[CF-metadata] Standard Names for: Ocean Kinetic Energy and Relative Vorticity

From: Jonathan Gregory <j.m.gregory>
Date: Thu, 27 Nov 2014 14:17:41 +0000

Dear Napoleon

> Ocean Kinetic Energy
> standard name: ocean_kinetic_energy
> unit: m2 s-2

With those units, this is specific kinetic energy i.e. per unit mass. There is
an existing stdname for this quantity viz specific_kinetic_energy_of_sea_water.

> Ocean Relative Vorticy
> standard name: ocean_relative_vorticity
> unit: s-1

That's analogous to atmosphere_relative_vorticity so I think it's fine.

> Gravity Potential Gradient
> standard name: gravity_potential_gradient
> unit: s-2

There is an existing stdname of specific_gravitational_potential_energy
in J kg-1 = m2 s-2. Since taking a gradient has a sign and direction, your
quantity could be called
  upward_derivative_of_specific_gravitational_potential_energy
for consistency with other names for derivatives, and it's in m s-2, isn't it?
- not s-2. However this quantity could also, more familiarly, be called the
acceleration_due_to_gravity i.e. g. Is it g you mean? I suppose g is the
vertical derivative of geopotential, which isn't quite the same as GPE. Are
you making a distinction here?

> Radius from Geocenter
> standard_name: radius_from_geocenter
> unit: m

I would suggest calling this distance_from_geocentre. A radius is a property
of a geometrical figure, not a distance between two points.

Best wishes

Jonathan
Received on Thu Nov 27 2014 - 07:17:41 GMT