Update for CF Version:72
mass_fraction_of_convective_cloud_liquid_water_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). A chemical species or biological group denoted by X may be described by a single term such as "nitrogen" or a phrase such as "nox_expressed_as_nitrogen". Convective cloud is that produced by the convection schemes in an atmosphere model. "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop.
surface_downward_eastward_stress_due_to_boundary_layer_mixing
Unit: Pa
Unit ref: PASX
The surface called "surface" means the lower boundary of the atmosphere. "Downward" indicates a vector component which is positive when directed downward (negative upward). "Eastward" indicates a vector component which is positive when directed eastward (negative westward). "Downward eastward" indicates the ZX component of a tensor. A downward eastward stress is a downward flux of eastward momentum, which accelerates the lower medium eastward and the upper medium westward. The surface downward stress is the wind stress on the surface. 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. "Boundary layer mixing" means turbulent motions that transport heat, water, momentum and chemical constituents within the atmospheric boundary layer and affect exchanges between the surface and the atmosphere. The atmospheric boundary layer is typically characterised by a well-mixed sub-cloud layer of order 500 metres, and by a more extended conditionally unstable layer with boundary-layer clouds up to 2 km. (Reference: IPCC Third Assessment Report, Working Group 1: The Scientific Basis, 7.2.2.3, https://archive.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/tar/wg1/273.htm).
tendency_of_air_temperature_due_to_boundary_layer_mixing
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. "Boundary layer mixing" means turbulent motions that transport heat, water, momentum and chemical constituents within the atmospheric boundary layer and affect exchanges between the surface and the atmosphere. The atmospheric boundary layer is typically characterised by a well-mixed sub-cloud layer of order 500 metres, and by a more extended conditionally unstable layer with boundary-layer clouds up to 2 km. (Reference: IPCC Third Assessment Report, Working Group 1: The Scientific Basis, 7.2.2.3, https://archive.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/tar/wg1/273.htm).
tendency_of_air_temperature_due_to_stratiform_cloud_and_precipitation_and_boundary_layer_mixing
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. In an atmosphere model, stratiform cloud is that produced by large-scale convergence (not the convection schemes). "Precipitation" in the earth's atmosphere means precipitation of water in all phases. "Boundary layer mixing" means turbulent motions that transport heat, water, momentum and chemical constituents within the atmospheric boundary layer and affect exchanges between the surface and the atmosphere. The atmospheric boundary layer is typically characterised by a well-mixed sub-cloud layer of order 500 metres, and by a more extended conditionally unstable layer with boundary-layer clouds up to 2 km. (Reference: IPCC Third Assessment Report, Working Group 1: The Scientific Basis, 7.2.2.3, https://archive.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/tar/wg1/273.htm).
tendency_of_mass_fraction_of_stratiform_cloud_ice_in_air_due_to_heterogeneous_nucleation_from_cloud_liquid_water
Unit: s-1
Unit ref: PRSC
The phrase "tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. "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). A chemical species or biological group denoted by X may be described by a single term such as "nitrogen" or a phrase such as "nox_expressed_as_nitrogen". In an atmosphere model, stratiform cloud is that produced by large-scale convergence (not the convection schemes). 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. Heterogeneous nucleation occurs when a small particle of a substance other than water acts as a freezing or condensation nucleus. "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop.
atmosphere_mass_content_of_liquid_precipitation
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. "Liquid_precipitation" includes both "rain" and "drizzle". "Rain" means drops of water falling through the atmosphere that have a diameter greater than 0.5 mm. "Drizzle" means drops of water falling through the atmosphere that have a diameter typically in the range 0.2-0.5 mm.
mass_concentration_of_diazotrophic_phytoplankton_expressed_as_carbon_in_sea_water
Unit: kg m-3
Unit ref: UKMC
"Mass concentration" means mass per unit volume and is used in the construction "mass_concentration_of_X_in_Y", where X is a material constituent of Y. A chemical species or biological group denoted by X may be described by a single term such as "nitrogen" or a phrase such as "nox_expressed_as_nitrogen". 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. Phytoplankton are algae that grow where there is sufficient light to support photosynthesis. Diazotrophic phytoplankton are phytoplankton (predominantly from Phylum Cyanobacteria) that are able to fix molecular nitrogen (gas or solute) in addition to nitrate and ammonium.
spike_test_quality_flag
Unit: 1
Unit ref: UUUU
A quality flag that reports the result of the Spike test, which checks that the difference between two points in a series of values is within reasonable bounds. The linkage between the data variable and this variable is achieved using the ancillary_variables attribute. There are standard names for other specific quality tests which take the form of X_quality_flag. Quality information that does not match any of the specific quantities should be given the more general standard name of quality_flag.
tendency_of_mass_fraction_of_stratiform_cloud_liquid_water_in_air_due_to_boundary_layer_mixing
Unit: s-1
Unit ref: PRSC
The phrase "tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. "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). 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". In an atmosphere model, stratiform cloud is that produced by large-scale convergence (not the convection schemes). "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop. 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. "Boundary layer mixing" means turbulent motions that transport heat, water, momentum and chemical constituents within the atmospheric boundary layer and affect exchanges between the surface and the atmosphere. The atmospheric boundary layer is typically characterised by a well-mixed sub-cloud layer of order 500 metres, and by a more extended conditionally unstable layer with boundary-layer clouds up to 2 km. (Reference: IPCC Third Assessment Report, Working Group 1: The Scientific Basis, 7.2.2.3, https://archive.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/tar/wg1/273.htm).
