[CF-metadata] Adding new standard names for satellite altimetry

From: Jonathan Gregory <j.m.gregory>
Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2008 18:11:39 +0100

Dear Olivier

> backward(s)_scattering_coefficient
> (I think it is better not to name it with no reference to the kind of surface, because backscattering coefficient can be used in satellite altimetry to study ice sheets, for example. Moreover some flags are used to discriminate if measurement is on ocean or land.)

OK. Could we put just "surface_" then (not "sea_surface_")? Scattering is also
possible within the atmosphere, and it is useful to distinguish.

> The only point where I have doubts is about the pair:
> mean_sea_surface_height_above_reference_ellipsoid (m)
> mean_sea_surface_height_above_geoid (m)
>
> Well, I already thought about using cell_methods, but I am not sure it is a good idea: the dataset is based in grid points, and actually the data themselves are not obtained by averaging sea_surface_height data (in facts it is a more complex computing). That's why I think maybe we should introduce standard names for these parameters too..Shouldn't we?

I am not clear yet what you mean. Is it a mean/average? If it is not a mean,
it doesn't seem logical to say "mean", whether in the standard name or the
cell_methods. "mean" is still all right, however, if it includes weights of
some kind. cell_methods does not specify precisely how the mean is calculated.
Could you explain a bit more about what the calculation is, to clarify this
point? How would you define it in more words?

Best wishes

Jonathan
Received on Thu Apr 10 2008 - 11:11:39 BST