Dear Pierre,
In preparing the update to the standard name table I have been producing
explanations to go with all the new standard names. During this process
I have realised that two of the carbon cycle names really didn't match
their full meanings. This is because, when proposing the names, I think
I had given too much weight to the comments in the CMIP5 output document
regarding various sources of fire and I had overlooked other sources of
carbon emissions such as grazing and crop harvesting.
(1) We had agreed the name
surface_net_downward_flux_of_carbon_dioxide_expressed_as_carbon_due_to_p
hotosynthesis_and_respiration_and_fires_including_land_use_change
but I see now that in an earlier email you explained that the quantity
should cover all land processes, including grazing, harvesting and
natural fires which aren't mentioned in the name. Rather than adding
further processes to the already long list I have changed this name to
surface_net_downward_mass_flux_of_carbon_dioxide_expressed_as_carbon_due
_to_all_land_processes.
(2) In a similar vein I have changed the agreed name
surface_net_downward_mass_flux_of_carbon_dioxide_expressed_as_carbon_due
_to_photosynthesis_and_respiration_and_fires_excluding_land_use_change
to
surface_net_downward_mass_flux_of_carbon_dioxide_expressed_as_carbon_due
_to_all_land_processes_excluding_anthropogenic_land_use_change.
(3)
The modified names are now more consistent with the agreed name
surface_net_upward_mass_flux_of_carbon_dioxide_expressed_as_carbon_due_t
o_emission_from_anthropogenic_land_use_change
which I have left unchanged.
You explained in your email that the relationship between the three
quantities is
(1) = (2) - (3).
I think that these names are now shorter and clearer and the
relationship between them is more obvious. (I have included information
about their relationship in the explanatory text of each name, as well
as a full list of the processes included in "all land processes"). The
names are now more consistent with their meanings because "all land
processes" includes grazing, crop harvesting and natural fires. I have
assumed that "all land processes" does NOT include surface based fossil
fuel emissions - is that correct? As it includes anthropogenic land use
change I assume that will include the fate of wood products - is that
also correct?
For consistency with names (2) and (3) above, I have made sure that all
names referring to land use change contain the string
"anthropogenic_land_use_change". This means that
carbon_content_of_products_of_land_use_change
has become
carbon_content_of_products_of_anthropogenic_land_use_change
and
tendency_of_atmosphere_carbon_dioxide_expressed_as_carbon_content_due_to
_emission_from_fires_excluding_land_use_change
has become
tendency_of_atmosphere_carbon_dioxide_expressed_as_carbon_content_due_to
_emission_from_fires_excluding_anthropogenic_land_use_change.
I believe that these changes constitute an improvement and I have gone
ahead and included the names in the table update. However, if you
disagree please let me know and we can revert to the versions of the
names agreed earlier. Apologies for the very late notification, but
occasionally it is only when I come to write the precise wording of the
explanations that I realise the full implications of the names.
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 Tue Oct 12 2010 - 07:01:48 BST
