Dear All,
There is a need to introduce a number of new standard names to describe
the output from carbon cycle models which will form part of the CMIP5
project. The attached spreadsheet lists the proposed name, unit and a
brief explanation for each new model output quantity.
The list of quantities and their explanations are taken from the most
recently published version of the CMIP5 outputs document, dated 8 July
2010 - see
http://cmip-pcmdi.llnl.gov/cmip5/output_req.html?submenuheader=2#req_lis
t. My understanding is that Pierre Friedlingstein coordinated the
effort to define the list of required carbon cycle outputs. I have
based the proposed names on the current CMIP5 document and email
comments on earlier versions.
I have tried as far as possible to ensure consistency between the
current proposals and existing standard names. For the land-atmosphere
carbon flux quantities (rows 4, 7-11 and 31-32) I have given two
alternative proposals for each name. This is because these quantities
can be regarded either as surface fluxes of carbon, or as tendencies in
the atmosphere carbon content. For the many existing atmospheric
chemistry names it was decided to take the latter approach, e.g.
tendency_of_atmosphere_mass_content_of_ammonia_due_to_emission.
However, for the purposes of modelling the carbon cycle it may be more
convenient to regard the quantities as fluxes. Personally, I would find
either approach acceptable as long as we adopt a consistent standard for
dealing with these names. I think that the quantities listed in rows
24-30 can all be described using the existing standard name
area_fraction accompanied by a coordinate variable or scalar coordinate
with standard name of area_type. A number of new additions to the
area_type table are proposed to accommodate these quantities. I am
unsure of the definition of the quantity in row 6 of the table (products
of land use change) and would welcome any help in clarifying the
explanation.
Comments on all these names are now invited.
Best wishes,
Alison
------
Alison Pamment Tel: +44 1235 778065
NCAS/British Atmospheric Data Centre Fax: +44 1235 446314
Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Email: alison.pamment at stfc.ac.uk
Chilton, Didcot, OX11 0QX, U.K.
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Received on Thu Jul 15 2010 - 00:41:07 BST
