[CF-metadata] new standard names: day, night, and day/night terminator area_fractions

From: Jonathan Gregory <j.m.gregory>
Date: Fri, 3 Jan 2014 16:53:22 +0000

Dear Randy

Thanks for this proposal. If I understand it correctly, you divide time (and
hence area) into day, night and something intermediate (twilight, I suppose).
Since you have to define these three in terms of solar zenith angle, maybe it
would be simpler to have just one standard_name. Looking at the guidelines, I
think this quantity could reasonably be called
  probability_distribution_of_solar_zenith_angle
with a coordinate of solar_zenith_angle as you say, but perhaps "probability"
doesn't convey the right impression in this case. It could be called
  area_fraction_as_a_function_of_solar_zenith_angle
We haven't used the phrase as_a_function_of before, although it's a common
phrase, so I'm wondering if there is something we have used before that would
convey the same meaning. Perhaps simply
  area_fraction_of_solar_zenith_angle
would work?

Best wishes

Jonathan

> I would like to propose the following three standard names in support of
> our environmental products generated from observation data.
>
> day_area_fraction
>
> "X_area_fraction" means the fraction of horizontal area occupied by X.
> "X_area" means the horizontal area occupied by X within the grid cell. A
> coordinate variable of solar_zenith_angle with boundaries indicating the
> day extent should be specified.
>
>
>
> night_area_fraction
>
> "X_area_fraction" means the fraction of horizontal area occupied by X.
> "X_area" means the horizontal area occupied by X within the grid cell. A
> coordinate variable of solar_zenith_angle with boundaries indicating the
> night extent should be specified.
>
>
>
> day_night_terminator_area_fraction
>
> "X_area_fraction" means the fraction of horizontal area occupied by X.
> "X_area" means the horizontal area occupied by X within the grid cell. A
> coordinate variable of solar_zenith_angle with boundaries indicating the
> terminator extent should be specified.
>
>
>
> happy new year !
>
> very respectfully,
>
> randy
Received on Fri Jan 03 2014 - 09:53:22 GMT