Dear Ben Thanks for your comment.
> >> You are right regarding the calculation - we are using a statistical model > >> of the relationship between monthly rainfall and return period that was > >> developed many years ago by a colleague from an analysis of 60 years > >> of historical data. > [...] > > Right. So it is reasonable to describe it as a conversion of precipitation > > amount to probability, I think. > > > It would be useful to know if anyone else reading this has a view on my > > suggestion of precipitation_amount_converted_to_cumulative_probability. > > Yes, I have a slightly more general view of this. I think it is not so useful > to try to include the whole or part of the data processing that produced the > values _as part of the variable name itself_. For many practical applications > it is most relevant for its use to know what the data _is_, not where it came > from or how in details how it came about. > > Thus with this particular case as example I would rather have preferred > something more direct like one of these: > > precipitation_amount_cumulative_probability > precipitation_cumulative_probability > cumulative_precipitation_probability cumulative_probability_distribution_of_precipitation_amount would be OK in this case, but I didn't suggest that because Dan isn't really using it as a CDF, so that could be confusing. However it would be more general if phrased that way, and so could be preferable. cumulative_precipitation_probability would be too general, I think. For the purpose required, it must indicate it is precipitation amount. If it was a PDF, you could not have a standard name of probability_density_function, because the units depend on the quantity of which it is a PDF, and therefore there must be different standard name for PDFs of precipitation_amount and air_temperature, for example. We have a standard_name guidelines for PDF names and (non-cumulative) probability distributions, but not for CDF names (presumably because the need has not arisen before). Best wishes Jonathan _______________________________________________ CF-metadata mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.cgd.ucar.edu/mailman/listinfo/cf-metadata
