[CF-metadata] CF names / inherent optical properties in seawater

[John Graybeal]

Does the radiation ever get accumulated over the range of wavelengths,  
for example, "Total visible radiation"?  That seems quite different  
than totaling all the temperatures measured in an area, which is a  
discrete mathematical summation (or else is called by some other unit  
like 'heat energy'?).  Would suggest the 'area' analogy doesn't apply  
well to wavelengths.

John


On Sep 28, 2009, at 12:23 AM, Jonathan Gregory wrote:

> Dear Frederic
>
>> The inherent optical properties in marine optics, absorption and  
>> scattering,
>> are the absorptance and scatterance per unit distance in the  
>> medium, and
>> expressed in m^-1. If they are expressed at a given wavelength  
>> (spectral
>> quantities), then these quantities are all spectral, but the unit  
>> is not
>> affected.
>
> I would argue that the quantity is not really affected either. The  
> difference
> is whether it's a broad or a narrow wavelength range, isn't it. If the
> wavelength range is restricted, this is indicated by specifying it,  
> using a
> coordinate of radiation_wavelength. It seems to me this is rather  
> analogous
> to, for instance, temperature at a point versus temperature averaged  
> over an
> area.  We use the same standard names for temperature regardless of  
> this
> distinction, which is instead indicated by coordinate ranges and  
> cell_methods.
>
> Best wishes
>
> Jonathan
> _______________________________________________
> CF-metadata mailing list
> CF-metadata at cgd.ucar.edu
> http://mailman.cgd.ucar.edu/mailman/listinfo/cf-metadata


---------------
John Graybeal
Marine Metadata Interoperability Project: http://marinemetadata.org
graybeal at marinemetadata.org