Update for CF Version:52
soil_pool
Unit:
Unit ref: XXXX
A variable with the standard name of soil_pool contains strings which indicate the character of the soil pool classified according to the decay rate of the organic carbon material it contains. These strings have not yet been standardised.
ocean_mixed_layer_thickness_defined_by_sigma_theta
Unit: m
Unit ref: ULAA
The ocean mixed layer is the upper part of the ocean, regarded as being well-mixed. The base of the mixed layer defined by temperature, sigma or sigma_theta is the level at which the quantity indicated differs from its surface value by a certain amount. A coordinate variable or scalar coordinate variable with standard name sea_water_sigma_theta_difference can be used to specify the sigma_theta criterion that determines the layer thickness.
mole_content_of_carbon_monoxide_in_atmosphere_layer
Unit: mol m-2
Unit ref: MLM2
"Content" indicates a quantity per unit area. The "content_of_X_in_atmosphere_layer" refers to the vertical integral between two specified levels in the atmosphere. "Layer" means any layer with upper and lower boundaries that have constant values in some vertical coordinate. There must be a vertical coordinate variable indicating the extent of the layer(s). If the layers are model layers, the vertical coordinate can be model_level_number, but it is recommended to specify a physical coordinate (in a scalar or auxiliary coordinate variable) as well. For the mole content integrated from the surface to the top of the atmosphere, standard names including "atmosphere_mole_content_of_X" are used. The chemical formula for carbon monoxide is CO.
mole_content_of_methane_in_atmosphere_layer
Unit: mol m-2
Unit ref: MLM2
"Content" indicates a quantity per unit area. The "content_of_X_in_atmosphere_layer" refers to the vertical integral between two specified levels in the atmosphere. "Layer" means any layer with upper and lower boundaries that have constant values in some vertical coordinate. There must be a vertical coordinate variable indicating the extent of the layer(s). If the layers are model layers, the vertical coordinate can be model_level_number, but it is recommended to specify a physical coordinate (in a scalar or auxiliary coordinate variable) as well. For the mole content integrated from the surface to the top of the atmosphere, standard names including "atmosphere_mole_content_of_X" are used. The chemical formula for methane is CH4. Methane is a member of the group of hydrocarbons known as alkanes. There are standard names for the alkane group as well as for some of the individual species.
mole_content_of_nitrogen_dioxide_in_atmosphere_layer
Unit: mol m-2
Unit ref: MLM2
"Content" indicates a quantity per unit area. The "content_of_X_in_atmosphere_layer" refers to the vertical integral between two specified levels in the atmosphere. "Layer" means any layer with upper and lower boundaries that have constant values in some vertical coordinate. There must be a vertical coordinate variable indicating the extent of the layer(s). If the layers are model layers, the vertical coordinate can be model_level_number, but it is recommended to specify a physical coordinate (in a scalar or auxiliary coordinate variable) as well. For the mole content integrated from the surface to the top of the atmosphere, standard names including "atmosphere_mole_content_of_X" are used. The chemical formula for nitrogen dioxide is NO2.
soil_mass_content_of_13C
Unit: kg m-2
Unit ref: KMP2
"Content" indicates a quantity per unit area. The "soil content" of a quantity refers to the vertical integral from the surface down to the bottom of the soil model. For the content between specified levels in the soil, standard names including "content_of_soil_layer" are used. "C" means the element carbon and "13C" is the stable isotope "carbon-13", having six protons and seven neutrons.
surface_upward_mass_flux_of_nitrous_oxide_expressed_as_nitrogen_out_of_vegetation_and_litter_and_soil
Unit: kg m-2 s-1
Unit ref: KSP2
The surface called "surface" means the lower boundary of the atmosphere. "Upward" indicates a vector component which is positive when directed upward (negative downward). In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics. The phrase "expressed_as" is used in the construction A_expressed_as_B, where B is a chemical constituent of A. It means that the quantity indicated by the standard name is calculated solely with respect to the B contained in A, neglecting all other chemical constituents of A. The chemical formula for nitrous oxide is N2O. "Vegetation" means any living plants e.g. trees, shrubs, grass. The term "plants" refers to the kingdom of plants in the modern classification which excludes fungi. Plants are autotrophs i.e. "producers" of biomass using carbon obtained from carbon dioxide. "Litter" is dead plant material in or above the soil. It is distinct from coarse wood debris. The precise distinction between "fine" and "coarse" is model dependent.
gross_primary_productivity_of_biomass_expressed_as_14C
Unit: kg m-2 s-1
Unit ref: KSP2
"Production of carbon" means the production of biomass expressed as the mass of carbon which it contains. Gross primary production is the rate of synthesis of biomass from inorganic precursors by autotrophs ("producers"), for example, photosynthesis in plants or phytoplankton. The producers also respire some of this biomass and the difference is "net_primary_production". "Productivity" means production per unit area. The phrase "expressed_as" is used in the construction A_expressed_as_B, where B is a chemical constituent of A. It means that the quantity indicated by the standard name is calculated solely with respect to the B contained in A, neglecting all other chemical constituents of A. "C" means the element carbon and "14C" is the radioactive isotope "carbon-14", having six protons and eight neutrons and used in radiocarbon dating.
number_of_icebergs_per_unit_area
Unit: m-2
Unit ref: UPMS
The number of icebergs per unit area.
surface_upward_mass_flux_of_carbon_dioxide_expressed_as_14C_due_to_plant_respiration
Unit: kg m-2 s-1
Unit ref: KSP2
The surface called "surface" means the lower boundary of the atmosphere. "Upward" indicates a vector component which is positive when directed upward (negative downward). In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics. The phrase "expressed_as" is used in the construction A_expressed_as_B, where B is a chemical constituent of A. It means that the quantity indicated by the standard name is calculated solely with respect to the B contained in A, neglecting all other chemical constituents of A. The chemical formula for carbon dioxide is CO2. "C" means the element carbon and "14C" is the radioactive isotope "carbon-14", having six protons and eight neutrons and used in radiocarbon dating. The specification of a physical process by the phrase "due_to_" process means that the quantity named is a single term in a sum of terms which together compose the general quantity named by omitting the phrase. Plant respiration is the sum of respiration by parts of plants both above and below the soil. It is assumed that all the respired carbon dioxide is emitted to the atmosphere. The term "plants" refers to the kingdom of plants in the modern classification which excludes fungi. Plants are autotrophs i.e. "producers" of biomass using carbon obtained from carbon dioxide.
stratosphere_optical_thickness_due_to_ambient_aerosol_particles
Unit: 1
Unit ref: UUUU
The optical thickness is the integral along the path of radiation of a volume scattering/absorption/attenuation coefficient. The radiative flux is reduced by a factor exp(-"optical_thickness") on traversing the path. A coordinate variable of radiation_wavelength or radiation_frequency can be specified to indicate that the optical thickness applies at specific wavelengths or frequencies. The stratosphere optical thickness applies to radiation passing through the atmosphere layer between the tropopause and stratopause. The specification of a physical process by the phrase "due_to_" process means that the quantity named is a single term in a sum of terms which together compose the general quantity named by omitting the phrase. "Aerosol" means the system of suspended liquid or solid particles in air (except cloud droplets) and their carrier gas, the air itself. "Ambient_aerosol" means that the aerosol is measured or modelled at the ambient state of pressure, temperature and relative humidity that exists in its immediate environment. "Ambient aerosol particles" are aerosol particles that have taken up ambient water through hygroscopic growth. The extent of hygroscopic growth depends on the relative humidity and the composition of the particles. To specify the relative humidity and temperature at which the quantity described by the standard name applies, provide scalar coordinate variables with standard names of "relative_humidity" and "air_temperature".
mass_flux_of_nitrogen_compounds_expressed_as_nitrogen_out_of_litter_and_soil_due_to_immobilisation_and_remineralization
Unit: kg m-2 s-1
Unit ref: KSP2
In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics. The phrase "expressed_as" is used in the construction A_expressed_as_B, where B is a chemical constituent of A. It means that the quantity indicated by the standard name is calculated solely with respect to the B contained in A, neglecting all other chemical constituents of A. "Nitrogen compounds" summarizes all chemical species containing nitrogen atoms. "Litter" is dead plant material in or above the soil. It is distinct from coarse wood debris. The precise distinction between "fine" and "coarse" is model dependent. The specification of a physical process by the phrase "due_to_" process means that the quantity named is a single term in a sum of terms which together compose the general quantity named by omitting the phrase. Remineralization is the degradation of organic matter into inorganic forms of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and other micronutrients, which consumes oxygen and releases energy. Immobilisation of nitrogen refers to retention of nitrogen by micro-organisms under certain conditions, making it unavailable for plants.
