Dear Jonathan,
I gave numbers to the outstanding issues to make it easier to address
them next time... My answers start with A:
1,2, 12, and 13 are still open, 15 and 16 are new proposals.
1. > snow_basal_heat_flux, Snow basal heat flux, W m-2
Can this be called
upward|downward_heat_flux_at_ground_level_in_snow
The corresponding quantity _in_soil is the ground heat flux.
A: still open
2. > atmosphere_eastward|northward_stress_due_to_diffusion:Pa
Are these momentum fluxes directed upwards or downward i.e. tending to
accelerate the atmosphere below or above the level on which they are
given?
(I realise this is an ambiguity about the gravity-wave stresses too.)
Since
stresses are tensors, they need two signed directions to specify them.
A: still open
3. > soil_suction_at_saturation; Saturation soil suction; m
I am not sufficiently expert to define this. Could you please supply a
definition of soil suction?
A:
http://www.geo-observations.com/Information/Whatissoilsuction.html
It is used for parameterization of land surface processes in models:
http://www.lmd.jussieu.fr/pcmdi-mirror/modeldoc/amip2/ukmo_98a/ukmo_a.html
4. > soil_texture; fraction of sand, clay and silt; 1
We have recently added a string-valued quantity soil_type to identify
types
such as you list. It looks as if you would like to specify some parameter
as
a function of soil type. Is it the mass fraction of the soil?
A: In the 'texture triangle'
(
http://www.pedosphere.com/resources/bulkdensity/triangle_us.cfm) there
are marked areas for each soil type, assessing the soil type depending on
the volume percentages of components.
5. > stomatal resistance depends on vegetation type, it is not clear to
me, how
> to include min and max into standard name:
> stomatal_resistance; Maximum stomatal resistance; s m-1
> stomatal_resistance; Minimum stomatal resistance; s m-1
I suppose this could be indicated by cell_methods "vegetation_type:
maximum".
We have not got standard names for stomatal resistance and vegetation
type.
Are you proposing these?
A: Yes, stomatal_resistance is the proposal.
Each vegetation type has its maximum and its minimum, depending on the
situation (water supply and temperature).
6. > surface_direct_downwelling_photosynthetic_radiative_flux; W m-2
> surface_diffuse_downwelling_photosynthetic_radiative_flux; W m-2
Is it correct that you mean the vertically downward component of the flux
directly from the sun in the first case, while the second means
surface_downwelling_photosynthetic_radiative_flux minus
surface_direct_downwelling_photosynthetic_radiative_flux?
A: yes
7. >
tendency_of_atmosphere_water_vapor_content_due_to_stable_convection:kg m-2
s-1
> tendency_of_atmosphere_water_vapor_content_due_to_turbulence:kg m-2 s-1
>
tendency_of_water_vapor_content_of_atmosphere_layer_due_to_stable_convection:kg
m-2 s-1
> tendency_of_water_vapor_content_of_atmosphere_layer_due_to_turbulence:kg
m-2 s-1
Could you define what "turbulence" and "stable convection" mean, please?
A by A.Ruane: turbulence is "turbulent_mixing" and "stable_convection"
should
really be "stable_moistening" or "non_convective_moistening"
8. You define both these quantities as "energy resulting from shift in
sigma-layer-definition with changing PS". What is the distinction between
the
two of them? Perhaps the second is in a layer?
atmosphere_phis:J m-2
phis:J m-2
Is this a commonly used quantity that needs a standard name? It is
obviously
a model quantity, not an observational one, but it should have a name if
it
is being compared among models. However, we would need to give it a more
self-explanatory name than "phi_s". Could you please describe it in some
more
detail?
A: yes, atmosphere_phis is for whole atmosphere, phis is defined for
layers.
perhaps we can use
energy_residual_due_to_shifting_definition_of_sigma_levels?
9. In these quantities
baseflow_amount:kg m-2
runoff_excluding_baseflow_amount:kg m-2
does "baseflow" mean the flow in rivers which comes from groundwater? You
define baseflow as "surface runoff plus layer runoff minus baseflow",
which
seems contradictory, and the second quantity appears to exclude baseflow a
second time. I haven't grasped the distinctions you are making - could you
clarify, please?
A: baseflow = groundwater flow
runoff_excluding_baseflow = all runoff - baseflow (that means it is
surface + subsurface except groundwater flow)
10.The following come in pairs. What is the distinction between the two
varieties?
Is the shortwave absorption for upwelling or downwelling or both, the last
being the difference between incoming and outgoing TOA SW? How do you
define
the longwave absorption, given that the atmosphere emits as well as
absorbing?
