Dear Beate,
Here, at last, are my responses to your current requests 1-16.
1. Resolved.
upward|downward_heat_flux_at_ground_level_in_snow are already in the table.
2. atmosphere_eastward|northward_stress_due_to_diffusion; Pa
Sorry I missed this item before.
> > 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.
>
> The momentum fluxes as well as the other vertical fluxes are positive
> when downwards in ECMWF convention.
For consistency with the surface stress names I think we should call these:
atmosphere_downward_eastward_stress_due_to_diffusion; Pa
atmosphere_downward_northward_stress_due_to_diffusion; Pa
3. Resolved.
soil_suction_at_saturation; Pa
will go into the table at the next revision.
4. Resolved.
volume_fraction_of_sand_in_soil; 1
volume_fraction_of_clay_in_soil; 1
volume_fraction_of_silt_in_soil; 1
will go into the table at the next revision.
5. stomatal_resistance; Maximum stomatal resistance; s m-1
stomatal_resistance; Minimum stomatal resistance; s m-1
I have given this a lot of thought and come up with a possible solution. I have have moved discussion of this particular proposal to a separate thread: "Standard name - Stomatal resistance" so that hopefully more people will look at my suggested solution and give their comments.
6. Resolved.
surface_direct_downwelling_photosynthetic_radiative_flux_in_air; Wm-2
surface_diffuse_downwelling_photosynthetic_radiative_flux_in_air; Wm-2
will go into the table at the next revision.
7. tendency_of_atmosphere_water_vapor_content_due_to_turbulence:kg m-2 s-1
tendency_of_water_vapor_content_of_atmosphere_layer_due_to_turbulence:kg m-2
s-1
will go into the table at the next revision.
tendency_of_atmosphere_water_vapor_content_due_to_stable_convection:kg m-2 s-1 tendency_of_water_vapor_content_of_atmosphere_layer_due_to_stable_convection:kg m-2 s-1
Alison wrote:
> I'm afraid I'm still not clear exactly what is meant by
> "stable_moistening" or "non_convective_moistening" - is this moistening
> due to advection or perhaps vertical advection in particular?
Answer from A.Ruane:
> "Convection is by definition unstable, so stable convection is not
> proper (my apologies if there was confusion). ?Stable_moistening or
> non_convective_moistening make more sense (let's go with
> non_convective_moistening) because this covers situations where moistening
> occurs without convection present (for example, condensation resulting
> from longwave cooling)."
> New proposals could be:
>tendency_of_atmosphere_water_vapor_content_due_to_non_convective_moistening: kg m-2 s-1
>tendency_of_water_vapor_content_of_atmosphere_layer_due_to_non_convective_moistening: kg m-2 s-1
Thank you for the additional information - I am beginning to understand better the purpose of these names. However, I feel that we still need a precise definition of exactly which processes are included and excluded. Clearly, this term excludes convection and presumably also turbulence. Does it also specifically exclude changes due to advection and diffusion. Does it include, for example, phase changes due to large-scale cloud/precipitation? I am also worried that a name that includes the phrase "non_convective_moistening" could be taken to mean "moistening due to any process other than convection" and I don't think that is what is intended.
8. Resolved.
change_in_atmosphere_energy_content_due_to_change_in_sigma_coordinate_wrt_surface_pressure: J m-2
change_in_energy_content_of_atmosphere_layer_due_to_change_in_sigma_coordinate_wrt_surface_pressure: J m-2
will go into the table at the next revision.
9. baseflow_amount; kg m-2
runoff_excluding_baseflow; kg m-2
Beate wrote:
> subsurface runoff in hydrology is divided in two parts: interflow
> (relative fast response to precipitation) and baseflow
> this page could help to clarify:
> http://www.usace.army.mil/usace-docs/eng-manuals/em1110-2-1417/c-8.pdf
Thank you for the helpful reference. My understanding now of these terms is that
(total) runoff = surface runoff + subsurface runoff
and
subsurface runoff = baseflow + interflow
where baseflow is essentially flow from below the water table, i.e., through underground aquifers.
