[CF-metadata] snow temperature

[Karl Taylor]

Dear all,

Actually, the standard name "surface_temperature" refers, I believe, to 
the "skin" temperature at the interface between the atmosphere, and 
whatever solid or liquid surface underlies it (i.e., sea ice, ocean, 
snow, glacial ice, bare land, vegetated land, etc), so 
surface_temperature and surface_temperature_where_snow would be 
identical if an entire region were snow covered.  If you have a 
grid-cell (or a larger region) over which you want to characterize a 
snow surface temperature, distinct from the temperature of the snow-free 
  portion, then we do indeed need a new name.

I note that we define sea_surface_temperature, so that we can 
characterize ocean surface temperature distinct from surface temperature 
where there is seaice or land.   Actually, I am not absolutely sure 
whether sea_surface_temperature should be an average of the surface 
temperature of the ocean only in areas where it is in direct contact 
with the atmosphere, or if the surface of the ocean under sea ice 
(presumably at the freezing point) should also contribute. I would vote 
for the first definition.

regards,
Karl

Burkhardt.Rockel at gkss.de wrote:
> 
> Dear All,
> 
> I need to define the surface temperature (i.e. the temperature at the 
> interface between snow and atmosphere, this is NOT the bulk snow 
> temperature) for the part of the model grid box covered by snow.
> I propose a the following standard name for it:
> 
> surface_temperature_where_snow (K)
> 
> is this ok?
> 
> Regards
> Burkhardt
> 
> 
> 
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