tendency_of_mass_fraction_of_stratiform_cloud_liquid_water_in_air_due_to_accretion_to_snow
Unit: s-1
Unit ref: PRSC
The phrase "tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. "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). A chemical species denoted by X may be described by a single term such as "nitrogen" or a phrase such as "nox_expressed_as_nitrogen". In an atmosphere model, stratiform cloud is that produced by large-scale convergence (not the convection schemes). "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop. 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. Accretion is the growth of a hydrometeor by collision with cloud droplets or ice crystals.
projection_y_angular_coordinate
Unit: radian
Unit ref: URAD
"y" indicates a vector component along the grid y-axis, when this is not true latitude, positive with increasing y. Angular projection coordinates are angular distances in the x- and y-directions on a plane onto which the surface of the Earth has been projected according to a map projection. The relationship between the angular projection coordinates and latitude and longitude is described by the grid_mapping.
tendency_of_mass_fraction_of_stratiform_cloud_liquid_water_in_air_due_to_condensation_and_evaporation
Unit: s-1
Unit ref: PRSC
The phrase "tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. "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). A chemical species denoted by X may be described by a single term such as "nitrogen" or a phrase such as "nox_expressed_as_nitrogen". In an atmosphere model, stratiform cloud is that produced by large-scale convergence (not the convection schemes). "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop. 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. Condensation is the conversion of vapor into liquid. Evaporation is the conversion of liquid or solid into vapor.
tendency_of_mass_fraction_of_stratiform_cloud_liquid_water_in_air_due_to_condensation_and_evaporation_from_turbulence
Unit: s-1
Unit ref: PRSC
The phrase "tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. "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). A chemical species denoted by X may be described by a single term such as "nitrogen" or a phrase such as "nox_expressed_as_nitrogen". In an atmosphere model, stratiform cloud is that produced by large-scale convergence (not the convection schemes). "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop. 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. Condensation is the conversion of vapor into liquid. Evaporation is the conversion of liquid or solid into vapor.
gross_range_test_quality_flag
Unit: 1
Unit ref: UUUU
A quality flag that reports the result of the Gross Range test, which checks that values are within reasonable range bounds. The linkage between the data variable and this variable is achieved using the ancillary_variables attribute. There are standard names for other specific quality tests which take the form of X_quality_flag. Quality information that does not match any of the specific quantities should be given the more general standard name of quality_flag.
attenuated_signal_test_quality_flag
Unit: 1
Unit ref: UUUU
A quality flag that reports the result of the Attenuated Signal test, which checks for near-flat-line conditions using a range or standard deviation. The linkage between the data variable and this variable is achieved using the ancillary_variables attribute. There are standard names for other specific quality tests which take the form of X_quality_flag. Quality information that does not match any of the specific quantities should be given the more general standard name of quality_flag.
flat_line_test_quality_flag
Unit: 1
Unit ref: UUUU
A quality flag that reports the result of the Flat Line test, which checks for consecutively repeated values within a tolerance. The linkage between the data variable and this variable is achieved using the ancillary_variables attribute. There are standard names for other specific quality tests which take the form of X_quality_flag. Quality information that does not match any of the specific quantities should be given the more general standard name of quality_flag.
tendency_of_mass_fraction_of_stratiform_cloud_ice_in_air_due_to_riming_from_cloud_liquid_water
Unit: s-1
Unit ref: PRSC
The phrase "tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. "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). A chemical species denoted by X may be described by a single term such as "nitrogen" or a phrase such as "nox_expressed_as_nitrogen". In an atmosphere model, stratiform cloud is that produced by large-scale convergence (not the convection schemes). 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. Riming is the rapid freezing of supercooled water onto a surface. "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop.
rate_of_change_test_quality_flag
Unit: 1
Unit ref: UUUU
A quality flag that reports the result of the Rate of Change test, which checks that the first order difference of a series of values is within reasonable bounds. The linkage between the data variable and this variable is achieved using the ancillary_variables attribute. There are standard names for other specific quality tests which take the form of X_quality_flag. Quality information that does not match any of the specific quantities should be given the more general standard name of quality_flag.
multi_variate_test_quality_flag
Unit: 1
Unit ref: UUUU
A quality flag that reports the result of the Multi-variate test, which checks that values are reasonable when compared with related variables. The linkage between the data variable and this variable is achieved using the ancillary_variables attribute. There are standard names for other specific quality tests which take the form of X_quality_flag. Quality information that does not match any of the specific quantities should be given the more general standard name of quality_flag.
climatology_test_quality_flag
Unit: 1
Unit ref: UUUU
A quality flag that reports the result of the Climatology test, which checks that values are within reasonable range bounds for a given time and location. The linkage between the data variable and this variable is achieved using the ancillary_variables attribute. There are standard names for other specific quality tests which take the form of X_quality_flag. Quality information that does not match any of the specific quantities should be given the more general standard name of quality_flag.
