Dear Martin,

Thanks for taking the time to review the proposed names.

On Wed, Apr 17, 2013 at 2:36 AM, Schultz, Martin
<[email protected]> wrote:
> "relative_platform_azimuth_angle" and "relative_platform_azimuth_angle": in 
> my understanding "relative" denotes a (percent) fraction rather than a 
> difference. Therefore, I think this term could be misleading. Wouldn't 
> "platform_azimuth_angle_difference" be more precise?

The term "relative" is also used to describe difference, for example
"relative velocity" is a difference between two velocity vectors.
Using "relative" also keeps those names more familiar to the satellite
data community.

> Out of curiosity: isn't there a need to describe several other 
> platform/sensor/solar/viewing angles?

Several such angles are already in the official table. My proposal
complements that and I have initially used the definitions from those
names as templates.

> I am wondering if "sensor zenith angle" and "sensor look angle" aren't the 
> same, only shifted by 180 degrees.

No, the relationship is not that simple because these angles are
calculated approximating the Earth as an oblate spheroid. Below is a
new definition for sensor_zenith_angle that is hopefully more
graphical and less confusing:

Standard name: sensor_zenith_angle

Definition:
The angle between the line of sight to the sensor and the local zenith
at the observation target; a value of zero is directly overhead the
observation target. Local zenith is a line perpendicular to the
Earth’s surface at a given location. Observation target is a location
on the Earth defined by the sensor performing the observations.

> And, please excuse my ignorance, but 
> "covariance_between_constant_and_linear_terms_of_radiance_per_unit_wavenumber_correction_due_to_intercalibration"
>  does sound rather specific and incomprehensible to me

I agree this standard name is unusual.

> Is this a general concept, or are these variables needed for one specific 
> satellite sensor?

It is a general concept for one way of expressing the uncertainty of
satellite sensor inter-calibration. The CF convention does not
currently have a similar concept and the NetCDF-U convention does not
seem to have matured enough for use.

> Do we run the "danger" to see many more such proposals with other 
> (inter)calibration concepts?

I don't see the "danger"; look how many standard names for atmospheric
chemical compounds are in the table now.

> I think, these definitions require a far more extensive description (i.e. 
> definition), again, for example pointing to a web reference where the sensor 
> concept and/or viewing geometry is described. It may thus be better from the 
> standard_name perspective to try and find a somewhat more generalized term 
> (if this is indeed sensor specific) and require/request a comment attribute 
> which would then detail the exact procedure used. As an extreme (and perhaps 
> unrealistic) suggestion, one could think about 
> "covariance_between_correction_terms_due_to_intercalibration". The comment 
> attribute would then have to specify that these are corrections of 
> "radiance_per_unit_wavenumber", and that the covariance refers to "constant 
> and linear terms".

The approach you outline appears to me as similar to what the NetCDF-U
convention tries to achieve. If this standard name is deemed too
unusual I am fine to drop it from the proposal.

       -Aleksandar
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