integral_wrt_depth_of_product_of_sea_water_density_and_conservative_temperature
Unit: kg degree_C m-2
Unit ref: DKM2
The phrase "integral_wrt_X_of_Y" means int Y dX. To specify the limits of the integral the data variable should have an axis for X and associated coordinate bounds. If no axis for X is associated with the data variable, or no coordinate bounds are specified, it is assumed that the integral is calculated over the entire vertical extent of the medium, e.g, if the medium is air the integral is assumed to be calculated over the full depth of the atmosphere. The phrase "wrt" means "with respect to". Depth is the vertical distance below the surface. The phrase "product_of_X_and_Y" means X*Y. Sea water density is the in-situ density (not the potential density). For Boussinesq models, density is the constant Boussinesq reference density, a quantity which has the standard name reference_sea_water_density_for_boussinesq_approximation. Conservative Temperature is defined as part of the Thermodynamic Equation of Seawater 2010 (TEOS-10) which was adopted in 2010 by the International Oceanographic Commission (IOC). Conservative Temperature is specific potential enthalpy (which has the standard name sea_water_specific_potential_enthalpy) divided by a fixed value of the specific heat capacity of sea water, namely cp_0 = 3991.86795711963 J kg-1 K-1. Conservative Temperature is a more accurate measure of the "heat content" of sea water, by a factor of one hundred, than is potential temperature. Because of this, it can be regarded as being proportional to the heat content of sea water per unit mass. Reference: www.teos-10.org; McDougall, 2003 doi: 10.1175/1520-0485(2003)033<0945:PEACOV>2.0.CO;2.
mass_content_of_carbon_in_vegetation_and_litter_and_soil_and_forestry_and_agricultural_products
Unit: kg m-2
Unit ref: KMP2
"Content" indicates a quantity per unit area. "Vegetation" means any living plants e.g. trees, shrubs, grass. "Litter" is dead plant material in or above the soil. It is distinct from coarse wood debris. The precise distinction between "fine" and "coarse" is model dependent. The "soil content" of a quantity refers to the vertical integral from the surface down to the bottom of the soil model. For the content between specified levels in the soil, standard names including "content_of_soil_layer" are used. Examples of "forestry and agricultural products" are paper, cardboard, furniture, timber for construction, biofuels and food for both humans and livestock. Models that simulate land use changes have one or more pools of carbon that represent these products in order to conserve carbon and allow its eventual release into the atmosphere, for example, when the products decompose in landfill sites.
surface_net_downward_mass_flux_of_carbon_dioxide_expressed_as_14C_due_to_all_land_processes
Unit: kg m-2 s-1
Unit ref: KSP2
The surface called "surface" means the lower boundary of the atmosphere. "Downward" indicates a vector component which is positive when directed downward (negative upward). Net downward radiation is the difference between radiation from above (downwelling) and radiation from below (upwelling). In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics. The phrase "expressed_as" is used in the construction A_expressed_as_B, where B is a chemical constituent of A. It means that the quantity indicated by the standard name is calculated solely with respect to the B contained in A, neglecting all other chemical constituents of A. The chemical formula for carbon dioxide is CO2. "C" means the element carbon and "14C" is the radioactive isotope "carbon-14", having six protons and eight neutrons and used in radiocarbon dating. The specification of a physical process by the phrase "due_to_" process means that the quantity named is a single term in a sum of terms which together compose the general quantity named by omitting the phrase. "All land processes" means plant and soil respiration, photosynthesis, animal grazing, crop harvesting, natural fires and anthropogenic land use change. "Anthropogenic land use change" means human changes to land, excluding forest regrowth. It includes fires ignited by humans for the purpose of land use change and the processes of eventual disposal and decomposition of wood products such as paper, cardboard, furniture and timber for construction.
gross_primary_productivity_of_biomass_expressed_as_13C
Unit: kg m-2 s-1
Unit ref: KSP2
"Production of carbon" means the production of biomass expressed as the mass of carbon which it contains. Gross primary production is the rate of synthesis of biomass from inorganic precursors by autotrophs ("producers"), for example, photosynthesis in plants or phytoplankton. The producers also respire some of this biomass and the difference is "net_primary_production". "Productivity" means production per unit area. The phrase "expressed_as" is used in the construction A_expressed_as_B, where B is a chemical constituent of A. It means that the quantity indicated by the standard name is calculated solely with respect to the B contained in A, neglecting all other chemical constituents of A. "C" means the element carbon and "13C" is the stable isotope "carbon-13", having six protons and seven neutrons.
tendency_of_vegetation_mass_content_of_nitrogen_compounds_expressed_as_nitrogen_due_to_fixation
Unit: kg m-2 s-1
Unit ref: KSP2
The phrase "tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. "Content" indicates a quantity per unit area. "Vegetation" means any living plants e.g. trees, shrubs, grass. The term "plants" refers to the kingdom of plants in the modern classification which excludes fungi. Plants are autotrophs i.e. "producers" of biomass using carbon obtained from carbon dioxide. The phrase "expressed_as" is used in the construction A_expressed_as_B, where B is a chemical constituent of A. It means that the quantity indicated by the standard name is calculated solely with respect to the B contained in A, neglecting all other chemical constituents of A. "Nitrogen compounds" summarizes all chemical species containing nitrogen atoms. The specification of a physical process by the phrase "due_to_" process means that the quantity named is a single term in a sum of terms which together compose the general quantity named by omitting the phrase. On land, "nitrogen fixation" means the uptake of nitrogen gas directly from the atmosphere. The representation of fixed nitrogen is model dependent, with the nitrogen entering either plants, soil or both.
surface_upward_mass_flux_of_carbon_dioxide_expressed_as_13C_due_to_heterotrophic_respiration
Unit: kg m-2 s-1
Unit ref: KSP2
The surface called "surface" means the lower boundary of the atmosphere. "Upward" indicates a vector component which is positive when directed upward (negative downward). In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics. The phrase "expressed_as" is used in the construction A_expressed_as_B, where B is a chemical constituent of A. It means that the quantity indicated by the standard name is calculated solely with respect to the B contained in A, neglecting all other chemical constituents of A. The chemical formula for carbon dioxide is CO2. "C" means the element carbon and "13C" is the stable isotope "carbon-13", having six protons and seven neutrons. The specification of a physical process by the phrase "due_to_" process means that the quantity named is a single term in a sum of terms which together compose the general quantity named by omitting the phrase. Heterotrophic respiration is respiration by heterotrophs ("consumers"), which are organisms (including animals and decomposers) that consume other organisms or dead organic material, rather than synthesising organic material from inorganic precursors using energy from the environment (especially sunlight) as autotrophs ("producers") do. Heterotrophic respiration goes on within both the soil and litter pools.
stratosphere_optical_thickness_due_to_sulfate_ambient_aerosol_particles
Unit: 1
Unit ref: UUUU
The optical thickness is the integral along the path of radiation of a volume scattering/absorption/attenuation coefficient. The radiative flux is reduced by a factor exp(-"optical_thickness") on traversing the path. A coordinate variable of radiation_wavelength or radiation_frequency can be specified to indicate that the optical thickness applies at specific wavelengths or frequencies. The stratosphere optical thickness applies to radiation passing through the atmosphere layer between the tropopause and stratopause. The specification of a physical process by the phrase "due_to_" process means that the quantity named is a single term in a sum of terms which together compose the general quantity named by omitting the phrase. "Aerosol" means the system of suspended liquid or solid particles in air (except cloud droplets) and their carrier gas, the air itself. "Ambient_aerosol" means that the aerosol is measured or modelled at the ambient state of pressure, temperature and relative humidity that exists in its immediate environment. "Ambient aerosol particles" are aerosol particles that have taken up ambient water through hygroscopic growth. The extent of hygroscopic growth depends on the relative humidity and the composition of the particles. To specify the relative humidity and temperature at which the quantity described by the standard name applies, provide scalar coordinate variables with standard names of "relative_humidity" and "air_temperature".
graupel_and_hail_fall_amount
Unit: kg m-2
Unit ref: KMP2
"Amount" means mass per unit area. Graupel consists of heavily rimed snow particles, often called snow pellets; often indistinguishable from very small soft hail except when the size convention that hail must have a diameter greater than 5 mm is adopted. Reference: American Meteorological Society Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Graupel. Hail is precipitation in the form of balls or irregular lumps of ice, often restricted by a size convention to diameters of 5 mm or more. Reference: American Meteorological Society Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Hail. Standard names for "graupel_and_hail" should be used to describe data produced by models that do not distinguish between hail and graupel. For models that do distinguish between them, separate standard names for hail and graupel are available.
atmosphere_mole_content_of_methane
Unit: mol m-2
Unit ref: MLM2
"Content" indicates a quantity per unit area. The "atmosphere content" of a quantity refers to the vertical integral from the surface to the top of the atmosphere. For the content between specified levels in the atmosphere, standard names including "content_of_atmosphere_layer" are used. The construction "atmosphere_mole_content_of_X" means the vertically integrated number of moles of X above a unit area. The chemical formula for methane is CH4. Methane is a member of the group of hydrocarbons known as alkanes. There are standard names for the alkane group as well as for some of the individual species.
precipitation_flux_containing_17O
Unit: kg m-2 s-1
Unit ref: KSP2
In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics. "Precipitation" in the earth's atmosphere means precipitation of water in all phases. The chemical formula for water is H2O. "O" means the element "oxygen" and "17O" is the stable isotope "oxygen-17".
