[CF-metadata] new standard name: land_surface_skin_temperature

From: Jonathan Gregory <j.m.gregory>
Date: Fri, 7 Jun 2013 08:47:11 +0100

Dear Jonathan W

> If my interpretation of all of the surface temperature names is
> correct, then there may need to be a modification to the current
> definition of "sea_surface_temperature." In particular, this
> definition states "It is the temperature of sea water near the
> surface (including the part under sea-ice, if any), and not the skin
> temperature, whose standard name is surface_temperature." However,
> it seems to me that the "surface_temperature" is the
> atmosphere/medium interface temperature, and not the temperature of
> the medium below the interface (e.g. the skin temperature). So, I'm
> wondering if the above sentence in quotes incorrectly refers to the
> "surface_temperature" when perhaps it should refer to the
> "sea_surface_skin_temperature"?

Yes, I think you are right. This definition of sea_surface_temperature may
predate the introduction of sea_surface_skin_temperature. The SST is neither
the true interface temperature (for which the name is surface_temperature) nor
the "skin" temperature, but a bulk temperature applying to a rather ill-defined
upper layer of the ocean. There isn't a land analogue for SST.

If land skin temperature is different from surface_temperature of the
interface, a new name is needed for it, I agree.

Cheers

Jonathan
Received on Fri Jun 07 2013 - 01:47:11 BST