My thoughts:
Example 1:
>
> ...
variables:
>
> double time(t) ;
> time:units = "hours since 2010-01-01 00:00:00" ;
> time:standard_name = "time" ;
> time:calendar = "gregorian" ;
> time:axis = "T" ;
>
> .... lat/long here ....
>
> float data(t, j, i) ;
> ...
> data:standard_name = "temperature" ;
> data:coordinates = "time lat lon" ;
> ...
> What is this? Is this an analysis? an observation? or something else?
>
That should be specified one way or another in the attributes of the data
variable -- what type of data it is has nothing to do with what time it is
associated with.
the coordinates attribute specifies that the time axis is described by the
"time" variable, and the time attributes specify that it is representing
time, and what units an calendar -- a particular datetime is exactly the
same regardless of whether it's an analysis or observation, etc.
Indeed, one very might have an analysis and measured data corresponding to
the same time - in which case having them share a time variable would make
perfect sense.
Example 2:
>
> ...
> variables:
> double forecast_reference_time(t) ;
> forecast_reference_time:units = "hours since 2010-01-01 00:00:00" ;
> forecast_reference_time:standard_name = "forecast_reference_time"
> ;
>
again, this is a datetime variable, nothing wrong with using the "time"
standard name. There is nothing about the fact that it is being used for a
forecast reference that changes that.
> double leadtime(t) ;
> leadtime:units="hours" ;
> leadtime:standard_name="forecast_period" ;
>
This is NOT a datetime -- it is a time-delta (number of hours -- you can't
map it to a particular date and time) -- not sure what the standard name is
for that, but it should be different than "time", though the units may make
that clear enough.
float data(t, j, i) ;
> ...
> data:standard_name = "temperature" ;
> data:coordinates = "leadtime forecast_reference_time lat lon" ;
> ...
>
here you have a 3D variable with four coordinates -- I think we have a
problem there.
I _think_ what you want is to have the time coordinates of this variable to
be forecast_reference.
The leadtime variable would then be a data variable (not a coordinate
variable) with forecast_reference_time as its coordinate variable.
What is this? is it the forecast done back on the 1st January 2010? or is
> it a hindcast done years later to test the model of today? or is it a
> forecast from a reanalysis dataset, for instance ERA5? or something else?
>
There is only so much one can do with standard names, but if you were to
specify that more, it would be with the attributes of the data variables..
I would tend to think that you'd want to have:
- A time coordinate -- a "Proper" datetime, which is for when the data are
valid.
- A data variable for when the forecast (or hindcast) was produced
- An attribute on the dat variable(s) indicating that it's a hindcast (if
it is) -- probably the long name.
Proper attributes, probably some on the Dataset, that specify all the rest
of it.
>
> extra question for example 2: lets assume it is a hindcast. how will I be
> able to distinguish this hindcast done today from the hindcast I am going
> to do in 5 years time to test the model then? or from the hindcast I did 2
> years ago for that date?
>
How would you distinguish this hindcast from one done by someone else? or
with a different model,? or ???? that all has to be elsewhere in the
metadata somewhere -- none of it has anything to do with the time
coordinate variable, nor is any of is part of the standard name.
I think of it this way -- as this is my use case:
I want the standard names, coordinate variables, etc to be the information
I need to use these model results to drive my oil spill model. In that
case, whether I'm driving it with a forecast or a hindcast, or when it was
done, or what model it was done with, is all irrelevant. My code does the
exact same thing with all of those.
HTH,
-Chris
--
Christopher Barker, Ph.D.
Oceanographer
Emergency Response Division
NOAA/NOS/OR&R (206) 526-6959 voice
7600 Sand Point Way NE (206) 526-6329 fax
Seattle, WA 98115 (206) 526-6317 main reception
Chris.Barker at noaa.gov
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