solid_precipitation_flux_containing_17O
Unit: kg m-2 s-1
Unit ref: KSP2
In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics. Solid precipitation refers to the precipitation of water in the solid phase. Water in the atmosphere exists in one of three phases: solid, liquid or vapor. The solid phase can exist as snow, hail, graupel, cloud ice, or as a component of aerosol. "O" means the element "oxygen" and "17O" is the stable isotope "oxygen-17".
graupel_and_hail_fall_flux
Unit: kg m-2 s-1
Unit ref: KSP2
In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics. Graupel consists of heavily rimed snow particles, often called snow pellets; often indistinguishable from very small soft hail except when the size convention that hail must have a diameter greater than 5 mm is adopted. Reference: American Meteorological Society Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Graupel. Hail is precipitation in the form of balls or irregular lumps of ice, often restricted by a size convention to diameters of 5 mm or more. Reference: American Meteorological Society Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Hail. Standard names for "graupel_and_hail" should be used to describe data produced by models that do not distinguish between hail and graupel. For models that do distinguish between them, separate standard names for hail and graupel are available.
mass_fraction_of_graupel_and_hail_in_air
Unit: 1
Unit ref: UUUU
Mass fraction is used in the construction "mass_fraction_of_X_in_Y", where X is a material constituent of Y. It means the ratio of the mass of X to the mass of Y (including X). Graupel consists of heavily rimed snow particles, often called snow pellets; often indistinguishable from very small soft hail except when the size convention that hail must have a diameter greater than 5 mm is adopted. Reference: American Meteorological Society Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Graupel. Hail is precipitation in the form of balls or irregular lumps of ice, often restricted by a size convention to diameters of 5 mm or more. Reference: American Meteorological Society Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Hail. Standard names for "graupel_and_hail" should be used to describe data produced by models that do not distinguish between hail and graupel. For models that do distinguish between them, separate standard names for hail and graupel are available.
atmosphere_mass_content_of_graupel
Unit: kg m-2
Unit ref: KMP2
"Content" indicates a quantity per unit area. The "atmosphere content" of a quantity refers to the vertical integral from the surface to the top of the atmosphere. For the content between specified levels in the atmosphere, standard names including "content_of_atmosphere_layer" are used. Graupel consists of heavily rimed snow particles, often called snow pellets; often indistinguishable from very small soft hail except when the size convention that hail must have a diameter greater than 5 mm is adopted. Reference: American Meteorological Society Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Graupel. There are also separate standard names for hail. Standard names for "graupel_and_hail" should be used to describe data produced by models that do not distinguish between hail and graupel.
surface_upward_mass_flux_of_nitrogen_compounds_expressed_as_nitrogen
Unit: kg m-2 s-1
Unit ref: KSP2
The surface called "surface" means the lower boundary of the atmosphere. "Upward" indicates a vector component which is positive when directed upward (negative downward). In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics. he phrase "expressed_as" is used in the construction A_expressed_as_B, where B is a chemical constituent of A. It means that the quantity indicated by the standard name is calculated solely with respect to the B contained in A, neglecting all other chemical constituents of A. "Nitrogen compounds" summarizes all chemical species containing nitrogen atoms. The list of individual species that are included in this quantity can vary between models. Where possible, the data variable should be accompanied by a complete description of the species represented, for example, by using a comment attribute.
atmosphere_mass_content_of_hail
Unit: kg m-2
Unit ref: KMP2
"Content" indicates a quantity per unit area. The "atmosphere content" of a quantity refers to the vertical integral from the surface to the top of the atmosphere. For the content between specified levels in the atmosphere, standard names including "content_of_atmosphere_layer" are used. Hail is precipitation in the form of balls or irregular lumps of ice, often restricted by a size convention to diameters of 5 mm or more. Reference: American Meteorological Society Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Hail. For diameters of less than 5 mm standard names for "graupel" should be used. Standard names for "graupel_and_hail" should be used to describe data produced by models that do not distinguish between hail and graupel.
hail_fall_amount
Unit: kg m-2
Unit ref: KMP2
"Amount" means mass per unit area. Hail is precipitation in the form of balls or irregular lumps of ice, often restricted by a size convention to diameters of 5 mm or more. Reference: American Meteorological Society Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Hail. For diameters of less than 5 mm standard names for "graupel" should be used. Standard names for "graupel_and_hail" should be used to describe data produced by models that do not distinguish between hail and graupel.
graupel_fall_flux
Unit: kg m-2 s-1
Unit ref: KSP2
In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics. Graupel consists of heavily rimed snow particles, often called snow pellets; often indistinguishable from very small soft hail except when the size convention that hail must have a diameter greater than 5 mm is adopted. Reference: American Meteorological Society Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Graupel. There are also separate standard names for hail. Standard names for "graupel_and_hail" should be used to describe data produced by models that do not distinguish between hail and graupel.
mass_fraction_of_hail_in_air
Unit: 1
Unit ref: UUUU
Mass fraction is used in the construction "mass_fraction_of_X_in_Y", where X is a material constituent of Y. It means the ratio of the mass of X to the mass of Y (including X). Hail is precipitation in the form of balls or irregular lumps of ice, often restricted by a size convention to diameters of 5 mm or more. Reference: American Meteorological Society Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Hail. For diameters of less than 5 mm standard names for "graupel" should be used. Standard names for "graupel_and_hail" should be used to describe data produced by models that do not distinguish between hail and graupel.
litter_mass_content_of_nitrogen
Unit: kg m-2
Unit ref: KMP2
"Content" indicates a quantity per unit area. "Litter" is dead plant material in or above the soil. It is distinct from coarse wood debris. The precise distinction between "fine" and "coarse" is model dependent. The sum of the quantities with standard names wood_debris_mass_content_of_nitrogen, surface_litter_mass_content_of_nitrogen and subsurface_litter_mass_content_of_nitrogen is the quantity with standard name litter_mass_content_of_carbon.
solid_precipitation_flux_containing_18O
Unit: kg m-2 s-1
Unit ref: KSP2
In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics. Solid precipitation refers to the precipitation of water in the solid phase. Water in the atmosphere exists in one of three phases: solid, liquid or vapor. The solid phase can exist as snow, hail, graupel, cloud ice, or as a component of aerosol. The chemical formula for water is H2O. "O" means the element "oxygen" and "18O" is the stable isotope "oxygen-18".
hail_fall_flux
Unit: kg m-2 s-1
Unit ref: KSP2
In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics. Hail is precipitation in the form of balls or irregular lumps of ice, often restricted by a size convention to diameters of 5 mm or more. Reference: American Meteorological Society Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Hail. For diameters of less than 5 mm standard names for "graupel" should be used. Standard names for "graupel_and_hail" should be used to describe data produced by models that do not distinguish between hail and graupel.
precipitation_flux_containing_single_2H
Unit: kg m-2 s-1
Unit ref: KSP2
In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics. "Precipitation" in the earth's atmosphere means precipitation of water in all phases. The chemical formula for water is H2O. "H" means the element "hydrogen" and "2H" is the stable isotope "hydrogen-2", usually called "deuterium". The construction "X_containing_single_Y" means the standard name refers to only that part of X composed of molecules containing a single atom of isotope Y.
atmosphere_mass_content_of_graupel_and_hail
Unit: kg m-2
Unit ref: KMP2
"Content" indicates a quantity per unit area. The "atmosphere content" of a quantity refers to the vertical integral from the surface to the top of the atmosphere. For the content between specified levels in the atmosphere, standard names including "content_of_atmosphere_layer" are used. Graupel consists of heavily rimed snow particles, often called snow pellets; often indistinguishable from very small soft hail except when the size convention that hail must have a diameter greater than 5 mm is adopted. Reference: American Meteorological Society Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Graupel. Hail is precipitation in the form of balls or irregular lumps of ice, often restricted by a size convention to diameters of 5 mm or more. Reference: American Meteorological Society Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Hail. Standard names for "graupel_and_hail" should be used to describe data produced by models that do not distinguish between hail and graupel. For models that do distinguish between them, separate standard names for hail and graupel are available.
isotope_ratio_of_18O_to_16O_in_sea_water_excluding_solutes_and_solids
Unit: 1
Unit ref: UUUU
The phrase "ratio_of_X_to_Y" means X/Y. The phrase "isotope_ratio" is used in the construction isotope_ratio_of_A_to_B where A and B are both named isotopes. It means the ratio of the number of atoms of A to the number of atoms of B present within a medium. "O" means the element "oxygen" and "18O" is the stable isotope "oxygen-18". "16O" is the stable isotope "oxygen-16". The phrase "in_sea_water_excluding_solutes_and_solids" means that the standard name refers to the composition of the sea water medium itself and does not include material that may be dissolved or suspended in the medium.
