[CF-metadata] CF: new names for atmospheric chemistry and aerosols

From: Jonathan Gregory <j.m.gregory>
Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:52:57 +0100

Dear Martin

Thanks for your email. I am glad of this initiative to achieve a mapping
between GRIB2 and CF in this area.

I think the list of new species is not too large. You are right that we don't
generally try to look ahead too far, and we add things when they are required.
However, it seems appropriate to me to include things which are very likely
to be needed in the near future, when they fit into an obvious framework.

I believe I understand the scientific difference between "lumped" and "total".
The need to be vague for model comparison is also fine within the standard name
table; we give the same name to things that are intended to be comparable. We
already have "nox" in a standard name, for instance. What I am not clear about
is whether the word "lumped" would appear in a standard name, if the "lumped"
group has a name anyway, such as hox and nox.

I think that the "template" names with X in should be included in the guide-
lines for constructions of standard names. This is similar idea to the
section in the guidelines on "Transformations". There are other non-chemical
templates of this kind which should likewise be shown in the guidelines. I had
an earlier exchange on this email list with Martina about the templates; I
think she and I agreed on some modifications to what she had originally
proposed, but no outstanding difficulties.

Best wishes

Jonathan
Received on Thu Sep 25 2008 - 08:52:57 BST