Thanks Chris,

Totally agree - I was planning to say exactly this in a posting later today.


Actually the SeaOWL measures both fluorescence and backscatter, but that's 
nit-picking. Chlorophyll fluorometers have Standard Names pertaining to 
chlorophyll concentration - it's the geophysical phenomenon resulting 
post-calibration that counts. In the case of the SeaOWL this is described in 
the instrument specification as 'crude oil'.


Note that I wasn't suggesting ONLY fulfilling the SeaOWL use case, just getting 
something in place quickly that covers it. Covering other use cases - without 
going too generic - is all to the good in my view.


So, I'm still rooting for 'mass_fraction_of_crude_oil_in_sea_water' or 
'mass_concentration_of_crude_oil_in_sea_water'.


Cheers, Roy.


Please note that I partially retired on 01/11/2015. I am now only working 7.5 
hours a week and can only guarantee e-mail response on Wednesdays, my day in 
the office. All vocabulary queries should be sent to [email protected]. 
Please also use this e-mail if your requirement is urgent.


________________________________
From: CF-metadata <[email protected]> on behalf of Chris Barker 
<[email protected]>
Sent: 05 July 2016 22:09
To: Jonathan Gregory
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [CF-metadata] New standard name for 
mass_fraction_of_petroleum_in_sea_water

On Mon, Jul 4, 2016 at 1:57 PM, Jonathan Gregory 
<[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
Thanks - I understand. In choosing CF standard names we generally assume that
the intention is to be comprehensive by default, and we add more words in order
to be specific, for example atmosphere_optical_thickness_due_to_cloud means
all kinds of cloud, and atmosphere_optical_thickness_due_to_convective_cloud
is more restrictive. Omitting "total" in your name would be consistent with
this pattern, in order to mean all phases.

Indeed -- however, the "total" in "total petroleum hydrocarbons" is very much 
part of the name in common usage. And I think the "total" refers both to phase: 
droplets vs dissolved, and also to the multiple compounds and classes of 
compound, like in contrast, with, say" Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon" (PAH). 
So I say we keep the "total" in the name.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_petroleum_hydrocarbon

If someone is concerned about what the instrument measures, I'd ask someone 
technical at the company of TPH captures it for them.

(after all, what the instrument REALLY measures is Fluorescence...)


-CHB

--

Christopher Barker, Ph.D.
Oceanographer

Emergency Response Division
NOAA/NOS/OR&R            (206) 526-6959   voice
7600 Sand Point Way NE   (206) 526-6329   fax
Seattle, WA  98115       (206) 526-6317   main reception

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