[CF-metadata] More canonical units or more standard names?

From: Jonathan Gregory <j.m.gregory>
Date: Fri, 12 Apr 2013 19:51:54 +0100

Dear Aleksandar

> toa_outgoing_spectral_radiance
>
> Canonical units: mW m-2 sr-1 (cm-1)-1
>
> Spectral radiance can also be expressed as a function of either
> wavelength or frequency so the problem here is that my proposal would
> prevent using these two alternative forms of an invaluable piece of
> standard name real estate for satellite remote sensing data. One way
> to solve it is to allow more than one canonical units per standard
> name where is justified, or have more than one standard name for the
> same physical quantity.
>
> If having more than one canonical units is deemed too much of a
> radical change ...

Yes, it would be too radical. It is a principle of the standard name table
that if quantities have different physical dimensions, they must be different
physical quantities, and so they have different standard names, as you go
on to suggest. Is it the case that "spectral" is used in spectroscopy to
mean either per unit wavelength or per unit frequency? If so, I think your
suggestion to add these explicit phrases is a good one.

Best wishes

Jonathan
Received on Fri Apr 12 2013 - 12:51:54 BST