[CF-metadata] CMIP6 data request: Precipitation of solid phase water

From: Martin Juckes - UKRI STFC <martin.juckes>
Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2018 11:46:50 +0000

Dear All,


The CMIP6 data request includes a request for a variable representing the precipitation flux of water in a solid phase (including snow and ice). This variable was also in CMIP5. The current CMIP6 data request follows CMIP5 usage in adopting the standard name "snowfall_flux" for this variable, which is not really correct. There may have been a time when all solid precipitation in CMIP models was snow, but I think we need a more precise name now.


We have "rainfall_flux" for precipitation of liquid phase water, but in other terms the construction "liquid_water" is used to refer to the liquid phase, e.g. "mass_concentration_of_liquid_water_in_air", so "solid_water" is a natural extension.


I propose a new standard name for solid phase precipitation:


precipitation_flux_of_solid_water [kg m-2 s-1]

In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics. "solid_water" refers to all forms of the solid phase of water.


regards,

Martin
Received on Tue Apr 03 2018 - 05:46:50 BST