Odele,

If the _at_1au suffix is left off, I think we should definitely have the distance of the reference surface provided as a coordinate variable as Jonathan suggested. That would provide the most flexible definition for future use, so we don't have to add yet another standard name if someone comes along that wants to have a reference surface at 1 light year or 2 solar radii, etc.

Grace and peace,

Jim

On 5/15/15 11:30 AM, Odele Coddington wrote:
Hi all,
I had hesitated to chime in so late in the email exchange. But, as the keeper of the CDR, here’s my take on it.

I would highly be in favor of Jim Biard’s suggested names (with or without the _at_1au suffix). As Judith mentioned, there’s no time like the present to educate people. I don’t see any compelling reason why the standard names of the CF group should differ from the standard names of constants, units and uncertainty by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), or the UK equivalent of NIST, with definitions supported by the International System of Units (SI). For that reason, and despite what the convention of usage is in the CF program, I can’t support the usage of ‘radiative_flux’ for irradiance, because the units are simply incorrect.

I note that the SI system, which has an international governing authority, “/modifies the SI as necessary //to reflect the latest advances in science and technology/” (http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/international.html).
Surely, conventions can change since constants certainly have!

Therefore, I support these name possibilities (with or without the _at_1au suffix, as this can be adequately explained in the definition). II highly favor the first pair:

solar_irradiance
solar_irradiance_per_unit_wavelength

solar_radiative_flux_density
solar_radiative_flux_density_per_unit_wavelength

Best regards,
Odele Coddington

From: Judith Lean <judith.l...@nrl.navy.mil <mailto:judith.l...@nrl.navy.mil>>
Date: Friday, May 15, 2015 at 9:00 AM
To: Jonathan Gregory <j.m.greg...@reading.ac.uk <mailto:j.m.greg...@reading.ac.uk>>, Jim Biard <jbi...@cicsnc.org <mailto:jbi...@cicsnc.org>> Cc: "alison.pamm...@stfc.ac.uk <mailto:alison.pamm...@stfc.ac.uk>" <alison.pamm...@stfc.ac.uk <mailto:alison.pamm...@stfc.ac.uk>>, "cf-metadata@cgd.ucar.edu <mailto:cf-metadata@cgd.ucar.edu>" <cf-metadata@cgd.ucar.edu <mailto:cf-metadata@cgd.ucar.edu>>, Odele Coddington <odele.codding...@lasp.colorado.edu <mailto:odele.codding...@lasp.colorado.edu>>, Peter Pilewskie <peter.pilews...@lasp.colorado.edu <mailto:peter.pilews...@lasp.colorado.edu>>, Daniel Wunder - NOAA Affiliate <daniel.wun...@noaa.gov <mailto:daniel.wun...@noaa.gov>>, "philip.jo...@noaa.gov <mailto:philip.jo...@noaa.gov>" <philip.jo...@noaa.gov <mailto:philip.jo...@noaa.gov>>
Subject: Re: [CF-metadata] New standard name requests for TSI and SSI

Dear Jonathan and JIm,

I guess the argument favoring Jonathan’s terminology is that the public/non-experts will understand solar radiative flux (density) more readily than they will know what irradiance means… I actually find this myself when speaking with reporters and giving public lectures, for example - they prefer not to use the word irradiance since they - nor their audience - are familiar with tit. Solar radiation or brightness conveys more meaning to them, and I do tend to use these words more than irradiance.

Having said that - theres no time like the present to educate people.
Hence, I am happy with either of these “common” names. Thanks to you both for “designing”them for us.

Judith
ps
Odele - what do you think? ..you’re the keeper of the CDR!
Dan and Phil- from a NOAA perspective do you have a preference?


On May 15, 2015, at 10:33 AM, Peter Pilewskie <peter.pilews...@lasp.colorado.edu <mailto:peter.pilews...@lasp.colorado.edu>> wrote:

I prefer irradiance. This is the solar */irradiance/* climate data record, after all!

Peter

On May 15, 2015, at 8:20 AM, "Jonathan Gregory" <j.m.greg...@reading.ac.uk <mailto:j.m.greg...@reading.ac.uk>> wrote:

Dear Judith and Jim

Thanks for sticking with this process, Judith, though it may be hard work.

Thanks for your ideas, Jim. I largely agree with your arguments and so largely
reach the same conclusions. There are two points on which we differ.

* I prefer radiative_flux[_density] to irradiance because they mean the same, essentially, as far as I can see, so it's better to use a phrase we already have, for consistency. If we use a different one it might cause people to suppose it's a different quantity. We do have standard_names for spherical_ irradiance, but that's not the same thing, and radiance is different too -
it has different physical dimensions.

* I didn't suggest _at_1au (or something like it) because it looks like a coordinate, and we don't put coordinates in standard names. But, now I say that, I wonder whether we should actually treat it as a coordinate. Could we not simply say, in the definition, that this quantity applies at a distance of one astronomical unit from the sun by default, but if a different distance is intended, a coordinate variable of distance_from_sun (for instance - we need a new standard name for it) should be supplied. That's a CF-like treatment.

Best wishes

Jonathan


--
CICS-NC <http://www.cicsnc.org/> Visit us on
Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/cicsnc>         *Jim Biard*
*Research Scholar*
Cooperative Institute for Climate and Satellites NC <http://cicsnc.org/>
North Carolina State University <http://ncsu.edu/>
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information <http://ncdc.noaa.gov/>
/formerly NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center/
151 Patton Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
e: jbi...@cicsnc.org <mailto:jbi...@cicsnc.org>
o: +1 828 271 4900

/We will be updating our social media soon. Follow our current Facebook (NOAA National Climatic Data Center <https://www.facebook.com/NOAANationalClimaticDataCenter> and NOAA National Oceanographic Data Center <https://www.facebook.com/noaa.nodc>) and Twitter (@NOAANCDC <https://twitter.com/NOAANCDC> and @NOAAOceanData <https://twitter.com/NOAAOceanData>) accounts for the latest information./


_______________________________________________
CF-metadata mailing list
CF-metadata@cgd.ucar.edu
http://mailman.cgd.ucar.edu/mailman/listinfo/cf-metadata

Reply via email to