Hello CF metadata experts,
I encountered the following pair of variable names in the CF standard
name list:
*
surface_carbon_dioxide_partial_pressure_difference_between_*air_and_sea_water*
and
*
surface_carbon_dioxide_partial_pressure_difference_between_*sea_water_and_air*
AFAICT, these are the same variable -- differing only in sign ... sort
of. Splitting this parameter into two variable names means that users
searching within data discovery portals for this parameter by name are
likely to miss half of the hits, not realizing that it is necessary to
search under two names. Furthermore, the variable names only
ambiguously communicate the sign. The definitions of the names provided
on the CF Web site doesn't clarify the sign:
* /The surface called "surface" means the lower boundary of the
atmosphere. "Water" means water in all phases, including frozen i.e.
ice and snow. The partial pressure of a gaseous constituent of air
is the pressure which it alone would exert with unchanged
temperature and number of moles per unit volume./
and
* /The partial pressure of a dissolved gas in sea water is the partial
pressure in air with which it would be in equilibrium. The partial
pressure of a gaseous constituent of air is the pressure which it
alone would exert with unchanged temperature and number of moles per
unit volume. The surface called "surface" means the lower boundary
of the atmosphere. The chemical formula for carbon dioxide is CO2./
I am wondering if it was accidental (an error) that this parameter was
included under two names./
/ - Steve/
/
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