tendency_of_mass_fraction_of_stratiform_cloud_liquid_water_in_air_due_to_accretion_to_rain
Unit: s-1
Unit ref: PRSC
The phrase "tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. "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). A chemical species denoted by X may be described by a single term such as "nitrogen" or a phrase such as "nox_expressed_as_nitrogen". In an atmosphere model, stratiform cloud is that produced by large-scale convergence (not the convection schemes). "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop. 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. Accretion is the growth of a hydrometeor by collision with cloud droplets or ice crystals. "Rain" means drops of water falling through the atmosphere that have a diameter greater than 0.5 mm.
gap_test_quality_flag
Unit: 1
Unit ref: UUUU
A quality flag that reports the result of the Timing/Gap test, which checks that data have been received within the expected time window and have the correct time stamp. The linkage between the data variable and this variable is achieved using the ancillary_variables attribute. There are standard names for other specific quality tests which take the form of X_quality_flag. Quality information that does not match any of the specific quantities should be given the more general standard name of quality_flag.
syntax_test_quality_flag
Unit: 1
Unit ref: UUUU
A quality flag that reports the result of the Syntax test, which checks that the data contain no indicators of flawed transmission. The linkage between the data variable and this variable is achieved using the ancillary_variables attribute. There are standard names for other specific quality tests which take the form of X_quality_flag. Quality information that does not match any of the specific quantities should be given the more general standard name of quality_flag.
neighbor_test_quality_flag
Unit: 1
Unit ref: UUUU
A quality flag that reports the result of the Neighbor test, which checks that values are reasonable when compared with nearby measurements. The linkage between the data variable and this variable is achieved using the ancillary_variables attribute. There are standard names for other specific quality tests which take the form of X_quality_flag. Quality information that does not match any of the specific quantities should be given the more general standard name of quality_flag.
aggregate_quality_flag
Unit: 1
Unit ref: UUUU
This flag is an algorithmic combination of the results of all relevant quality tests run for the related ancillary parent data variable. The linkage between the data variable and this variable is achieved using the ancillary_variables attribute. The aggregate quality flag provides a summary of all quality tests performed on the data variable (both automated and manual) whether present in the dataset as independent ancillary variables to the parent data variable or not.
tendency_of_mass_fraction_of_stratiform_cloud_liquid_water_in_air_due_to_advection
Unit: s-1
Unit ref: PRSC
The phrase "tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. "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). A chemical species denoted by X may be described by a single term such as "nitrogen" or a phrase such as "nox_expressed_as_nitrogen". In an atmosphere model, stratiform cloud is that produced by large-scale convergence (not the convection schemes). "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop. 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.
tendency_of_mass_fraction_of_stratiform_cloud_liquid_water_in_air_due_to_condensation_and_evaporation_from_convection
Unit: s-1
Unit ref: PRSC
The phrase "tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. "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). A chemical species denoted by X may be described by a single term such as "nitrogen" or a phrase such as "nox_expressed_as_nitrogen". In an atmosphere model, stratiform cloud is that produced by large-scale convergence (not the convection schemes). "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop. 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. Condensation is the conversion of vapor into liquid. Evaporation is the conversion of liquid or solid into vapor.
location_test_quality_flag
Unit: 1
Unit ref: UUUU
A quality flag that reports the result of the Location test, which checks that a location is within reasonable bounds. The linkage between the data variable and this variable is achieved using the ancillary_variables attribute. There are standard names for other specific quality tests which take the form of X_quality_flag. Quality information that does not match any of the specific quantities should be given the more general standard name of quality_flag.
tendency_of_mass_fraction_of_stratiform_cloud_liquid_water_in_air_due_to_condensation_and_evaporation_from_shortwave_heating
Unit: s-1
Unit ref: PRSC
The phrase "tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. "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). A chemical species denoted by X may be described by a single term such as "nitrogen" or a phrase such as "nox_expressed_as_nitrogen". In an atmosphere model, stratiform cloud is that produced by large-scale convergence (not the convection schemes). "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop. 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. Condensation is the conversion of vapor into liquid. Evaporation is the conversion of liquid or solid into vapor. The term "shortwave" means shortwave radiation.
tendency_of_mass_fraction_of_stratiform_cloud_liquid_water_in_air_due_to_condensation_and_evaporation_from_pressure_change
Unit: s-1
Unit ref: PRSC
The phrase "tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. "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). A chemical species denoted by X may be described by a single term such as "nitrogen" or a phrase such as "nox_expressed_as_nitrogen". In an atmosphere model, stratiform cloud is that produced by large-scale convergence (not the convection schemes). "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop. 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. Condensation is the conversion of vapor into liquid. Evaporation is the conversion of liquid or solid into vapor.
tendency_of_mass_fraction_of_stratiform_cloud_liquid_water_in_air
Unit: s-1
Unit ref: PRSC
The phrase "tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. "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). 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". In an atmosphere model, stratiform cloud is that produced by large-scale convergence (not the convection schemes). "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop.
