[CF-metadata] new standard name request for pH

From: Jonathan Gregory <j.m.gregory>
Date: Tue, 28 Apr 2009 08:31:40 +0100

Dear John

There is a large backlog of standard name proposals at present, which Alison
is working through.

>From an inexpert point of view, I believed that pH always measured hydrogen ion
concentration, what you call "free scale". It's interesting to learn that it's
more complicated than that. Nonetheless, it might be useful to have a
standard name of sea_water_pH, for cases where users do not wish to be precise,
for instance for model data that does not represent the complex chemistry of
sea water, so that these distinctions cannot be drawn.

For the more specific applications, I would propose that we introduce names
as they are required, as usual. You require "total scale" at present.

I have a difficulty with "free scale", "total scale" and "seawater scale", that
these terms, while no doubt well-known to experts, do not convey information
to non-experts about what the distinction is. I would suggest that it would be
more helpful to have names that indicate that the pH measures H+ only, H+ and
HSO4-, or H+ HSO4- and HF, respectively, as your definitions indicate.

Best wishes

Jonathan
Received on Tue Apr 28 2009 - 01:31:40 BST