Hi Heiko, Eizi, You make a good point that any standard, such as WMO or ISCCP, may change. However that is also true for CF, and furthermore I think it is likely that other people will want other cloud description standards in the future, including any changes to your WMO-synop standard.
My suggestion for dealing with this is to use the name of the cloud standard in the CF std_name, and then put details and a version number in the std_name description. This will make it precise, and easily extendable in the future. BTW, I didn't immediately recognize what you meant by 'synop', although it became more obvious after a quick google search. It initially sounded to me like it was a non-specific reference to synoptic scales. If we do decide to use it as part of the std_name, would it be appropriate to call it 'wmosynop' or 'wmo_synop'? Best wishes, Philip ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr Philip Cameron-Smith, p...@llnl.gov, Lawrence Livermore National Lab. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- > -----Original Message----- > From: TOYODA Eizi [mailto:toy...@gfd-dennou.org] > Sent: Monday, May 14, 2012 1:12 AM > To: Heiko Klein > Cc: Cameron-smith, Philip; Jonathan Gregory; cf-metadata@cgd.ucar.edu > Subject: Re: [CF-metadata] Standard_name for cloud-cover by phenomenon > > Hi Heiko, > > Sorry about perturbing. > > You're right. Currently nobody has requested other "low cloud fraction > area" such as ISCCP's. > And I should have add one thing: "low cloud" in ISCCP is simply defined > using height, so it is possible to describe it using vertical axis. > Our > synop case is different. > > Best Regards, > Eizi > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Heiko Klein" <heiko.kl...@met.no> > To: "TOYODA Eizi" <toy...@gfd-dennou.org> > Cc: "Cameron-smith, Philip" <cameronsmi...@llnl.gov>; "Jonathan > Gregory" > <j.m.greg...@reading.ac.uk>; <cf-metadata@cgd.ucar.edu> > Sent: Monday, May 14, 2012 4:01 PM > Subject: Re: [CF-metadata] Standard_name for cloud-cover by phenomenon > > > > Hi, > > > > the idea of putting a source of the definition to the name makes > sense if > > you want to include several definitions. This is the case for > > cloud_area_fraction and isccp_cloud_area_fraction. So, if we had > already > > one definition of high_clouds, I would go for the SYNOP_high_clouds. > But > > we currently don't have several definitions, and CF should make it's > own > > one. And we currently agree very well on which definition to use. > > > > I don't like the idea of putting the responsibility for the > definition > > into others hands. If the SYNOP definition changes, the CF-definition > > should not. CF-definitions should be self-describing and not rely on > other > > parties. > > > > Even if we used a prefix, we would still need the 'type' as discussed > in > > the beginning of this thread, i.e. because high is neither altitude > nor > > height, but a implicit name. So I would currently still prefer > > > > high_type_cloud_area_fraction > > middle_type_cloud_area_fraction > > low_type_cloud_area_fraction > > > > Best regards, > > > > Heiko > > > > > > On 2012-05-13 20:12, TOYODA Eizi wrote: > >> Hi Philip, > >> > >> Your idea makes sense at least for me. > >> My bottom line is to avoid being forced to use vertical axis to > identify > >> types of clouds. > >> > >> One thing: WMO is umbrella for too many programmes. So it is a bit > >> unclear to specify cloud definitions in operational synoptic > >> meteorology. So following might be clearer. > >> > >> SYNOP_high_cloud_area_fraction > >> SYNOP_middle_cloud_area_fraction > >> SYNOP_low_cloud_fraction > >> > >> (Heiko, what do you think? ?) > >> > >> Eizi > >> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Cameron-smith, Philip" > >> <cameronsmi...@llnl.gov> > >> To: "Jonathan Gregory" <j.m.greg...@reading.ac.uk>; > >> <cf-metadata@cgd.ucar.edu> > >> Sent: Friday, May 11, 2012 4:19 PM > >> Subject: Re: [CF-metadata] Standard_name for cloud-cover by > phenomenon > >> > >> > >>> Hi All, > >>> > >>> I am not wild about using 'type'. I had to read the terms several > >>> times before I figured out what was being meant, because I could > read > >>> it different grammatical ways. > >>> > >>> A second problem is that it seems a particular definition will be > >>> linked to these terms (or did I miss something?), yet someone might > >>> reasonably want to use a different definition for high/middle/low > >>> clouds in the future. > >>> > >>> Although I generally don't like including the origin of the data in > >>> the std_name, I think this may be an exception. I would suggest > using > >>> either > >>> > >>> ISCCP_high_cloud_area_fraction > >>> ISCCP_middle_cloud_area_fraction > >>> ISCCP_low_cloud_fraction > >>> > >>> or > >>> > >>> WMO_high_cloud_area_fraction > >>> WMO_middle_cloud_area_fraction > >>> WMO_low_cloud_fraction > >>> > >>> I note that isccp_cloud_area_fraction is already an accepted > std_name, > >>> so the suggestions above follow naturally. > >>> > >>> This would also allow changes to the high/middle/low definitions in > >>> the future. This would be a problem if there is a proliferation of > >>> definitions, but I doubt this will be a problem. > >>> > >>> Best wishes, > >>> > >>> Philip > >>> > >>> ------------------------------------------------------------------- > ---- > >>> Dr Philip Cameron-Smith, p...@llnl.gov, Lawrence Livermore National > Lab. > >>> ------------------------------------------------------------------- > ---- > >>> > >>> > >>> -----Original Message----- > >>> From: cf-metadata-boun...@cgd.ucar.edu > >>> [mailto:cf-metadata-boun...@cgd.ucar.edu] On Behalf Of Jonathan > Gregory > >>> Sent: Tuesday, May 08, 2012 7:10 AM > >>> To: cf-metadata@cgd.ucar.edu > >>> Subject: Re: [CF-metadata] Standard_name for cloud-cover by > phenomenon > >>> > >>> Dear Heiko > >>> > >>>> I just had a short side-discussion with Eizi, and we settled on > >>>> 'type', i.e. we propose the standard names: > >>>> > >>>> high_type_cloud_area_fraction > >>>> middle_type_cloud_area_fraction > >>>> low_type_cloud_area_fraction > >>> > >>> These look fine to me. As you said to John, I hope that "type" > would > >>> trigger > >>> people to look up the definition. > >>> > >>> Best wishes and thanks > >>> > >>> Jonathan > >>> _______________________________________________ > >>> CF-metadata mailing list > >>> CF-metadata@cgd.ucar.edu > >>> http://mailman.cgd.ucar.edu/mailman/listinfo/cf-metadata > >>> _______________________________________________ > >>> CF-metadata mailing list > >>> CF-metadata@cgd.ucar.edu > >>> http://mailman.cgd.ucar.edu/mailman/listinfo/cf-metadata > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> CF-metadata mailing list > >> CF-metadata@cgd.ucar.edu > >> http://mailman.cgd.ucar.edu/mailman/listinfo/cf-metadata > > > > -- > > Dr. Heiko Klein Tel. + 47 22 96 32 58 > > Development Section / IT Department Fax. + 47 22 69 63 55 > > Norwegian Meteorological Institute http://www.met.no > > P.O. Box 43 Blindern 0313 Oslo NORWAY _______________________________________________ CF-metadata mailing list CF-metadata@cgd.ucar.edu http://mailman.cgd.ucar.edu/mailman/listinfo/cf-metadata