tendency_of_mass_fraction_of_stratiform_cloud_liquid_water_in_air_due_to_bergeron_findeisen_process_to_cloud_ice
Unit: s-1
Unit ref: PRSC
The phrase "tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. "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). 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". In an atmosphere model, stratiform cloud is that produced by large-scale convergence (not the convection schemes). "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop. 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 Bergeron-Findeisen process is the conversion of cloud liquid water to cloud ice arising from the fact that water vapor has a lower equilibrium vapor pressure with respect to ice than it has with respect to liquid water at the same subfreezing temperature.
projection_x_angular_coordinate
Unit: radian
Unit ref: URAD
"x" indicates a vector component along the grid x-axis, when this is not true longitude, positive with increasing x. Angular projection coordinates are angular distances in the x- and y-directions on a plane onto which the surface of the Earth has been projected according to a map projection. The relationship between the angular projection coordinates and latitude and longitude is described by the grid_mapping.
probability_distribution_of_wind_from_direction_over_time
Unit: 1
Unit ref: UUUU
The construction "probability_distribution_of_X_over_Z" means that the data variable is a number in the range 0.0-1.0 for each range of X, where X varies over Z. The data variable should have an axis for X. 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"). The phrase "from_direction" is used in the construction X_from_direction and indicates the direction from which the velocity vector of X is coming. The direction is a bearing in the usual geographical sense, measured positive clockwise from due north. In meteorological reports, the direction of the wind vector is usually (but not always) given as the direction from which it is blowing ("wind_from_direction") (westerly, northerly, etc.). In other contexts, such as atmospheric modelling, it is often natural to give the direction in the usual manner of vectors as the heading or the direction to which it is blowing ("wind_to_direction") (eastward, southward, etc.).
tendency_of_specific_humidity_due_to_stratiform_cloud_and_precipitation_and_boundary_layer_mixing
Unit: s-1
Unit ref: PRSC
The phrase "tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. Specific humidity is the mass fraction of water vapor in (moist) air. 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. In an atmosphere model, stratiform cloud is that produced by large-scale convergence (not the convection schemes). "Precipitation" in the earth's atmosphere means precipitation of water in all phases. "Boundary layer mixing" means turbulent motions that transport heat, water, momentum and chemical constituents within the atmospheric boundary layer and affect exchanges between the surface and the atmosphere. The atmospheric boundary layer is typically characterised by a well-mixed sub-cloud layer of order 500 metres, and by a more extended conditionally unstable layer with boundary-layer clouds up to 2 km. (Reference: IPCC Third Assessment Report, Working Group 1: The Scientific Basis, 7.2.2.3, https://archive.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/tar/wg1/273.htm).
net_primary_mole_productivity_of_biomass_expressed_as_carbon_by_diazotrophic_phytoplankton
Unit: mol m-2 s-1
Unit ref: M2MS
"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. Phytoplankton are algae that grow where there is sufficient light to support photosynthesis. Diazotrophic phytoplankton are phytoplankton (predominantly from Phylum Cyanobacteria) that are able to fix molecular nitrogen (gas or solute) in addition to nitrate and ammonium.
atmosphere_mass_content_of_convective_cloud_liquid_water
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. Convective cloud is that produced by the convection schemes in an atmosphere model. "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop.
tendency_of_mass_fraction_of_stratiform_cloud_liquid_water_in_air_due_to_autoconversion
Unit: s-1
Unit ref: PRSC
The phrase "tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. "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). A chemical species denoted by X may be described by a single term such as "nitrogen" or a phrase such as "nox_expressed_as_nitrogen". In an atmosphere model, stratiform cloud is that produced by large-scale convergence (not the convection schemes). "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop. 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. Autoconversion is the process of collision and coalescence which results in the formation of precipitation particles from cloud water droplets or ice crystals.
number_concentration_of_cloud_liquid_water_particles_in_air
Unit: m-3
Unit ref: PCUM
"Number concentration" means the number of particles or other specified objects per unit volume. "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop.
effective_radius_of_cloud_liquid_water_particles_at_liquid_water_cloud_top
Unit: m
Unit ref: ULAA
The effective radius of a size distribution of particles, such as aerosols, cloud droplets or ice crystals, is the area weighted mean radius of particle size. It is calculated as the ratio of the third to the second moment of the particle size distribution. "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop. The phrase "cloud_top" refers to the top of the highest cloud.
nitrogen_growth_limitation_of_diazotrophic_phytoplankton
Unit: 1
Unit ref: UUUU
"Nitrogen growth limitation" means the ratio of the growth rate of a biological population in the environment (where there is a finite availability of nitrogen) to the theoretical growth rate if there were no such limit on nitrogen availability. Phytoplankton are algae that grow where there is sufficient light to support photosynthesis. Diazotrophic phytoplankton are phytoplankton (predominantly from Phylum Cyanobacteria) that are able to fix molecular nitrogen (gas or solute) in addition to nitrate and ammonium.
tendency_of_mass_fraction_of_stratiform_cloud_ice_in_air_due_to_melting_to_cloud_liquid_water
Unit: s-1
Unit ref: PRSC
The phrase "tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. "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). A chemical species denoted by X may be described by a single term such as "nitrogen" or a phrase such as "nox_expressed_as_nitrogen". In an atmosphere model, stratiform cloud is that produced by large-scale convergence (not the convection schemes). 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. "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop.