By the energy released by convection do you mean the latent heat released
by
condensation during convection (corresponding to large-scale)? In
condensation
do you include freezing?
rate_of_absorption_of_shortwave_energy:W m-2
atmosphere_rate_of_absorption_of_shortwave_energy:W m-2
rate_of_absorption_of_longwave_energy:W m-2
atmosphere_rate_of_absorption_of_longwave_energy:W m-2
rate_of_energy_released_by_deep_convection:W m-2
atmosphere_rate_of_energy_released_by_deep_convection:W m-2
rate_of_energy_released_by_shallow_convection:W m-2
atmosphere_rate_of_energy_released_by_shallow_convection:W m-2
rate_of_energy_released_by_large_scale_condensation:W m-2
atmosphere_rate_of_energy_released_by_large_scale_condensation:W m-2
I am wondering whether we can use the word "power" in names for these
quantities instead of "rate of X" where X is a kind of energy conversion.
Power (strictly per unit area) is the correct physical term, of course,
but
not often used in meteorology.
A: atmosphere_ is the value for the whole atmosphere, the other one is
layer defined
by A.Ruane: This variables refers
to net radiative effect. That means they refer to the rate of energy
absorbed/emitted in the shortwave spectra, so a layer would have a
positive value if it absorbed more shortwave radiation than it emitted.
Therefore, none of the above options are correct, as it is both upward and
downward shortwave energy. I would call it:
rate_of_absorption_of_net_shortwave_energy: W m-2
This is not the same as a TOA difference, particularly for those
interested in specific atmospheric layers and the vertical column integral
will differ from the TOA difference due to absorption of the land surface
and any discrepancies in the model's radiation budget. The longwave is
described in the same way:
rate_of_absorption_of_net_longwave_energy: W m-2
this may be confusing to some people, as there will often be negative
net absorption (e.g. emission dominating absorption), but it is consistent
with our wording. The clearest alternatives would be to call them:
power_due_to_shortwave_energy: W m-2
power_due_to_longwave_energy: W m-2
11. I'm not clear which "energy" is referred to in
energy_of_atmosphere_layer:J m-2
horizontal_energy_transport_in_air:W m-2
horizontal_atmosphere_energy_transport:W m-2
Is it the moist energy? (See 1st December posting.)
A: energy_of_atmosphere_layer:J m-2 should be
dry_energy_content_of_atmosphere_layer:J m-2 (already in list)
horizontal_dry_energy_transport_in_air:W m-2 for layer-variable and
horizontal_atmosphere_dry_energy_transport:W m-2
12. What energy is being referred to in these quantities?
eastward_energy_flux_in_air; W m-1
upward_energy_flux_in_air; W m-1
northward_energy_flux_in_air; W m-1
A: still open
13.We have atmosphere_energy_content in the table at present, but it is
not
really defined what it means. What do you mean by it in
tendency_of_atmosphere_energy_content:W m-2
A: still open
14. For these
horizontal_enthalpy_transport_in_air:W m-2
horizontal_geopotential_energy_transport_in_air:W m-2
horizontal_kinetic_energy_transport_in_air:W m-2
we already have
tendency_of_atmosphere_enthalpy_content_due_to_advection:W m-2
tendency_of_atmosphere_potential_energy_content_due_to_advection:W m-2
tendency_of_atmosphere_kinetic_energy_content_due_to_advection:W m-2
Are they what you want? If so, what is the difference between these and
the set
horizontal_atmosphere_enthalpy_transport:W m-2
horizontal_atmosphere_geopotential_energy_transport:W m-2
horizontal_atmosphere_kinetic_energy_transport:W m-2
You describe this set as "mass weighted" but I am unclear what distinction
is being made, since both sets of quantities are in W m-2.
A:
instead of
horizontal_atmosphere_enthalpy_transport:W m-2
horizontal_atmosphere_geopotential_energy_transport:W m-2
horizontal_atmosphere_kinetic_energy_transport:W m-2
we can use
tendency_of_atmosphere_enthalpy_content_due_to_advection:W m-2
tendency_of_atmosphere_potential_energy_content_due_to_advection:W m-2
tendency_of_atmosphere_kinetic_energy_content_due_to_advection:W m-2
"mass weighted" is the way of calculation the vertical integral, it is the
normal way, so we don't have to mention it especially
layer variables
horizontal_enthalpy_transport_in_air:W m-2
horizontal_geopotential_energy_transport_in_air:W m-2
horizontal_kinetic_energy_transport_in_air:W m-2
could be then
tendency_of_enthalpy_content_due_to_advection_in_air:W m-2
tendency_of_potential_energy_content_due_to_advection_in_air:W m-2
tendency_of_kinetic_energy_content_due_to_advection_in_air:W m-2
15. two additional soil parameters concerning energy
soil_thermal_capacity; J kg-1 K-1
soil_thermal_conductivity; W m-1 K-1
16. one additional variable concerning water in soil
volume_fraction_of_water_in_soil_at_critical_point
Thanks for your help,
Beate
====================================================
Dr. Beate Geyer
GKSS Research Centre
Institute for Coastal Research
Max-Planck-Str.
D-21502 Geesthacht, Germany
E-Mail: Beate.Geyer at gkss.de
====================================================
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