Dear All,
Using the z co-ordinate to differentiate microwave and infrared radiometer penetration depths doesn't work well as the depth can vary with factors like water column particulate content.
Specifying the instrument is something I have done in parameter descriptions and regretted. The problem is that the instrument specification is being used to describe the phenomenon by inference. I currently think we'd be better finding words to explicitly specify the layers measured. 'skin' and 'sub-skin' work for me provided they are covered by accompanying definitions, but self-defining alternatives like 'micowave_penetrated_layer_sst' may be a better option.
In the case of the diurnal thermocline option is everyone comfortable with the inference that including 'sst' indicates that it's the temperature of the layer above the thermocline we're describing or do we need an 'above' in there?
Cheers, Roy.
>>> "Pamment, JA (Alison)" <J.A.Pamment at rl.ac.uk> 07/19/07 11:59 AM >>>
Dear Jonathan,
>
> > On the other hand, if these two particular quantities are commonly
used
> > remote sensing products whose definition never varies perhaps they
> > should
> > have distinct standard names. I think the deciding factor should be
> > whether it is likely that other, similar quantities are likely to be
> > needed in the future with slightly different depth/frequency
> > characteristics.
>
> I agree with that, but I think that if their defining characteristic
is
> *how*
> they are measured i.e. it is an observational quantity, whose physical
> interpretation is that it is a (sub)skin temperature, then perhaps the
> name
> should indicate how they are measured as being the principal fact
about
> these
> quantities.
>
Are you then suggesting that we should have a name of the form:
sea_water_temperature_measured_by_radiometer
with frequency and depth given as coordinate variables? Or have I
misunderstood?
Best wishes,
Alison
------
Alison Pamment Tel: +44 1235 778065
NCAS/British Atmospheric Data Centre Fax: +44 1235 446314
Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Email: J.A.Pamment at rl.ac.uk
Chilton, Didcot, OX11 0QX, U.K.
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Received on Thu Jul 19 2007 - 08:38:34 BST
