[CF-metadata] standard_name for coordinate variable corresponding to complex parts (real and imaginary)

From: Jonathan Gregory <j.m.gregory>
Date: Fri, 9 Jul 2010 07:58:09 +0100

Dear Bryan

I may have overemphasised the point that you might be interested in only one
of the amplitude and phase. My main point is you might want to express a FT
as amplitude and phase, rather than real and imaginary. Since amplitude and
phase don't have the same units, I think it would be against CF conventions
to give them the same standard name and put them in the same data variable.
The same treatment should apply to real and imaginary. But you might not agree
with that argument on grounds of consistency.

Although it may look clunky, I think using standard names to distinguish the
two parts of the FT is actually clearer - more self-describing - than using an
index coordinate variable with arbitrary values (such as 0=real 1=imaginary -
or would it be the other way round - and what if they are amplitude and phase?)
to do it. That's another reason for my preference.

Best wishes

Jonathan
Received on Fri Jul 09 2010 - 00:58:09 BST