[CF-metadata] Sea water velocity (ADCP error velocity)

From: Jonathan Gregory <j.m.gregory>
Date: Sat, 17 Oct 2009 12:13:27 +0100

Dear Nan

> The CF definition of standard_error is: "The uncertainty of the data
> value. The standard error includes both systematic and statistical
> uncertainty."
>
> We use this term much more narrowly, i.e. the std dev / sqrt(N).
> This value would be considerably different from the ADCP's
> calculated error_velocity.

I believe "standard error" is a general term for the standard deviation of the
error of estimates in a particular quantity. Your formula is the standard error
of the population mean, but I think the term is equally applicable to the
random error in the results from a single sensor (= std dev in your formula
= ADCP's error velocity). If the data variable was the mean of several
independent measurements, its standard error would be smaller, according to
the formula. So I think it's fine to use the existing modifier.

Best wishes

Jonathan
Received on Sat Oct 17 2009 - 05:13:27 BST