On 3 July 2015 Alison Pamment wrote:

11b. Current status: Under discussion.

smoke_binary_mask (canonical units: 1)

'X_binary_mask has 1 where condition X is met, 0 elsewhere. 1 = smoke present, 
0 = smoke absent. If no threshold is supplied, the binary mask is 1 if there is 
any non-zero amount of smoke.'



We would require a definition for the term 'smoke' which is new to standard 
names. Clearly this is some sort of atmospheric aerosol but is it defined by, 
for example, size distribution, composition, proximity to fires, any other 
characteristics? For consistency with existing standard names (see also my 
comments in 11c and 11d) I suggest we modify the name itself to 
smoke_ambient_aerosol_particles_binary_mask. Do you agree?



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On 13 July Mike Carlomusto replied:

Alison - there are existing standard names that define "ambient aerosol 
particles" as "aerosol particles that have taken up ambient water through 
hygroscopic growth".  This is not the case for smoke aerosol particles. There 
are however, standard names that use "dry aerosol particles" defined as 
"aerosol particles without any water uptake".  That definition more accurately 
describes smoke.



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Alison Pamment also wrote:
The mailing list discussion on the binary mask names focused on including  
provision to specify a threshold for deciding whether cloud/smoke/dust/aerosol 
is present in a given scene. It was stated that, for GOES-R, the masks will be 
assigned a value of 1 if there is any presence of the phenomenon in question, 
detected by any one of a series of objective tests. However, it was agreed that 
in order to make the names more generally applicable we should include 
provision in the definitions for the use of a coordinate variable to specify a 
non-zero threshold, should it be needed. In the case of the cloud mask, the 
existing standard name cloud_area_fraction is suitable for such a coordinate 
variable. For smoke, dust and aerosol, the choice of coordinate variable is 
less obvious and we may even need to add new standard names to  allow for this. 
Since GOES-R does not actually require a threshold, and currently we have no 
proposals for suitable coordinate variable names, I propose to add some text to 
the definitions of the smoke/dust/aerosol masks suggested by Jim Biard 
(http://mailman.cgd.ucar.edu/pipermail/cf-metadata/2013/056560.html): 'If a 
threshold is supplied, it may be specified by associating a coordinate variable 
or scalar coordinate variable with the data variable and giving the coordinate 
variable a standard name that specifies the quantity used for determining the 
threshold.  The values of the coordinate variable are the threshold values for 
the corresponding subarrays of the data variable.' This neatly side steps the 
need to decide coordinate variable names now, but leaves the door open for them 
to be proposed in the future if another data provider does want to use these 
names with a non-zero threshold. Would you be happy with this approach?

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Mike Carlomusto replied:

1)      I agree with the argument for the threshold statement and I would like 
to submit this modified proposal for a smoke binary mask:


smoke_dry_aerosol_particles_binary_mask (canonical units: 1)
' X_binary_mask has 1 where condition X is met, 0 elsewhere. 1 = smoke present, 
0 = smoke absent. If no threshold is supplied, the binary mask is 1 if there is 
any non-zero amount of smoke. A threshold may be specified by associating a 
coordinate variable or scalar coordinate variable with the data variable and 
giving the coordinate variable a standard name of 
smoke_dry_aerosol_particles_area_fraction.  The values of the coordinate 
variable are the threshold values for the corresponding subarrays of the data 
variable. "Smoke" is an aerosol that is a visible suspension of carbon or other 
dry aerosol particles in air emitted from a burning substance.  Radiative 
signatures of smoke in an aerosol layer are detected by its scattering and 
absorption properties which are determined by the index of refraction and the 
shape and size of the particles, and various other possible measures depending 
on the characteristics of the sensing instrument or collection method. 
"Aerosol" means the system of suspended liquid or solid particles in air 
(except cloud droplets) and their carrier gas, the air itself. "Dry aerosol 
particles" means aerosol particles without any water uptake.   '


2)      And a request for a new smoke_dry_aerosol_particles_area_fraction 
standard name:

smoke_dry_aerosol_particles_area_fraction (canonical units: 1)
' X_area_fraction means the fraction of horizontal area occupied by X. "X_area" 
means the horizontal area occupied by X within the grid cell. "Smoke dry 
aerosol particles area fraction" is the fraction of the horizontal area that 
contains dry aerosol particles identified as smoke as determined by the index 
of refraction and the shape and size of the particles, and various other 
possible measures depending on the characteristics of the sensing instrument or 
collection method. "Aerosol" means the system of suspended liquid or solid 
particles in air (except cloud droplets) and their carrier gas, the air itself. 
"Dry aerosol particles" means aerosol particles without any water uptake.  '

Thank you.
Michael Carlomusto
mcarl...@harris.com<mailto:mcarl...@harris.com>
Harris Corp.
Government Communications Systems Division (GCSD), GOES-R Ground System
Melbourne, FL, USA
(321) 309-7905



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Michael Carlomusto
mcarl...@harris.com<mailto:mcarl...@harris.com>
Harris Corp.
Government Communications Systems Division (GCSD)
Melbourne, FL
(321) 309-7905

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