What does "the raw data are a proxy" mean, please? (Proxy for what?)
I'd guess that it means that raw_temperature (in counts) is representing
- standing in for, and indicating the possibility of obtaining -
temperature
(in degrees).
This makes me realize that the most abstract version of this use case
is data in any units that can not be transformed to the canonical
units, for example:
- partially transformed units that aren't raw but aren't in science form
- data not in UD_Units -- alternate formats for certain complex data
values
- data not in UD_Units -- new or atypical measurements not in
UD_Units, like 'counts'
At some point, it becomes meaningless to use a standard, if you
are storing and presenting data in a form that can't be used without
further processing and without a lot more information.
It's always allowable to include non-standard parameters in a CF file,
as long
as they don't have standard names. This seems like the most efficient
way to
deal with these 'proxy' parameters.
I still agree that CF should be expanded to deal with non-geophysical
parameters
that are useful to the observational community, like signal-to-noise
ratio or error
velocity, and that agreeing on a convention for naming proxies would be
useful.
Use cases showing a need to store 'partially transformed' data or 'complex
data in alternate formats' using standard names and requiring new kinds of
units would be helpful.
- Nan
I think we should consider some particular use-cases and try to be as much like
standard names for geophysical parameters as we can in our treatment of these
unprocessedd quantities. I would suggest not deciding in advance that we have
to treat them in different ways, because it's best to minimise the complexity
of the convention. It's often tempting to regard something as a new case and
invent new conventions for it, but it may be easier in the end to find a way to
express it using structures we already have.
Best wishes
Jonathan
--
*******************************************************
* Nan Galbraith (508) 289-2444 *
* Upper Ocean Processes Group Mail Stop 29 *
* Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution *
* Woods Hole, MA 02543 *
*******************************************************
_______________________________________________
CF-metadata mailing list
[email protected]
http://mailman.cgd.ucar.edu/mailman/listinfo/cf-metadata
