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[CF-metadata] New standard name for geostrophic ocean velocities

From: Nan Galbraith <ngalbraith>
Date: Tue, 4 Oct 2016 09:07:45 -0400

The definitions below for the term 'geostrophic' may need to be beefed up,
since they're self-referencing..

I had to resort to google: 'A geostrophic current is an oceanic flow in
which
the pressure gradient force is balanced by the Coriolis effect. The
direction
of geostrophic flow is parallel to the isobars, with the high pressure
to the
right of the flow in the Northern Hemisphere, and the high pressure to the
left in the Southern Hemisphere.'

That may be more than we need, but I do think we should expand the
definitions. Users sometimes have to look through these without having
time to check all the terms outside the CF standard names page.

Cheers - Nan


On 9/30/16 8:54 AM, Elodie Fernandez wrote:
>
> Dear all,
>
> I would like to suggest the addition of two new standard_names to
> describe geostrophic sea water velocities. Standard_names exist for
> the surface velocities
> (|surface_geostrophic_eastward_sea_water_velocity <javascript:void(0)>
> and surface_geostrophic_northward_sea_water_velocity
> <javascript:void(0)>), but not for the 3D ones.
>
> Based on existing definitions, I suggest:
>
> - *geostrophic_eastward_sea_water_velocity*
> unit m s-1
> "A velocity is a vector quantity. "Eastward" indicates a vector
> component which is positive when directed eastward (negative
> westward). "Geostrophic" indicates that geostrophic balance is assumed."
>
> - *geostrophic_northward_sea_water_velocity*
> unit m s-1
> "A velocity is a vector quantity. "Northward" indicates a vector
> component which is positive when directed northward (negative
> southward). "Geostrophic" indicates that geostrophic balance is assumed."
>
> |
> Best regards,
> Elodie
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> CF-metadata mailing list
> CF-metadata at cgd.ucar.edu
> http://mailman.cgd.ucar.edu/mailman/listinfo/cf-metadata


-- 
*******************************************************
* Nan Galbraith        Information Systems Specialist *
* Upper Ocean Processes Group            Mail Stop 29 *
* Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution                *
* Woods Hole, MA 02543                 (508) 289-2444 *
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Received on Tue Oct 04 2016 - 07:07:45 BST

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