[CF-metadata] Two-variable integer Time in CF?

From: Jonathan Gregory <j.m.gregory>
Date: Mon, 5 Nov 2007 10:18:09 +0000

Dear Frank

> Currently, people are using the CF time string for any one of the time
> fields I mentioned. So far, it is left unspecified as to what the time
> value actually represents. The start?, the middle? the end?. In the
> future, CF compliance should require the use of more than one, ambigious,
> time stamp.

I think the best way to address that is to give the various times different
standard names. We currently have only "time" and "forecast_reference_time" in
the standard name table, but there is no reason not to define other kinds of
time. Just as there are many physically distinct quantities measured in W m-2,
distinguished by standard name, so there are many different quantities with
time units.

best wishes

Jonathan
Received on Mon Nov 05 2007 - 03:18:09 GMT