isotope_ratio_of_17O_to_16O_in_sea_water_excluding_solutes_and_solids
Unit: 1
Unit ref: UUUU
The phrase "ratio_of_X_to_Y" means X/Y. The phrase "isotope_ratio" is used in the construction isotope_ratio_of_A_to_B where A and B are both named isotopes. It means the ratio of the number of atoms of A to the number of atoms of B present within a medium. "O" means the element "oxygen" and "17O" is the stable isotope "oxygen-17". "16O" is the stable isotope "oxygen-16". The phrase "in_sea_water_excluding_solutes_and_solids" means that the standard name refers to the composition of the sea water medium itself and does not include material that may be dissolved or suspended in the medium.
sea_water_sigma_theta_difference
Unit: kg m-3
Unit ref: UKMC
Sigma-theta of sea water is the potential density (i.e. the density when moved adiabatically to a reference pressure) of water having the same temperature and salinity, minus 1000 kg m-3.
sea_water_sigma_t_difference
Unit: kg m-3
Unit ref: UKMC
Sigma-t of sea water is the density of water at atmospheric pressure (i.e. the surface) having the same temperature and salinity, minus 1000 kg m-3.
nitrogen_mass_content_of_forestry_and_agricultural_products
Unit: kg m-2
Unit ref: KMP2
"Content" indicates a quantity per unit area. Examples of "forestry and agricultural products" are paper, cardboard, furniture, timber for construction, biofuels and food for both humans and livestock. Models that simulate land use changes have one or more pools of carbon that represent these products in order to conserve carbon and allow its eventual release into the atmosphere, for example, when the products decompose in landfill sites.
solid_precipitation_flux_containing_single_2H
Unit: kg m-2 s-1
Unit ref: KSP2
In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics. Solid precipitation refers to the precipitation of water in the solid phase. Water in the atmosphere exists in one of three phases: solid, liquid or vapor. The solid phase can exist as snow, hail, graupel, cloud ice, or as a component of aerosol. The chemical formula for water is H2O. "H" means the element "hydrogen" and "2H" is the stable isotope "hydrogen-2", usually called "deuterium". The construction "X_containing_single_Y" means the standard name refers to only that part of X composed of molecules containing a single atom of isotope Y.
surface_upward_mass_flux_of_carbon_dioxide_expressed_as_14C_due_to_heterotrophic_respiration
Unit: kg m-2 s-1
Unit ref: KSP2
The surface called "surface" means the lower boundary of the atmosphere. "Upward" indicates a vector component which is positive when directed upward (negative downward). In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics. The phrase "expressed_as" is used in the construction A_expressed_as_B, where B is a chemical constituent of A. It means that the quantity indicated by the standard name is calculated solely with respect to the B contained in A, neglecting all other chemical constituents of A. The chemical formula for carbon dioxide is CO2. "C" means the element carbon and "14C" is the radioactive isotope "carbon-14", having six protons and eight neutrons and used in radiocarbon dating. The specification of a physical process by the phrase "due_to_" process means that the quantity named is a single term in a sum of terms which together compose the general quantity named by omitting the phrase. Heterotrophic respiration is respiration by heterotrophs ("consumers"), which are organisms (including animals and decomposers) that consume other organisms or dead organic material, rather than synthesising organic material from inorganic precursors using energy from the environment (especially sunlight) as autotrophs ("producers") do. Heterotrophic respiration goes on within both the soil and litter pools.
surface_upward_mass_flux_of_carbon_dioxide_expressed_as_13C_due_to_plant_respiration
Unit: kg m-2 s-1
Unit ref: KSP2
The surface called "surface" means the lower boundary of the atmosphere. "Upward" indicates a vector component which is positive when directed upward (negative downward). In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics. The phrase "expressed_as" is used in the construction A_expressed_as_B, where B is a chemical constituent of A. It means that the quantity indicated by the standard name is calculated solely with respect to the B contained in A, neglecting all other chemical constituents of A. The chemical formula for carbon dioxide is CO2. "C" means the element carbon and "13C" is the stable isotope "carbon-13", having six protons and seven neutrons. The specification of a physical process by the phrase "due_to_" process means that the quantity named is a single term in a sum of terms which together compose the general quantity named by omitting the phrase. Plant respiration is the sum of respiration by parts of plants both above and below the soil. It is assumed that all the respired carbon dioxide is emitted to the atmosphere. The term "plants" refers to the kingdom of plants in the modern classification which excludes fungi. Plants are autotrophs i.e. "producers" of biomass using carbon obtained from carbon dioxide.
mass_content_of_water_vapor_containing_18O_in_atmosphere_layer
Unit: kg m-2
Unit ref: KMP2
"Content" indicates a quantity per unit area. "Layer" means any layer with upper and lower boundaries that have constant values in some vertical coordinate. There must be a vertical coordinate variable indicating the extent of the layer(s). If the layers are model layers, the vertical coordinate can be "model_level_number", but it is recommended to specify a physical coordinate (in a scalar or auxiliary coordinate variable) as well. The "content_of_X_in_atmosphere_layer" refers to the vertical integral between two specified levels in the atmosphere. The chemical formula for water is H2O. "O" means the element "oxygen" and "18O" is the stable isotope "oxygen-18".
mass_content_of_water_vapor_containing_single_2H_in_atmosphere_layer
Unit: kg m-2
Unit ref: KMP2
"Content" indicates a quantity per unit area. "Layer" means any layer with upper and lower boundaries that have constant values in some vertical coordinate. There must be a vertical coordinate variable indicating the extent of the layer(s). If the layers are model layers, the vertical coordinate can be "model_level_number", but it is recommended to specify a physical coordinate (in a scalar or auxiliary coordinate variable) as well. The "content_of_X_in_atmosphere_layer" refers to the vertical integral between two specified levels in the atmosphere. The chemical formula for water is H2O. "H" means the element "hydrogen" and "2H" is the stable isotope "hydrogen-2", usually called "deuterium". The construction "X_containing_single_Y" means the standard name refers to only that part of X composed of molecules containing a single atom of isotope Y.
solid_precipitation_flux
Unit: kg m-2 s-1
Unit ref: KSP2
In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics. Solid precipitation refers to the precipitation of water in the solid phase. Water in the atmosphere exists in one of three phases: solid, liquid or vapor. The solid phase can exist as snow, hail, graupel, cloud ice, or as a component of aerosol.
sea_water_temperature_difference
Unit: K
Unit ref: UPKA
Sea water temperature is the in situ temperature of the sea water.
surface_downwelling_longwave_flux_in_air_due_to_volcanic_ambient_aerosol_particles
Unit: W m-2
Unit ref: UFAA
The surface called "surface" means the lower boundary of the atmosphere. Downwelling radiation is radiation from above. It does not mean "net downward". The term "longwave" means longwave radiation. When thought of as being incident on a surface, a radiative flux is sometimes called "irradiance". In addition, it is identical with the quantity measured by a cosine-collector light-meter and sometimes called "vector irradiance". In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics. The specification of a physical process by the phrase "due_to_" process means that the quantity named is a single term in a sum of terms which together compose the general quantity named by omitting the phrase. Aerosol" means the system of suspended liquid or solid particles in air (except cloud droplets) and their carrier gas, the air itself. "Ambient_aerosol" means that the aerosol is measured or modelled at the ambient state of pressure, temperature and relative humidity that exists in its immediate environment. "Ambient aerosol particles" are aerosol particles that have taken up ambient water through hygroscopic growth. The extent of hygroscopic growth depends on the relative humidity and the composition of the particles. To specify the relative humidity and temperature at which the quantity described by the standard name applies, provide scalar coordinate variables with standard names of "relative_humidity" and "air_temperature". Volcanic aerosols include both volcanic ash and secondary products such as sulphate aerosols formed from gaseous emissions of volcanic eruptions.
stratosphere_optical_thickness_due_to_volcanic_ambient_aerosol_particles
Unit: 1
Unit ref: UUUU
The optical thickness is the integral along the path of radiation of a volume scattering/absorption/attenuation coefficient. The radiative flux is reduced by a factor exp(-"optical_thickness") on traversing the path. A coordinate variable of radiation_wavelength or radiation_frequency can be specified to indicate that the optical thickness applies at specific wavelengths or frequencies. The stratosphere optical thickness applies to radiation passing through the atmosphere layer between the tropopause and stratopause. The specification of a physical process by the phrase "due_to_" process means that the quantity named is a single term in a sum of terms which together compose the general quantity named by omitting the phrase. "Aerosol" means the system of suspended liquid or solid particles in air (except cloud droplets) and their carrier gas, the air itself. "Ambient_aerosol" means that the aerosol is measured or modelled at the ambient state of pressure, temperature and relative humidity that exists in its immediate environment. "Ambient aerosol particles" are aerosol particles that have taken up ambient water through hygroscopic growth. The extent of hygroscopic growth depends on the relative humidity and the composition of the particles. To specify the relative humidity and temperature at which the quantity described by the standard name applies, provide scalar coordinate variables with standard names of "relative_humidity" and "air_temperature". Volcanic aerosols include both volcanic ash and secondary products such as sulphate aerosols formed from gaseous emissions of volcanic eruptions.
