[CF-metadata] representing model times in climate models

From: Jon Blower <jdb>
Date: Fri, 30 Mar 2007 09:00:45 +0100

Dear all,

I'm sure this question must have been asked before but I haven't been
able to find an answer. How should time be represented in CF-NetCDF
files that represent model output that doesn't map to a real time -
for example a climate model in which we are more interested in
long-term trends of the model than in the precise time? Often the
time axis is marked as "model years" and thus far we have got around
this by assigning a fictive start date (e.g. the year 3000) to give a
UDUNITS-compatible axis. What is best practice here?

Also, some models use 360-day years, which I guess would confuse a lot of tools.

Regards, Jon

-- 
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Dr Jon Blower              Tel: +44 118 378 5213 (direct line)
Technical Director         Tel: +44 118 378 8741 (ESSC)
Reading e-Science Centre   Fax: +44 118 378 6413
ESSC                       Email: jdb at mail.nerc-essc.ac.uk
University of Reading
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Reading RG6 6AL, UK
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Received on Fri Mar 30 2007 - 02:00:45 BST