tendency_of_mass_fraction_of_stratiform_cloud_liquid_water_in_air_due_to_heterogeneous_nucleation
Unit: s-1
Unit ref: PRSC
The phrase "tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. "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). A chemical species or biological group denoted by X may be described by a single term such as "nitrogen" or a phrase such as "nox_expressed_as_nitrogen". In an atmosphere model, stratiform cloud is that produced by large-scale convergence (not the convection schemes). "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop. 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. Heterogeneous nucleation occurs when a small particle of a substance other than water acts as a freezing or condensation nucleus.
number_concentration_of_cloud_liquid_water_particles_in_air_at_liquid_water_cloud_top
Unit: m-3
Unit ref: PCUM
"Number concentration" means the number of particles or other specified objects per unit volume. "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop. cloud_top refers to the top of the highest cloud.
tendency_of_mass_fraction_of_stratiform_cloud_liquid_water_in_air_due_to_homogeneous_nucleation
Unit: s-1
Unit ref: PRSC
The phrase "tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. "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). A chemical species or biological group denoted by X may be described by a single term such as "nitrogen" or a phrase such as "nox_expressed_as_nitrogen". In an atmosphere model, stratiform cloud is that produced by large-scale convergence (not the convection schemes). "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop. 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. Homogeneous nucleation occurs when a small number of water molecules combine to form a freezing or condensation nucleus.
number_concentration_of_convective_cloud_liquid_water_particles_at_convective_liquid_water_cloud_top
Unit: m-3
Unit ref: PCUM
"Number concentration" means the number of particles or other specified objects per unit volume. The phrase "convective_liquid_water_cloud_top" refers to the top of the highest convective liquid water cloud. Convective cloud is that produced by the convection schemes in an atmosphere model. "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop.
surface_downward_northward_stress_due_to_boundary_layer_mixing
Unit: Pa
Unit ref: PASX
The surface called "surface" means the lower boundary of the atmosphere. "Downward" indicates a vector component which is positive when directed downward (negative upward). "Northward" indicates a vector component which is positive when directed northward (negative southward). Downward northward" indicates the ZY component of a tensor. A downward northward stress is a downward flux of northward momentum, which accelerates the lower medium northward and the upper medium southward. The surface downward stress is the wind stress on the surface. 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. "Boundary layer mixing" means turbulent motions that transport heat, water, momentum and chemical constituents within the atmospheric boundary layer and affect exchanges between the surface and the atmosphere. The atmospheric boundary layer is typically characterised by a well-mixed sub-cloud layer of order 500 metres, and by a more extended conditionally unstable layer with boundary-layer clouds up to 2 km. (Reference: IPCC Third Assessment Report, Working Group 1: The Scientific Basis, 7.2.2.3, https://archive.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/tar/wg1/273.htm).
effective_radius_of_convective_cloud_liquid_water_particles_at_convective_liquid_water_cloud_top
Unit: m
Unit ref: ULAA
The effective radius of a size distribution of particles, such as aerosols, cloud droplets or ice crystals, is the area weighted mean radius of particle size. It is calculated as the ratio of the third to the second moment of the particle size distribution. The phrase "convective_liquid_water_cloud_top" refers to the top of the highest convective liquid water cloud. Convective cloud is that produced by the convection schemes in an atmosphere model. "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop.
tendency_of_mass_fraction_of_cloud_liquid_water_in_air_due_to_advection
Unit: s-1
Unit ref: PRSC
The phrase "tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. "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). A chemical species or biological group denoted by X may be described by a single term such as "nitrogen" or a phrase such as "nox_expressed_as_nitrogen". "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop. 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.
tendency_of_mass_fraction_of_stratiform_cloud_condensed_water_in_air_due_to_boundary_layer_mixing
Unit: s-1
Unit ref: PRSC
The phrase "tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. "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). A chemical species denoted by X may be described by a single term such as "nitrogen" or a phrase such as "nox_expressed_as_nitrogen". In an atmosphere model, stratiform cloud is that produced by large-scale convergence (not the convection schemes). 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 phrase "condensed_water" means liquid and ice. "Boundary layer mixing" means turbulent motions that transport heat, water, momentum and chemical constituents within the atmospheric boundary layer and affect exchanges between the surface and the atmosphere. The atmospheric boundary layer is typically characterised by a well-mixed sub-cloud layer of order 500 metres, and by a more extended conditionally unstable layer with boundary-layer clouds up to 2 km. (Reference: IPCC Third Assessment Report, Working Group 1: The Scientific Basis, 7.2.2.3, https://archive.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/tar/wg1/273.htm).
tendency_of_mass_fraction_of_stratiform_cloud_liquid_water_in_air_due_to_condensation_and_evaporation_from_boundary_layer_mixing
Unit: s-1
Unit ref: PRSC
The phrase "tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. "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). A chemical species denoted by X may be described by a single term such as "nitrogen" or a phrase such as "nox_expressed_as_nitrogen". In an atmosphere model, stratiform cloud is that produced by large-scale convergence (not the convection schemes). "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop. 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. Condensation is the conversion of vapor into liquid. Evaporation is the conversion of liquid or solid into vapor. "Boundary layer mixing" means turbulent motions that transport heat, water, momentum and chemical constituents within the atmospheric boundary layer and affect exchanges between the surface and the atmosphere. The atmospheric boundary layer is typically characterised by a well-mixed sub-cloud layer of order 500 metres, and by a more extended conditionally unstable layer with boundary-layer clouds up to 2 km. (Reference: IPCC Third Assessment Report, Working Group 1: The Scientific Basis, 7.2.2.3, https://archive.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/tar/wg1/273.htm).