Based on this understanding, I think the names originally proposed sound fine and it is just the definitions that seemed confusing. I think, therefore, that we should have
baseflow_amount; kg m-2; subsurface runoff due to flow along aquifers below the level of the water table;
runoff_excluding_baseflow; kg m-2; surface runoff plus subsurface runoff excluding baseflow.
Do you agree?
10. atmosphere_net_rate_of_absorption_of_shortwave|longwave_energy: W m-2
net_rate_of_absorption_of_shortwave|longwave_energy_in_atmosphere_layer:
W m-2
will go into the table at the next revision.
A.Ruane wrote:
> "I believe I cleared up the convection/condensation questions
> above, but maybe we should indicate that it is latent energy that is being
> released."
> new proposals could be: ?
> rate_of_atmosphere_latent_energy_released_by_deep_convection: W m-2
> rate_of_latent_energy_in_atmosphere_layer_released_by_deep_convection: W m-2
> rate_of_atmosphere_latent_energy_released_by_shallow_convection: W m-2
> rate_of_latent_energy_in_atmosphere_layer_released_by_shallow_convection: W m-2
> rate_of_atmosphere_latent_energy_released_by_non_convective_moistening: W m-2
>rate_of_latent_energy_in_atmosphere_layer_released_by_non_convective_moistening: W m-2
With some slight rewording I think the names relating to deep and shallow convection should be:
atmosphere_rate_of_latent_energy_release_due_to_deep_convection; W m-2
rate_of_latent_energy_release_in_atmosphere_layer_due_to_deep_convection; W m-2
atmosphere_rate_of_latent_energy_release_due_to_shallow_convection; W m-2
rate_of_latent_energy_release_in_atmosphere_layer_due_to_shallow_convection; W m-2
Apologies if you have answered this point already, but in the latent heat release do you include both condensation and freezing?
As I explained in item (7) I am concerned that the phrase "non_convective moistening" could be taken to mean "moistening due to any process other than convection". I assume that, as in (7) these names will be used when phase changes occur due to radiative heating/cooling. Will they also include phase changes due to large-scale cloud/precipitation?
11. Resolved.
horizontal_atmosphere_dry_energy_transport:W m-2
horizontal_dry_energy_transport_in_atmosphere_layer:W m-2
will go into the table at the next revision.
12. eastward_dry_energy_flux_in_air; W m-1
upward_dry_energy_flux_in_air; W m-1
northward_dry_energy_flux_in_air; W m-1
The use of the term "flux" in a standard name implies "per unit area" but that would require units of W m-2; the use of W m-1 would seem to imply a transport of energy across unit distance. Please can you clarify what is needed here?
13. Resolved.
tendency_of_atmosphere_dry_energy_content; Wm-2
will go into the table at the next revision.
14. Resolved.
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 already in the table.
tendency_of_enthalpy_content_of_atmosphere_layer_due_to_advection:W m-2
tendency_of_potential_energy_content_of_atmosphere_layer_due_to_advection:W m-2
tendency_of_kinetic_energy_content_of_atmosphere_layer_due_to_advection:W m-2
will go into the table at the next revision.
15. Resolved.
soil_thermal_capacity; J kg-1 K-1
soil_thermal_conductivity; W m-1 K-1
will go into the table at the next revision.
16. volume_fraction_of_water_in_soil_at_critical_point
Beate wrote:
> definition of critical point comes from hydrology it is something like
> wilting point, I'll search for appropriate literature
I would appreciate it if you could supply a reference.
Thank you for your patience in awaiting these responses. I feel that we are close to resolving all these items now.
Kind regards,
Alison
------
Alison Pamment Tel: +44 1235 778065
NCAS/British Atmospheric Data Centre Fax: +44 1235 445858
Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Email: J.A.Pamment at rl.ac.uk
Chilton, Didcot, OX11 0QX, U.K.
Received on Thu Jul 06 2006 - 07:11:24 BST
