 'upper'
        Place the [0,0] index of the array in the upper left or lower left
        corner of the axes.

    height_out : int, default None
        The expected height of the output.
        If None, the height of the input is used.

    See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_Mercator for more details.

    """
    import numpy as np

    def mercator(x):
        return np.arcsinh(np.tan(x*np.pi/180.))*180./np.pi

    array = np.atleast_3d(data).copy()
    height, width, nblayers = array.shape

    lat_min = max(lat_bounds[0], -85.051128779806589)
    lat_max = min(lat_bounds[1], 85.051128779806589)
    if height_out is None:
        height_out = height

    # Eventually flip the image
    if origin == 'upper':
        array = array[::-1, :, :]

    lats = (lat_min + np.linspace(0.5/height, 1.-0.5/height, height) *
            (lat_max-lat_min))
    latslats = (mercator(lat_min) +
                np.linspace(0.5/height_out, 1.-0.5/height_out, height_out) *
                (mercator(lat_max)-mercator(lat_min)))

    out = np.zeros((height_out, width, nblayers))
    for i in range(width):
        for j in range(nblayers):
            out[:, i, j] = np.interp(latslats, mercator(lats),  array[:, i, j])

    # Eventually flip the image.
    if origin == 'upper':
        out = out[::-1, :, :]
    return out
Transforms an image computed in (longitude,latitude) coordinates into
    the a Mercator projection image.

    Parameters
    ----------

    data: numpy array or equivalent list-like object.
        Must be NxM (mono), NxMx3 (RGB) or NxMx4 (RGBA)

    lat_bounds : length 2 tuple
        Minimal and maximal value of the latitude of the image.
        Bounds must be between -85.051128779806589 and 85.051128779806589
        otherwise they will be clipped to that values.

    origin : ['upper' | 'lower'], optional, default 'upper'
        Place the [0,0] index of the array in the upper left or lower left
        corner of the axes.

    height_out : int, default None
        The expected height of the output.
        If None, the height of the input is used.

    See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_Mercator for more details.