mass_fraction_of_liquid_precipitation_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). A chemical species or biological group denoted by X may be described by a single term such as "nitrogen" or a phrase such as "nox_expressed_as_nitrogen". "Liquid_precipitation" includes both "rain" and "drizzle". "Rain" means drops of water falling through the atmosphere that have a diameter greater than 0.5 mm. "Drizzle" means drops of water falling through the atmosphere that have a diameter typically in the range 0.2-0.5 mm.
tendency_of_specific_humidity_due_to_boundary_layer_mixing
Unit: s-1
Unit ref: PRSC
The phrase "tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. "Specific" means per unit mass. Specific humidity is the mass fraction of water vapor in (moist) air. 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. "Boundary layer mixing" means turbulent motions that transport heat, water, momentum and chemical constituents within the atmospheric boundary layer and affect exchanges between the surface and the atmosphere. The atmospheric boundary layer is typically characterised by a well-mixed sub-cloud layer of order 500 metres, and by a more extended conditionally unstable layer with boundary-layer clouds up to 2 km. (Reference: IPCC Third Assessment Report, Working Group 1: The Scientific Basis, 7.2.2.3, https://archive.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/tar/wg1/273.htm).
iron_growth_limitation_of_diazotrophic_phytoplankton
Unit: 1
Unit ref: UUUU
"Iron growth limitation" means the ratio of the growth rate of a biological population in the environment (where there is a finite availability of iron) to the theoretical growth rate if there were no such limit on iron availability. Phytoplankton are algae that grow where there is sufficient light to support photosynthesis. Diazotrophic phytoplankton are phytoplankton (predominantly from Phylum Cyanobacteria) that are able to fix molecular nitrogen (gas or solute) in addition to nitrate and ammonium.
effective_radius_of_stratiform_cloud_liquid_water_particles_at_stratiform_liquid_water_cloud_top
Unit: m
Unit ref: ULAA
The effective radius of a size distribution of particles, such as aerosols, cloud droplets or ice crystals, is the area weighted mean radius of particle size. It is calculated as the ratio of the third to the second moment of the particle size distribution. The phrase "stratiform_liquid_water_cloud_top" refers to the top of the highest stratiform liquid water cloud. In an atmosphere model, stratiform cloud is that produced by large-scale convergence (not the convection schemes). "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop.
mass_concentration_of_diazotrophic_phytoplankton_expressed_as_chlorophyll_in_sea_water
Unit: kg m-3
Unit ref: UKMC
"Mass concentration" means mass per unit volume and is used in the construction "mass_concentration_of_X_in_Y", where X is a material constituent of Y. A chemical species or biological group denoted by X may be described by a single term such as "nitrogen" or a phrase such as "nox_expressed_as_nitrogen". 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. Chlorophylls are the green pigments found in most plants, algae and cyanobacteria; their presence is essential for photosynthesis to take place. There are several different forms of chlorophyll that occur naturally. All contain a chlorin ring (chemical formula C20H16N4) which gives the green pigment and a side chain whose structure varies. The naturally occurring forms of chlorophyll contain between 35 and 55 carbon atoms. Phytoplankton are algae that grow where there is sufficient light to support photosynthesis. Diazotrophic phytoplankton are phytoplankton (predominantly from Phylum Cyanobacteria) that are able to fix molecular nitrogen (gas or solute) in addition to nitrate and ammonium.
air_equivalent_temperature
Unit: K
Unit ref: UPKA
The equivalent temperature is the temperature that an air parcel would have if all water vapor were condensed at contstant pressure and the enthalpy released from the vapor used to heat the air. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Equivalent_temperature. It is the isobaric equivalent temperature and not the adiabatic equivalent temperature, also known as pseudoequivalent temperature, which has the standard name air_pseudo_equivalent_temperature.
number_concentration_of_stratiform_cloud_liquid_water_particles_at_stratiform_liquid_water_cloud_top
Unit: m-3
Unit ref: PCUM
"Number concentration" means the number of particles or other specified objects per unit volume. The phrase "stratiform_liquid_water_cloud_top" refers to the top of the highest stratiform liquid water cloud. In an atmosphere model, stratiform cloud is that produced by large-scale convergence (not the convection schemes). "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop.
tendency_of_mass_fraction_of_stratiform_cloud_ice_in_air_due_to_boundary_layer_mixing
Unit: s-1
Unit ref: PRSC
The phrase "tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. 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). A chemical species denoted by X may be described by a single term such as "nitrogen" or a phrase such as "nox_expressed_as_nitrogen". In an atmosphere model, stratiform cloud is that produced by large-scale convergence (not the convection schemes). 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. "Boundary layer mixing" means turbulent motions that transport heat, water, momentum and chemical constituents within the atmospheric boundary layer and affect exchanges between the surface and the atmosphere. The atmospheric boundary layer is typically characterised by a well-mixed sub-cloud layer of order 500 metres, and by a more extended conditionally unstable layer with boundary-layer clouds up to 2 km. (Reference: IPCC Third Assessment Report, Working Group 1: The Scientific Basis, 7.2.2.3, https://archive.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/tar/wg1/273.htm).
