Dear Jonathan,
Thanks for your comments.
> Thank you for your thoughtfully composed list.
>
> > - toa_reflectance [1]
> is that different from planetary_albedo, already in the table?
>
The quantity I'm referring to is bidirectional, that is depends on the
illumination and viewing conditions. We could add that to the name to
make it more explicit:
toa_bidirectional_reflectance
> The unit dBZ should be dB, I think. dB is not a udunit but we have previously
> agreed to "extend" udunits to include it. The Z doesn't change the definition
> essentially, does it.
>
That's right. dB is perfectly valid.
> > - hydrometeor_effective_radius [m]
> > Hydrometeor is any kind of condensate (liquid water, graupel, ice, rain,
> > etc). This will need a coordinate hydrometeor_type that stores the names
> > of the hydrometeors.
> Why not have separate standard names for them? Do you particularly want to
> have a coordinate dimension for hydrometeor_type?
>
Well, I was trying to make things easier for modelling groups. Not all
models contain the same hydrometeors, so this option gives the
flexibility of including new ones without adding new variable names. If
specific names need to be proposed, then I'd like to add the following
ones:
- effective_radius_of_stratiform_cloud_liquid_water
- effective_radius_of_stratiform_cloud_ice
- effective_radius_of_convective_cloud_liquid_water
- effective_radius_of_convective_cloud_ice
- effective_radius_of_stratiform_cloud_graupel
- effective_radius_of_stratiform_cloud_rainfall
- effective_radius_of_stratiform_cloud_snowfall
- effective_radius_of_convective_cloud_rainfall
- effective_radius_of_convective_cloud_snowfall
> > - attenuated_molecular_backscatter [m-1 sr-1]
> > - attenuated_backscatter [m-1 sr-1]
>
> The standard name table already contains
> volume_backwards_scattering_coefficient_of_radiative_flux_in_sea_water:m-1
> volume_scattering_coefficient_of_radiative_flux_in_sea_water:m-1
> volume_scattering_function_of_radiative_flux_in_sea_water:m-1 sr-1
> volume_attenuation_coefficient_of_downwelling_radiative_flux_in_sea_water:m-1
> and I suspect your quantities might be analogous - do you think so? Could
> attenuated_backscatter be described as
> volume_attenuated_backwards_scattering_function_in_air:m sr-1
> and maybe "molecular" means "due to" something? I'm not an expert at what these
> mean, of course. Does "attenuated backscatter" mean backwards scattering
> followed by attenuation? I have to confess I don't remember what the
> implication of volume_ is in these names. The distinction between
> scattering_coefficient and scattering_function is that the latter is a
> function of angle.
>
The quantities I'm proposing are analogous, but they include the effects
of two-way attenuation of the medium between the source and receiver.
Your suggestion seems ok to me.
"molecular" means considering a molecular atmosphere (no clouds, no
aerosols). I'm not sure how to code this in the name, as
"assuming_clear_sky" is not appropriate. This ideal atmosphere is
sometimes called "pristine sky". Would any of this be acceptable?
volume_attenuated_backwards_scattering_function_in_air_assuming_pristine_sky
volume_attenuated_backwards_scattering_function_in_air_assuming_molecular_atmosphere
> > backscatter_scattering_ratio instead of
> > ratio_of_attenuated_backscatter_to_attenuated_molecular_backscatter.
>
> Perhaps it could be backscattering_ratio, even more simply. That phrase
> is found by Google.
>
backscattering_ratio seems ok to me.
Regards,
Alejandro
--
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Dr Alejandro Bodas-Salcedo Earth Observation Research Scientist
Met Office Hadley Centre
FitzRoy Rd Exeter EX1 3PB United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)1392 886113 Fax: +44 (0)1392 885681
E-mail: alejandro.bodas at metoffice.gov.uk http://www.metoffice.gov.uk
See our guide to climate change at
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climatechange/guide/
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Received on Fri Mar 13 2009 - 10:16:25 GMT
