[CF-metadata] RE: Proposed acoustic standard names

From: Jonathan Gregory <j.m.gregory>
Date: Sat, 29 Jul 2006 17:16:25 +0100

Dear Roy

> (1) Specify one dimensionality per chemical parameter and force CF-compliant datasets to use that (interconversions are generally simple providing atomic/molecular weights and water density are known). This is what we do in BODC, serving out data values plus dimensionality conversion factors so users can make their own choice, but it's caused a few "debates".

Individual projects could make their own choices about which quantities they
want to exchange and thus use a restricted list of stdnames. However if we did
this for the standard itself I think it would simply discourage people from
using stdnames if their preferred choice was not supported. I think we have to
have a name for any physically distinct quantity people want to use.

> (2) Be prepared for a flood of Standard Names with 4 per chemical parameter. There's not quite as many chemical species as there are biological species, but it the numbers are orders of magnitude up over physical phenomena.

Yes, I think this is what we have to do. If it gets unmanageable we will have
to devise ways of factorising the information into separate attributes. But
despite the potential flood it has not been a problem yet. The list of chemical
names which will soon be proposed by the ESIP group, for instance, is quite
modest in size.

Best wishes

Jonathan
Received on Sat Jul 29 2006 - 10:16:25 BST