tendency_of_mass_fraction_of_stratiform_cloud_liquid_water_in_air_due_to_melting_from_cloud_ice
Unit: s-1
Unit ref: PRSC
The phrase "tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. "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). A chemical species denoted by X may be described by a single term such as "nitrogen" or a phrase such as "nox_expressed_as_nitrogen". In an atmosphere model, stratiform cloud is that produced by large-scale convergence (not the convection schemes). "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop. 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.
mole_concentration_of_diazotrophic_phytoplankton_expressed_as_carbon_in_sea_water
Unit: mol m-3
Unit ref: MLM3
"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 species or biological group denoted by X may be described by a single term such as "nitrogen" or a phrase such as "nox_expressed_as_nitrogen". 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. Phytoplankton are algae that grow where there is sufficient light to support photosynthesis. Diazotrophic phytoplankton are phytoplankton (predominantly from Phylum Cyanobacteria) that are able to fix molecular nitrogen (gas or solute) in addition to nitrate and ammonium.
mass_fraction_of_cloud_liquid_water_in_air
Unit: 1
Unit ref: UUUU
AMIP: clw
"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). A chemical species or biological group denoted by X may be described by a single term such as "nitrogen" or a phrase such as "nox_expressed_as_nitrogen". "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop.
tendency_of_mass_fraction_of_stratiform_cloud_liquid_water_in_air_due_to_cloud_microphysics
Unit: s-1
Unit ref: PRSC
The phrase "tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. "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). 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". In an atmosphere model, stratiform cloud is that produced by large-scale convergence (not the convection schemes). "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop. 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. "Cloud microphysics" is the sum of many cloud processes such as condensation, evaporation, homogeneous nucleation, heterogeneous nucleation, deposition, sublimation, the Bergeron-Findeisen process, riming, accretion, aggregation and icefall. The precise list of processes that are included in "cloud microphysics" can vary between models. Where possible, the data variable should be accompanied by a complete description of the processes included, for example, by using a comment attribute. Standard names also exist to describe the tendencies due to the separate processes.
effective_radius_of_cloud_liquid_water_particles
Unit: m
Unit ref: ULAA
The effective radius of a size distribution of particles, such as aerosols, cloud droplets or ice crystals, is the area weighted mean radius of particle size. It is calculated as the ratio of the third to the second moment of the particle size distribution. "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop.
tendency_of_mass_fraction_of_stratiform_cloud_liquid_water_in_air_due_to_condensation_and_evaporation_from_longwave_heating
Unit: s-1
Unit ref: PRSC
The phrase "tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. "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). A chemical species denoted by X may be described by a single term such as "nitrogen" or a phrase such as "nox_expressed_as_nitrogen". In an atmosphere model, stratiform cloud is that produced by large-scale convergence (not the convection schemes). "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop. 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. Condensation is the conversion of vapor into liquid. Evaporation is the conversion of liquid or solid into vapor. The term "longwave" means longwave radiation.
tendency_of_mole_concentration_of_particulate_organic_matter_expressed_as_carbon_in_sea_water_due_to_net_primary_production_by_diazotrophic_phytoplankton
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 species or biological group denoted by X may be described by a single term such as "nitrogen" or a phrase such as "nox_expressed_as_nitrogen". 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 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. "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 (the 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. In the oceans, carbon production per unit volume is often found at a number of depths at a given horizontal location. That quantity can then be integrated to calculate production per unit area at the location. Standard names for production per unit area use the term "productivity". Phytoplankton are algae that grow where there is sufficient light to support photosynthesis. Diazotrophic phytoplankton are phytoplankton (predominantly from Phylum Cyanobacteria) that are able to fix molecular nitrogen (gas or solute) in addition to nitrate and ammonium.
mass_content_of_cloud_liquid_water_in_atmosphere_layer
Unit: kg m-2
Unit ref: KMP2
The "content_of_X_in_atmosphere_layer" refers to the vertical integral between two specified levels in the atmosphere. "Content" indicates a quantity per unit area. "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop. "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.
growth_limitation_of_diazotrophic_phytoplankton_due_to_solar_irradiance
Unit: 1
Unit ref: UUUU
"Growth limitation due to solar irradiance" means the ratio of the growth rate of a biological population in the environment (where the amount of sunlight reaching a location may be limited) to the theoretical growth rate if there were no such limit on solar irradiance. 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. "Irradiance" means the power per unit area (called radiative flux in other standard names), the area being normal to the direction of flow of the radiant energy. Solar irradiance is essential to the photosynthesis reaction and its presence promotes the growth of phytoplankton populations. Phytoplankton are algae that grow where there is sufficient light to support photosynthesis. Diazotrophic phytoplankton are phytoplankton (predominantly from Phylum Cyanobacteria) that are able to fix molecular nitrogen (gas or solute) in addition to nitrate and ammonium.