volume_scattering_function_of_radiative_flux_in_sea_water
Unit: m-1 sr-1
Unit ref: PMSR
Radiative flux is the sum of shortwave and longwave radiative fluxes. Scattering of radiation is its deflection from its incident path without loss of energy. The volume scattering function is the intensity (flux per unit solid angle) of scattered radiation per unit length of scattering medium, normalised by the incident radiation flux. The (range of) direction(s) of scattering can be specified by a coordinate of scattering_angle. A coordinate variable of radiation_wavelength or radiation_frequency can be specified to indicate that the scattering applies at specific wavelengths or frequencies.
precipitation_flux_containing_18O
Unit: kg m-2 s-1
Unit ref: KSP2
In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics. "Precipitation" in the earth's atmosphere means precipitation of water in all phases. The chemical formula for water is H2O. "O" means the element "oxygen" and "18O" is the stable isotope "oxygen-18".
net_primary_productivity_of_biomass_expressed_as_carbon_accumulated_in_stems
Unit: kg m-2 s-1
Unit ref: KSP2
"Production of carbon" means the production of biomass expressed as the mass of carbon which it contains. Net primary production is the excess of gross primary production (rate of synthesis of biomass from inorganic precursors) by autotrophs ("producers"), for example, photosynthesis in plants or phytoplankton, over the rate at which the autotrophs themselves respire some of this biomass. "Productivity" means production per unit area. The phrase "expressed_as" is used in the construction A_expressed_as_B, where B is a chemical constituent of A. It means that the quantity indicated by the standard name is calculated solely with respect to the B contained in A, neglecting all other chemical constituents of A. The stem of a plant is the axis that bears buds and shoots with leaves and, at its basal end, roots. Its function is to carry water and nutrients. Examples include the stalk of a plant or the main trunk of a tree.
integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_ice_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content
Unit: J m-2
Unit ref: JMSQ
The quantity with standard name integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_ice_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content is calculated relative to the heat content of ice at zero degrees Celsius, which is assumed to have a heat content of zero Joules. The phrase "integral_wrt_X_of_Y" means int Y dX. To specify the limits of the integral the data variable should have an axis for X and associated coordinate bounds. If no axis for X is associated with the data variable, or no coordinate bounds are specified, it is assumed that the integral is calculated over the entire vertical extent of the medium, e.g, if the medium is air the integral is assumed to be calculated over the full depth of the atmosphere. "wrt" means with respect to. "Content" indicates a quantity per unit area. Depth is the vertical distance below the surface.
vegetation_mass_content_of_nitrogen
Unit: kg m-2
Unit ref: KMP2
"Content" indicates a quantity per unit area. "Vegetation" means any living plants e.g. trees, shrubs, grass. The term "plants" refers to the kingdom of plants in the modern classification which excludes fungi. Plants are autotrophs i.e. "producers" of biomass using carbon obtained from carbon dioxide.
toa_outgoing_longwave_flux_due_to_volcanic_ambient_aerosol_particles_assuming_clear_sky
Unit: W m-2
Unit ref: UFAA
"toa" means top of atmosphere. The term "longwave" means longwave radiation. The TOA outgoing longwave flux is the upwelling thermal radiative flux, often called the "outgoing longwave radiation" or "OLR". In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics. The specification of a physical process by the phrase "due_to_" process means that the quantity named is a single term in a sum of terms which together compose the general quantity named by omitting the phrase. "Aerosol" means the system of suspended liquid or solid particles in air (except cloud droplets) and their carrier gas, the air itself. "Ambient_aerosol" means that the aerosol is measured or modelled at the ambient state of pressure, temperature and relative humidity that exists in its immediate environment. "Ambient aerosol particles" are aerosol particles that have taken up ambient water through hygroscopic growth. The extent of hygroscopic growth depends on the relative humidity and the composition of the particles. To specify the relative humidity and temperature at which the quantity described by the standard name applies, provide scalar coordinate variables with standard names of "relative_humidity" and "air_temperature". Volcanic aerosols include both volcanic ash and secondary products such as sulphate aerosols formed from gaseous emissions of volcanic eruptions. A phrase "assuming_condition" indicates that the named quantity is the value which would obtain if all aspects of the system were unaltered except for the assumption of the circumstances specified by the condition.
volume_scattering_coefficient_of_radiative_flux_in_air_due_to_dried_aerosol_particles
Unit: m-1
Unit ref: UPRM
Radiative flux is the sum of shortwave and longwave radiative fluxes. Scattering of radiation is its deflection from its incident path without loss of energy. The volume scattering/absorption/attenuation coefficient is the fractional change of radiative flux per unit path length due to the stated process. Coefficients with canonical units of m2 s-1 i.e. multiplied by density have standard names with "specific_" instead of "volume_". The scattering/absorption/attenuation coefficient is assumed to be an integral over all wavelengths unless a coordinate of "radiation_wavelength" or "radiation_frequency" is included to specify the wavelength. The specification of a physical process by the phrase "due_to_" process means that the quantity named is a single term in a sum of terms which together compose the general quantity named by omitting the phrase. "Aerosol" means the system of suspended liquid or solid particles in air (except cloud droplets) and their carrier gas, the air itself. "Dried_aerosol" means that the aerosol sample has been dried from the ambient state before sizing, but that the dry state (relative humidity less than 40 per cent) has not necessarily been reached. To specify the relative humidity at which the sample was measured, provide a scalar coordinate variable with the standard name of "relative_humidity".
integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_potential_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content
Unit: J m-2
Unit ref: JMSQ
The phrase "integral_wrt_X_of_Y" means int Y dX. To specify the limits of the integral the data variable should have an axis for X and associated coordinate bounds. If no axis for X is associated with the data variable, or no coordinate bounds are specified, it is assumed that the integral is calculated over the entire vertical extent of the medium, e.g, if the medium is air the integral is assumed to be calculated over the full depth of the atmosphere. "wrt" means with respect to. "expressed_as_heat_content" means that this quantity is calculated as the (assumed constant) specific heat capacity times density of sea water multiplied by the integral, over the specified layer of the ocean, of the sea water potential temperature wrt depth. "Content" indicates a quantity per unit area. Depth is the vertical distance below the surface. Potential temperature is the temperature a parcel of air or sea water would have if moved adiabatically to sea level pressure.
volume_scattering_function_of_radiative_flux_in_air_due_to_ambient_aerosol_particles
Unit: m-1 sr-1
Unit ref: PMSR
Radiative flux is the sum of shortwave and longwave radiative fluxes. Scattering of radiation is its deflection from its incident path without loss of energy. The volume scattering function is the intensity (flux per unit solid angle) of scattered radiation per unit length of scattering medium, normalised by the incident radiation flux. The (range of) direction(s) of scattering can be specified by a coordinate of scattering_angle. A coordinate variable of radiation_wavelength or radiation_frequency can be specified to indicate that the scattering applies at specific wavelengths or frequencies. The specification of a physical process by the phrase "due_to_" process means that the quantity named is a single term in a sum of terms which together compose the general quantity named by omitting the phrase. "Aerosol" means the system of suspended liquid or solid particles in air (except cloud droplets) and their carrier gas, the air itself. "Ambient_aerosol" means that the aerosol is measured or modelled at the ambient state of pressure, temperature and relative humidity that exists in its immediate environment. "Ambient aerosol particles" are aerosol particles that have taken up ambient water through hygroscopic growth. The extent of hygroscopic growth depends on the relative humidity and the composition of the particles. To specify the relative humidity and temperature at which the quantity described by the standard name applies, provide scalar coordinate variables with standard names of "relative_humidity" and "air_temperature".
volume_scattering_coefficient_of_radiative_flux_in_air_due_to_ambient_aerosol_particles
Unit: m-1
Unit ref: UPRM
Radiative flux is the sum of shortwave and longwave radiative fluxes. Scattering of radiation is its deflection from its incident path without loss of energy. The volume scattering/absorption/attenuation coefficient is the fractional change of radiative flux per unit path length due to the stated process. Coefficients with canonical units of m2 s-1 i.e. multiplied by density have standard names with "specific_" instead of "volume_". The scattering/absorption/attenuation coefficient is assumed to be an integral over all wavelengths unless a coordinate of "radiation_wavelength" or "radiation_frequency" is included to specify the wavelength. The specification of a physical process by the phrase "due_to_" process means that the quantity named is a single term in a sum of terms which together compose the general quantity named by omitting the phrase. "Aerosol" means the system of suspended liquid or solid particles in air (except cloud droplets) and their carrier gas, the air itself. "Ambient_aerosol" means that the aerosol is measured or modelled at the ambient state of pressure, temperature and relative humidity that exist in its immediate environment. "Ambient aerosol particles" are aerosol particles that have taken up ambient water through hygroscopic growth. The extent of hygroscopic growth depends on the relative humidity and the composition of the particles. To specify the relative humidity at which the quantity described by the standard name applies, provide a scalar coordinate variable with the standard name of "relative_humidity".
