I am trying to follow this issue, but don't expect to have much to add. However, the pointer to this email thread (thanks @jonathangregory) particularly caught my eye because I am looking at `cell methods` in a different context (climate indices). In the email thread the [question is asked](https://urldefense.us/v3/__http://mailman.cgd.ucar.edu/pipermail/cf-metadata/2013/016314.html__;!!G2kpM7uM-TzIFchu!i-EDPYAFMIea9XiWM2EEmPIPH1WD2lifILxMn3TlmBVERsP30NRxiUiZLFbotU0dp8P_BhbHbU4$ ) what a statistician would say about the difference (or not) between a mean and a standard deviation. I am pretty sure the answer would be along the lines that the former is a measure of location and the latter is a measure of spread. Whether they are 'geophysical quantities' or 'derived statistics' is another matter, the point is that they are not commensurate.
And measures of spread have a lot of common with uncertainty even though uncertainty is a much more advanced and theoretically sophisticated concept. So, with regard to this issue I think it is relevant to revisit the list of `cell methods` and clarify which are measures of location and of spread, and how they relate to standard names and their canonical units. In particular the latter is important for temperature. This is something that I raised in a [another issue](https://urldefense.us/v3/__https://github.com/cf-convention/discuss/issues/101__;!!G2kpM7uM-TzIFchu!i-EDPYAFMIea9XiWM2EEmPIPH1WD2lifILxMn3TlmBVERsP30NRxiUiZLFbotU0dp8P_n3dFUeM$ ). I do not in any way want to hijack this thread, only point out that there are aspects of standard names, standard name modifiers, and cell methods that are relevant for this thread but might better separated into a conversation over in that issue. -- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread. Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub: https://urldefense.us/v3/__https://github.com/cf-convention/cf-conventions/issues/320*issuecomment-901768540__;Iw!!G2kpM7uM-TzIFchu!i-EDPYAFMIea9XiWM2EEmPIPH1WD2lifILxMn3TlmBVERsP30NRxiUiZLFbotU0dp8P_fstJl5c$ This list forwards relevant notifications from Github. It is distinct from [email protected], although if you do nothing, a subscription to the UCAR list will result in a subscription to this list. To unsubscribe from this list only, send a message to [email protected].
