[CF-metadata] standard names for sea surface roughness variables

From: Jonathan Gregory <j.m.gregory>
Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2018 20:31:05 +0100

Dear Andy

> Re the _mean_square_slope, I was probably over-thinking it. I'd also be happy to lose the magnitude part; i.e. sea_surface_wave_[xy]_mean_square_slope

OK - fine!

> Fabrice highlighted that in addition to the grid x-y reference frame, it a number of users would wish to consider mean_square_slope in an along-across axis reference frame, where the axis used is a variable in its own right (e.g. a dominant slope direction derived from the wave spectrum, or estimated from wind direction). My suspicion is that x-y really implies 'grid' and not 'along-across', so that we would then need to additionally specify something like:
>
> Along: sea_surface_wave_mean_square_slope_parallel_to_dominant_direction
> Across: sea_surface_wave_mean_square_slope_normal_to_dominant_direction
> Directional variable: sea_surface_wave_mean_square_slope_dominant_to_direction

Yes, x and y are grid directions, so you are right, you need different names
for those directions. We have quite a lot of names for waves already with
"direction" but not including "dominant", so can we omit "dominant"? Or does
"dominant" mean the same as "primary" in such existing names?

Best wishes

Jonathan
Received on Wed Sep 26 2018 - 13:31:05 BST