tendency_of_air_temperature_due_to_longwave_heating_from_volcanic_ambient_aerosol_particles
Unit: K s-1
Unit ref: KPRS
The phrase "tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. Air temperature is the bulk temperature of the air, not the surface (skin) temperature. The specification of a physical process by the phrase "due_to_" process means that the quantity named is a single term in a sum of terms which together compose the general quantity named by omitting the phrase. The term "longwave" means longwave radiation. "Aerosol" means the system of suspended liquid or solid particles in air (except cloud droplets) and their carrier gas, the air itself. "Ambient_aerosol" means that the aerosol is measured or modelled at the ambient state of pressure, temperature and relative humidity that exists in its immediate environment. "Ambient aerosol particles" are aerosol particles that have taken up ambient water through hygroscopic growth. The extent of hygroscopic growth depends on the relative humidity and the composition of the particles. To specify the relative humidity and temperature at which the quantity described by the standard name applies, provide scalar coordinate variables with standard names of "relative_humidity" and "air_temperature". Volcanic aerosols include both volcanic ash and secondary products such as sulphate aerosols formed from gaseous emissions of volcanic eruptions.
surface_downwelling_shortwave_flux_in_air_due_to_volcanic_ambient_aerosol_particles
Unit: W m-2
Unit ref: UFAA
The surface called "surface" means the lower boundary of the atmosphere. Downwelling radiation is radiation from above. It does not mean "net downward". When thought of as being incident on a surface, a radiative flux is sometimes called "irradiance". In addition, it is identical with the quantity measured by a cosine-collector light-meter and sometimes called "vector irradiance". In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics. The term "shortwave" means shortwave radiation. The specification of a physical process by the phrase "due_to_" process means that the quantity named is a single term in a sum of terms which together compose the general quantity named by omitting the phrase. "Aerosol" means the system of suspended liquid or solid particles in air (except cloud droplets) and their carrier gas, the air itself. "Ambient_aerosol" means that the aerosol is measured or modelled at the ambient state of pressure, temperature and relative humidity that exists in its immediate environment. "Ambient aerosol particles" are aerosol particles that have taken up ambient water through hygroscopic growth. The extent of hygroscopic growth depends on the relative humidity and the composition of the particles. To specify the relative humidity and temperature at which the quantity described by the standard name applies, provide scalar coordinate variables with standard names of "relative_humidity" and "air_temperature". Volcanic aerosols include both volcanic ash and secondary products such as sulphate aerosols formed from gaseous emissions of volcanic eruptions.
tendency_of_air_temperature_due_to_shortwave_heating_from_volcanic_ambient_aerosol_particles
Unit: K s-1
Unit ref: KPRS
The phrase "tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. Air temperature is the bulk temperature of the air, not the surface (skin) temperature. The specification of a physical process by the phrase "due_to_" process means that the quantity named is a single term in a sum of terms which together compose the general quantity named by omitting the phrase. The term "shortwave" means shortwave radiation. "Aerosol" means the system of suspended liquid or solid particles in air (except cloud droplets) and their carrier gas, the air itself. "Ambient aerosol particles" are aerosol particles that have taken up ambient water through hygroscopic growth. The extent of hygroscopic growth depends on the relative humidity and the composition of the particles. To specify the relative humidity and temperature at which the quantity described by the standard name applies, provide scalar coordinate variables with standard names of "relative_humidity" and "air_temperature". Volcanic aerosols include both volcanic ash and secondary products such as sulphate aerosols formed from gaseous emissions of volcanic eruptions.
soil_mass_content_of_nitrogen
Unit: kg m-2
Unit ref: KMP2
"Content" indicates a quantity per unit area. The "soil content" of a quantity refers to the vertical integral from the surface down to the bottom of the soil model. For the content between specified levels in the soil, standard names including "content_of_soil_layer" are used.
mass_flux_of_nitrogen_compounds_expressed_as_nitrogen_out_of_vegetation_and_litter_and_soil_due_to_leaching_and_runoff
Unit: kg m-2 s-1
Unit ref: KSP2
In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics. The phrase "expressed_as" is used in the construction A_expressed_as_B, where B is a chemical constituent of A. It means that the quantity indicated by the standard name is calculated solely with respect to the B contained in A, neglecting all other chemical constituents of A. "Nitrogen compounds" summarizes all chemical species containing nitrogen atoms. "Vegetation" means any living plants e.g. trees, shrubs, grass. The term "plants" refers to the kingdom of plants in the modern classification which excludes fungi. Plants are autotrophs i.e. "producers" of biomass using carbon obtained from carbon dioxide. "Litter" is dead plant material in or above the soil. It is distinct from coarse wood debris. The precise distinction between "fine" and "coarse" is model dependent. The specification of a physical process by the phrase "due_to_" process means that the quantity named is a single term in a sum of terms which together compose the general quantity named by omitting the phrase. "Leaching" means the loss of water soluble chemical species from soil. Runoff is the liquid water which drains from land. If not specified, "runoff" refers to the sum of surface runoff and subsurface drainage.
integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_temperature
Unit: K m
Unit ref: KMTX
The phrase "integral_wrt_X_of_Y" means int Y dX. To specify the limits of the integral the data variable should have an axis for X and associated coordinate bounds. If no axis for X is associated with the data variable, or no coordinate bounds are specified, it is assumed that the integral is calculated over the entire vertical extent of the medium, e.g, if the medium is air the integral is assumed to be calculated over the full depth of the atmosphere. "wrt" means with respect to. Depth is the vertical distance below the surface. Sea water temperature is the in situ temperature of the sea water. For observed data, depending on the period during which the observation was made, the measured in situ temperature was recorded against standard "scales". These historical scales include the International Practical Temperature Scale of 1948 (IPTS-48; 1948-1967), the International Practical Temperature Scale of 1968 (IPTS-68, Barber, 1969; 1968-1989) and the International Temperature Scale of 1990 (ITS-90, Saunders 1990; 1990 onwards). Conversion of data between these scales follows t68 = t48 - (4.4 x 10e-6) * t48(100 - t - 48); t90 = 0.99976 * t68. Observations made prior to 1948 (IPTS-48) have not been documented and therefore a conversion cannot be certain. Differences between t90 and t68 can be up to 0.01 at temperatures of 40 C and above; differences of 0.002-0.007 occur across the standard range of ocean temperatures (-10 - 30 C). The International Equation of State of Seawater 1980 (EOS-80, UNESCO, 1981) and the Practical Salinity Scale (PSS-78) were both based on IPTS-68, while the Thermodynamic Equation of Seawater 2010 (TEOS-10) is based on ITS-90. References: Barber, 1969, doi: 10.1088/0026-1394/5/2/001; UNESCO, 1981; Saunders, 1990, WOCE Newsletter, 10, September 1990.
toa_outgoing_shortwave_flux_due_to_volcanic_ambient_aerosol_particles_assuming_clear_sky
Unit: W m-2
Unit ref: UFAA
The abbreviation "toa" means top of atmosphere. The term "shortwave" means shortwave radiation. The TOA outgoing shortwave flux is the reflected and scattered solar radiative flux i.e. the "upwelling" TOA shortwave flux, sometimes called the "outgoing shortwave radiation" or "OSR". In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics. The specification of a physical process by the phrase "due_to_" process means that the quantity named is a single term in a sum of terms which together compose the general quantity named by omitting the phrase. "Aerosol" means the system of suspended liquid or solid particles in air (except cloud droplets) and their carrier gas, the air itself. "Ambient aerosol particles" are aerosol particles that have taken up ambient water through hygroscopic growth. The extent of hygroscopic growth depends on the relative humidity and the composition of the particles. To specify the relative humidity and temperature at which the quantity described by the standard name applies, provide scalar coordinate variables with standard names of "relative_humidity" and "air_temperature". Volcanic aerosols include both volcanic ash and secondary products such as sulphate aerosols formed from gaseous emissions of volcanic eruptions. A phrase "assuming_condition" indicates that the named quantity is the value which would obtain if all aspects of the system were unaltered except for the assumption of the circumstances specified by the condition.
soil_mass_content_of_14C
Unit: kg m-2
Unit ref: KMP2
"Content" indicates a quantity per unit area. The "soil content" of a quantity refers to the vertical integral from the surface down to the bottom of the soil model. For the content between specified levels in the soil, standard names including "content_of_soil_layer" are used. "C" means the element carbon and "14C" is the radioactive isotope "carbon-14", having six protons and eight neutrons and used in radiocarbon dating.
surface_upward_mass_flux_of_carbon_dioxide_expressed_as_carbon_due_to_anthropogenic_land_use_or_land_cover_change_excluding_forestry_and_agricultural_products
Unit: kg m-2 s-1
Unit ref: KSP2
The surface called "surface" means the lower boundary of the atmosphere. "Upward" indicates a vector component which is positive when directed upward (negative downward). In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics. The phrase "expressed_as" is used in the construction A_expressed_as_B, where B is a chemical constituent of A. It means that the quantity indicated by the standard name is calculated solely with respect to the B contained in A, neglecting all other chemical constituents of A. The chemical formula for carbon dioxide is CO2. The specification of a physical process by the phrase "due_to_" process means that the quantity named is a single term in a sum of terms which together compose the general quantity named by omitting the phrase. "Anthropogenic" means influenced, caused, or created by human activity. "Anthropogenic land use change" means human changes to land, excluding forest regrowth. It includes fires ignited by humans for the purpose of land use change. The quantity with standard name surface_upward_mass_flux_of_carbon_dioxide_expressed_as_carbon_due_to_anthropogenic_land_use_or_land_cover_change_excluding_forestry_and_agricultural_products excludes the carbon dioxide flux into the atmosphere due to the processes of eventual disposal and decomposition of wood products such as paper, cardboard, furniture and timber for construction. The standard name for the quantity that includes product decomposition is surface_upward_mass_flux_of_carbon_dioxide_expressed_as_carbon_due_to_anthropogenic_land_use_or_land_cover_change.
