[CF-metadata] the need to store lat/lon coordinates in a CF metadata compliant netCDF file

From: Jonathan Gregory <j.m.gregory>
Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2011 11:00:05 +0100

Dear Dave

I sympathise with your concerns about the consequences of missing datums but
I don't think CF can help a lot.

> Are there any arguments against CF recommending a standard datum assumption when intersecting data without a datum specified with data that does have a datum specified?

I don't think that's the role of CF. CF is a convention whereby people can
provide accurate and complete metadata for their data. If the data provider
doesn't have a real-world datum that could be specified, it is not appropriate
for CF to suggest what it should be, I would argue. In fact, most parts of CF
are optional. People may choose not to describe their data with standard_names
for example. They are not mandatory, but of course it makes the data less
useful if they are not supplied. I think the best can be done, rather as
Balaji suggests, is for software that reads CF files to emit warnings about
metadata which could have been included but isn't, so that analysts are aware.

Best wishes

Jonathan
Received on Thu Jul 28 2011 - 04:00:05 BST