air_pseudo_equivalent_potential_temperature
Unit: K
Unit ref: UPKA
GRIB: 14
The pseudoequivalent potential temperature is the temperature a parcel of air would have if it is expanded by a pseudoadiabatic (irreversible moist-adiabatic) process to zero pressure and afterwards compressed by a dry-adiabatic process to a standard pressure, typically representative of mean sea level pressure. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Pseudoequivalent_potential_temperature. A pseudoadiabatic process means that the liquid water that condenses is assumed to be removed as soon as it is formed. Reference: AMS Glossary http:/glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Pseudoadiabatic_process. To specify the standard pressure to which the quantity applies, provide a scalar coordinate variable with the standard name reference_pressure.
effective_radius_of_stratiform_cloud_liquid_water_particles
Unit: m
Unit ref: ULAA
The effective radius of a size distribution of particles, such as aerosols, cloud droplets or ice crystals, is the area weighted mean radius of particle size. It is calculated as the ratio of the third to the second moment of the particle size distribution. In an atmosphere model, stratiform cloud is that produced by large-scale convergence (not the convection schemes). "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop.
mass_concentration_of_cloud_liquid_water_in_air
Unit: kg m-3
Unit ref: UKMC
"Mass concentration" means mass per unit volume and is used in the construction "mass_concentration_of_X_in_Y", where X is a material constituent of Y. A chemical species or biological group denoted by X may be described by a single term such as "nitrogen" or a phrase such as "nox_expressed_as_nitrogen". "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop.
effective_radius_of_convective_cloud_liquid_water_particles
Unit: m
Unit ref: ULAA
The effective radius of a size distribution of particles, such as aerosols, cloud droplets or ice crystals, is the area weighted mean radius of particle size. It is calculated as the ratio of the third to the second moment of the particle size distribution. Convective cloud is that produced by the convection schemes in an atmosphere model. "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop.
tendency_of_mass_fraction_of_stratiform_cloud_liquid_water_in_air_due_to_riming
Unit: s-1
Unit ref: PRSC
The phrase "tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. "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). A chemical species denoted by X may be described by a single term such as "nitrogen" or a phrase such as "nox_expressed_as_nitrogen". In an atmosphere model, stratiform cloud is that produced by large-scale convergence (not the convection schemes). "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop. 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. Riming is the rapid freezing of supercooled water onto a surface.
air_equivalent_potential_temperature
Unit: K
Unit ref: UPKA
The "equivalent potential temperature" is a thermodynamic quantity, with its natural logarithm proportional to the entropy of moist air, that is conserved in a reversible moist adiabatic process. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Equivalent_potential_temperature. It is the temperature of a parcel of air if all the moisture contained in it were first condensed, releasing latent heat, before moving the parcel dry adiabatically to a standard pressure, typically representative of mean sea level pressure. To specify the standard pressure to which the quantity applies, provide a scalar coordinate variable with standard name reference_pressure.
air_pseudo_equivalent_temperature
Unit: K
Unit ref: UPKA
The pseudoequivalent temperature is also known as the adiabatic equivalent temperature. It is the temperature that an air parcel would have after undergoing the following process: dry-adiabatic expansion until saturated; pseudoadiabatic expansion until all moisture is precipitated out; dry-adiabatic compression to the initial pressure. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Equivalent_temperature. This quantity is distinct from the isobaric equivalent temperature, also known as equivalent temperature, which has the standard name air_equivalent_temperature.
cloud_liquid_water_mixing_ratio
Unit: 1
Unit ref: UUUU
Cloud liquid water mixing ratio of a parcel of air is the ratio of the mass of liquid water to the mass of dry air. "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop.
tendency_of_mass_fraction_of_cloud_liquid_water_in_air_due_to_diffusion
Unit: s-1
Unit ref: PRSC
The phrase "tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. "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). A chemical species or biological group denoted by X may be described by a single term such as "nitrogen" or a phrase such as "nox_expressed_as_nitrogen". "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop. 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.
tendency_of_mass_fraction_of_stratiform_cloud_liquid_water_in_air_due_to_convective_detrainment
Unit: s-1
Unit ref: PRSC
The phrase "tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. "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). A chemical species denoted by X may be described by a single term such as "nitrogen" or a phrase such as "nox_expressed_as_nitrogen". In an atmosphere model, stratiform cloud is that produced by large-scale convergence (not the convection schemes). "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop. 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.
mass_fraction_of_stratiform_cloud_liquid_water_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). A chemical species or biological group denoted by X may be described by a single term such as "nitrogen" or a phrase such as "nox_expressed_as_nitrogen". In an atmosphere model, stratiform cloud is that produced by large-scale convergence (not the convection schemes). "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop.
tendency_of_mass_fraction_of_cloud_liquid_water_in_air
Unit: s-1
Unit ref: PRSC
The phrase "tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. "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). A chemical species or biological group denoted by X may be described by a single term such as "nitrogen" or a phrase such as "nox_expressed_as_nitrogen". "Cloud liquid water" refers to the liquid phase of cloud water. A diameter of 0.2 mm has been suggested as an upper limit to the size of drops that shall be regarded as cloud drops; larger drops fall rapidly enough so that only very strong updrafts can sustain them. Any such division is somewhat arbitrary, and active cumulus clouds sometimes contain cloud drops much larger than this. Reference: AMS Glossary http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud_drop.