integral_wrt_depth_of_tendency_of_sea_water_alkalinity_expressed_as_mole_equivalent
Unit: mol m-2 s-1
Unit ref: M2MS
The phrase "integral_wrt_X_of_Y" means int Y dX. To specify the limits of the integral the data variable should have an axis for X and associated coordinate bounds. If no axis for X is associated with the data variable, or no coordinate bounds are specified, it is assumed that the integral is calculated over the entire vertical extent of the medium, e.g, if the medium is air the integral is assumed to be calculated over the full depth of the atmosphere. "wrt" means with respect to. Depth is the vertical distance below the surface."tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. 'sea_water_alkalinity_expressed_as_mole_equivalent' is the total alkalinity equivalent concentration (including carbonate, nitrogen, silicate, and borate components).
tendency_of_atmosphere_mole_concentration_of_nitrous_oxide_due_to_chemical_destruction
Unit: mol m-3 s-1
Unit ref: MM3S
The phrase "tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. Mole concentration means number of moles per unit volume, also called "molarity", and is used in the construction "mole_concentration_of_X_in_Y", where X is a material constituent of Y. A chemical or biological species denoted by X may be described by a single term such as "nitrogen" or a phrase such as "nox_expressed_as_nitrogen". The chemical formula for nitrous oxide is N2O. The specification of a physical process by the phrase "due_to_" process means that the quantity named is a single term in a sum of terms which together compose the general quantity named by omitting the phrase. "Chemical destruction" means the result of all chemical reactions within the medium (here, atmosphere) that remove a certain amount of a particular species from the medium.
ocean_mixed_layer_thickness_defined_by_temperature
Unit: m
Unit ref: ULAA
The ocean mixed layer is the upper part of the ocean, regarded as being well-mixed. The base of the mixed layer defined by temperature, sigma or sigma_theta is the level at which the quantity indicated differs from its surface value by a certain amount. A coordinate variable or scalar coordinate variable with standard name sea_water_temperature_difference can be used to specify the temperature criterion that determines the layer thickness.
integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_practical_salinity
Unit: m
Unit ref: ULAA
The phrase "integral_wrt_X_of_Y" means int Y dX. To specify the limits of the integral the data variable should have an axis for X and associated coordinate bounds. If no axis for X is associated with the data variable, or no coordinate bounds are specified, it is assumed that the integral is calculated over the entire vertical extent of the medium, e.g, if the medium is air the integral is assumed to be calculated over the full depth of the atmosphere. "wrt" means with respect to. Depth is the vertical distance below the surface. Practical Salinity, S_P, is a determination of the salinity of sea water, based on its electrical conductance. The measured conductance, corrected for temperature and pressure, is compared to the conductance of a standard potassium chloride solution, producing a value on the Practical Salinity Scale of 1978 (PSS-78). This name should not be used to describe salinity observations made before 1978, or ones not based on conductance measurements. Conversion of Practical Salinity to other precisely defined salinity measures should use the appropriate formulas specified by TEOS-10. Other standard names for precisely defined salinity quantities are sea_water_absolute_salinity (S_A); sea_water_preformed_salinity (S_*), sea_water_reference_salinity (S_R); sea_water_cox_salinity (S_C), used for salinity observations between 1967 and 1977; and sea_water_knudsen_salinity (S_K), used for salinity observations between 1901 and 1966. Salinity quantities that do not match any of the precise definitions should be given the more general standard name of sea_water_salinity. Reference: www.teos-10.org; Lewis, 1980 doi:10.1109/JOE.1980.1145448.
integral_wrt_depth_of_tendency_of_sea_water_alkalinity_expressed_as_mole_equivalent_due_to_biological_processes
Unit: mol m-2 s-1
Unit ref: M2MS
The phrase "integral_wrt_X_of_Y" means int Y dX. To specify the limits of the integral the data variable should have an axis for X and associated coordinate bounds. If no axis for X is associated with the data variable, or no coordinate bounds are specified, it is assumed that the integral is calculated over the entire vertical extent of the medium, e.g, if the medium is air the integral is assumed to be calculated over the full depth of the atmosphere. "wrt" means with respect to. "tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. Depth is the vertical distance below the surface. 'sea_water_alkalinity_expressed_as_mole_equivalent' is the total alkalinity equivalent concentration (including carbonate, nitrogen, silicate, and borate components). The specification of a physical process by the phrase due_to_process means that the quantity named is a single term in a sum of terms which together compose the general quantity named by omitting the phrase.
integral_wrt_height_of_product_of_northward_wind_and_specific_humidity
Unit: m2 s-1
Unit ref: SQMS
The phrase "integral_wrt_X_of_Y" means int Y dX. To specify the limits of the integral the data variable should have an axis for X and associated coordinate bounds. If no axis for X is associated with the data variable, or no coordinate bounds are specified, it is assumed that the integral is calculated over the entire vertical extent of the medium, e.g, if the medium is air the integral is assumed to be calculated over the full depth of the atmosphere. The phrase "wrt" means "with respect to". Height is the vertical distance above the surface. The phrase "product_of_X_and_Y" means X*Y. Wind is defined as a two-dimensional (horizontal) air velocity vector, with no vertical component. (Vertical motion in the atmosphere has the standard name "upward_air_velocity".) "Northward" indicates a vector component which is positive when directed northward (negative southward). Specific humidity is the mass fraction of water vapor in (moist) air.
land_ice_basal_temperature
Unit: K
Unit ref: UPKA
"Land ice" means glaciers, ice-caps and ice-sheets resting on bedrock and also includes ice-shelves. The standard name land_ice_basal_temperature means the temperature of the land ice at its lower boundary.
vegetation_carbon_content
Unit: kg m-2
Unit ref: KMP2
"Content" indicates a quantity per unit area. "Vegetation" means any plants e.g. trees, shrubs, grass. Plants are autotrophs i.e. "producers" of biomass using carbon obtained from carbon dioxide.
atmosphere_mole_content_of_nitrogen_dioxide
Unit: mol m-2
Unit ref: MLM2
"Content" indicates a quantity per unit area. The "atmosphere content" of a quantity refers to the vertical integral from the surface to the top of the atmosphere. For the content between specified levels in the atmosphere, standard names including "content_of_atmosphere_layer" are used. The construction "atmosphere_mole_content_of_X" means the vertically integrated number of moles of X above a unit area. The chemical formula for nitrogen dioxide is NO2.
atmosphere_mole_content_of_carbon_monoxide
Unit: mol m-2
Unit ref: MLM2
"Content" indicates a quantity per unit area. The "atmosphere content" of a quantity refers to the vertical integral from the surface to the top of the atmosphere. For the content between specified levels in the atmosphere, standard names including "content_of_atmosphere_layer" are used. The construction "atmosphere_mole_content_of_X" means the vertically integrated number of moles of X above a unit area. The chemical formula of carbon monoxide is CO.
integral_wrt_depth_of_product_of_sea_water_density_and_salinity
Unit: 1e-3 kg m-2
Unit ref: KMP2
The phrase "integral_wrt_X_of_Y" means int Y dX. To specify the limits of the integral the data variable should have an axis for X and associated coordinate bounds. If no axis for X is associated with the data variable, or no coordinate bounds are specified, it is assumed that the integral is calculated over the entire vertical extent of the medium, e.g, if the medium is air the integral is assumed to be calculated over the full depth of the atmosphere. The phrase "wrt" means "with respect to". The phrase "product_of_X_and_Y" means X*Y. Depth is the vertical distance below the surface. Sea water density is the in-situ density (not the potential density). For Boussinesq models, density is the constant Boussinesq reference density, a quantity which has the standard name reference_sea_water_density_for_boussinesq_approximation. Sea water salinity is the salt content of sea water, often on the Practical Salinity Scale of 1978. However, the unqualified term 'salinity' is generic and does not necessarily imply any particular method of calculation. The units of salinity are dimensionless and the units attribute should normally be given as 1e-3 or 0.001 i.e. parts per thousand. There are standard names for the more precisely defined salinity quantities sea_water_knudsen_salinity, S_K (used for salinity observations between 1901 and 1966), sea_water_cox_salinity, S_C (used for salinity observations between 1967 and 1977), sea_water_practical_salinity, S_P (used for salinity observations from 1978 to the present day), sea_water_absolute_salinity, S_A, sea_water_preformed_salinity, S_*, and sea_water_reference_salinity. Practical Salinity is reported on the Practical Salinity Scale of 1978 (PSS-78), and is usually based on the electrical conductivity of sea water in observations since the 1960s. Conversion of data between the observed scales follows S_P = (S_K - 0.03) * (1.80655 / 1.805) and S_P = S_C, however the accuracy of the latter is dependent on whether chlorinity or conductivity was used to determine the S_C value, with this inconsistency driving the development of PSS-78. The more precise standard names should be used where appropriate for both modelled and observed salinities. In particular, the use of sea_water_salinity to describe salinity observations made from 1978 onwards is now deprecated in favor of the term sea_water_practical_salinity which is the salinity quantity stored by national data centers for post-1978 observations. The only exception to this is where the observed salinities are definitely known not to be recorded on the Practical Salinity Scale. Practical salinity units are dimensionless. The unit "parts per thousand" was used for sea_water_knudsen_salinity and sea_water_cox_salinity.
