[CF-metadata] Representing Matlab time in a CF-Metadata compliant file

[Godin, Michael]

I'd like to convert some files from Matlab to NetCDF formats with as little modification of the data as possible. 

I am running into some ambiguity with dates formatted according to the Matlab convention where 1.0 == Jan 1, 0000.  Since Matlab assumes a year "0", and UDUnits does not, should the time units for Matlab dates be "days since -0002-12-31"?  While it seems correct, I haven't seen anyone else use such units.

Thanks, Mike

_____________________________________________
Michael A. Godin
Software Engineer
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
Phone: 831-775-2063  http://www.mbari.org