integral_wrt_time_of_mole_stomatal_uptake_of_ozone
Unit: mol m-2
Unit ref: M2MS
The phrase "integral_wrt_X_of_Y" means int Y dX. The data variable should have an axis for X specifying the limits of the integral as bounds. The phrase "wrt" means "with respect to". The stomatal ozone uptake is the net amount of ozone transferred into the plant during the time period over which the integral is calculated. This parameter is often called the "phytotoxic ozone dose (POD)". The chemical formula for ozone is O3. The IUPAC name for ozone is trioxygen.
integral_wrt_height_of_product_of_eastward_wind_and_specific_humidity
Unit: m2 s-1
Unit ref: SQMS
The phrase "integral_wrt_X_of_Y" means int Y dX. To specify the limits of the integral the data variable should have an axis for X and associated coordinate bounds. If no axis for X is associated with the data variable, or no coordinate bounds are specified, it is assumed that the integral is calculated over the entire vertical extent of the medium, e.g, if the medium is air the integral is assumed to be calculated over the full depth of the atmosphere. The phrase "wrt" means "with respect to". Height is the vertical distance above the surface. The phrase "product_of_X_and_Y" means X*Y. Wind is defined as a two-dimensional (horizontal) air velocity vector, with no vertical component. (Vertical motion in the atmosphere has the standard name "upward_air_velocity".) "Eastward" indicates a vector component which is positive when directed eastward (negative westward). Specific humidity is the mass fraction of water vapor in (moist) air.
integral_wrt_depth_of_product_of_sea_water_density_and_potential_temperature
Unit: kg degree_C m-2
Unit ref: DKM2
The phrase "integral_wrt_X_of_Y" means int Y dX. To specify the limits of the integral the data variable should have an axis for X and associated coordinate bounds. If no axis for X is associated with the data variable, or no coordinate bounds are specified, it is assumed that the integral is calculated over the entire vertical extent of the medium, e.g, if the medium is air the integral is assumed to be calculated over the full depth of the atmosphere. The phrase "wrt" means "with respect to". The phrase "product_of_X_and_Y" means X*Y. Depth is the vertical distance below the surface. Sea water density is the in-situ density (not the potential density). For Boussinesq models, density is the constant Boussinesq reference density, a quantity which has the standard name reference_sea_water_density_for_boussinesq_approximation. Potential temperature is the temperature a parcel of air or sea water would have if moved adiabatically to sea level pressure.
atmosphere_mole_content_of_water_vapor
Unit: mol m-2
Unit ref: MLM2
"Content" indicates a quantity per unit area. The "atmosphere content" of a quantity refers to the vertical integral from the surface to the top of the atmosphere. For the content between specified levels in the atmosphere, standard names including "content_of_atmosphere_layer" are used. The construction "atmosphere_mole_content_of_X" means the vertically integrated number of moles of X above a unit area. Atmosphere water vapor content is sometimes referred to as "precipitable water", although this term does not imply the water could all be precipitated. The chemical formula for water is H2O.
mass_content_of_nitrogen_in_vegetation_and_litter_and_soil_and_forestry_and_agricultural_products
Unit: kg m-2
Unit ref: KMP2
"Content" indicates a quantity per unit area. "Vegetation" means any living plants e.g. trees, shrubs, grass. "Litter" is dead plant material in or above the soil. It is distinct from coarse wood debris. The precise distinction between "fine" and "coarse" is model dependent. The "soil content" of a quantity refers to the vertical integral from the surface down to the bottom of the soil model. For the content between specified levels in the soil, standard names including "content_of_soil_layer" are used. Examples of "forestry and agricultural products" are paper, cardboard, furniture, timber for construction, biofuels and food for both humans and livestock. Models that simulate land use changes have one or more pools of carbon that represent these products in order to conserve carbon and allow its eventual release into the atmosphere, for example, when the products decompose in landfill sites.
ocean_mixed_layer_thickness_defined_by_sigma_t
Unit: m
Unit ref: ULAA
The ocean mixed layer is the upper part of the ocean, regarded as being well-mixed. The base of the mixed layer defined by temperature, sigma or sigma_theta is the level at which the quantity indicated differs from its surface value by a certain amount. A coordinate variable or scalar coordinate variable with standard name sea_water_sigma_t_difference can be used to specify the sigma_t criterion that determines the layer thickness.
tendency_of_atmosphere_mole_concentration_of_carbon_monoxide_due_to_chemical_destruction
Unit: mole m-3 s-1
Unit ref: MM3S
Mole concentration means number of moles per unit volume, also called "molarity", and is used in the construction "mole_concentration_of_X_in_Y", where X is a material constituent of Y. A chemical or biological species denoted by X may be described by a single term such as "nitrogen" or a phrase such as "nox_expressed_as_nitrogen". The specification of a physical process by the phrase "due_to_" process means that the quantity named is a single term in a sum of terms which together compose the general quantity named by omitting the phrase. "Chemical destruction" means the result of all chemical reactions within the medium (here, atmosphere) that remove a certain amount of a particular species from the medium. "tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. The chemical formula of carbon monoxide is CO.
mass_content_of_water_vapor_containing_17O_in_atmosphere_layer
Unit: kg m-2
Unit ref: KMP2
"Content" indicates a quantity per unit area. "Layer" means any layer with upper and lower boundaries that have constant values in some vertical coordinate. There must be a vertical coordinate variable indicating the extent of the layer(s). If the layers are model layers, the vertical coordinate can be "model_level_number", but it is recommended to specify a physical coordinate (in a scalar or auxiliary coordinate variable) as well. The "content_of_X_in_atmosphere_layer" refers to the vertical integral between two specified levels in the atmosphere. The chemical formula for water is H2O. "O" means the element "oxygen" and "17O" is the stable isotope "oxygen-17".
tendency_of_atmosphere_mass_content_of_nitrogen_compounds_expressed_as_nitrogen_due_to_anthropogenic_emission
Unit: kg m-2 s-1
Unit ref: KSP2
The phrase "tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. "Content" indicates a quantity per unit area. The "atmosphere content" of a quantity refers to the vertical integral from the surface to the top of the atmosphere. For the content between specified levels in the atmosphere, standard names including "content_of_atmosphere_layer" are used. The phrase "expressed_as" is used in the construction A_expressed_as_B, where B is a chemical constituent of A. It means that the quantity indicated by the standard name is calculated solely with respect to the B contained in A, neglecting all other chemical constituents of A. "Nitrogen compounds" summarizes all chemical species containing nitrogen atoms. The list of individual species that are included in this quantity can vary between models. Where possible, the data variable should be accompanied by a complete description of the species represented, for example, by using a comment attribute. The specification of a physical process by the phrase "due_to_" process means that the quantity named is a single term in a sum of terms which together compose the general quantity named by omitting the phrase. "Emission" means emission from a primary source located anywhere within the atmosphere, including at the lower boundary (i.e. the surface of the earth). "Emission" is a process entirely distinct from "re-emission" which is used in some standard names. "Anthropogenic" means influenced, caused, or created by human activity.
surface_net_downward_mass_flux_of_carbon_dioxide_expressed_as_13C_due_to_all_land_processes
Unit: kg m-2 s-1
Unit ref: KSP2
The surface called "surface" means the lower boundary of the atmosphere. "Downward" indicates a vector component which is positive when directed downward (negative upward). Net downward radiation is the difference between radiation from above (downwelling) and radiation from below (upwelling). In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics. The phrase "expressed_as" is used in the construction A_expressed_as_B, where B is a chemical constituent of A. It means that the quantity indicated by the standard name is calculated solely with respect to the B contained in A, neglecting all other chemical constituents of A. The chemical formula for carbon dioxide is CO2. "C" means the element carbon and "13C" is the stable isotope "carbon-13", having six protons and seven neutrons. The specification of a physical process by the phrase "due_to_" process means that the quantity named is a single term in a sum of terms which together compose the general quantity named by omitting the phrase. "All land processes" means plant and soil respiration, photosynthesis, animal grazing, crop harvesting, natural fires and anthropogenic land use change. "Anthropogenic land use change" means human changes to land, excluding forest regrowth. It includes fires ignited by humans for the purpose of land use change and the processes of eventual disposal and decomposition of wood products such as paper, cardboard, furniture and timber for construction.