Sara Haines
http://mmisw.org/ont/ioos/parameter
Sara Haines (919-962-1253, sara_haines(at)unc.edu)
This is a vocabulary of the parameters used in IOOS. It has been developed, in coordination with SECOORA, the COARDS Climate-Forecast Standard Names, and input from the 11 Regional Associations in IOOS and the NOAA IOOS Program Office.
Haines, S., V. Subramanian, E. Mayorga, D. Snowden, R. Ragsdale, C. Rueda and M. Howard. Submitted. IOOS vocabulary and ontology strategy for observed properties. Proc. MTS/IEEE Oceans 2012, Hampton Roads, VA.
IOOS Parameter Vocabulary v2.0
parameter
2013-02-28T14:18:08+0000
ioos
not specified
ontology producer
20130228T141808
parameter
Sara Haines
content manager
This is a vocabulary of the parameters used in IOOS. It has been developed, in coordination with SECOORA, the COARDS Climate-Forecast Standard Names, and input from the 11 Regional Associations in IOOS and the NOAA IOOS Program Office.
IOOS
2013-02-28T14:18:08+0000
http://mmisw.org/ont/mmi/resourcetype/parameter
Sara Haines (919-962-1253, sara_haines(at)unc.edu)
Parameter
Definition
Reference
Units
Term
East/West component of wind stress. Eastward is positive.
N m-2
eastward_wind_stress
eastward_wind_stress
Division of a profile with depth into regularly spaced cells or bins. ADCPs average the velocities over the entire range of each depth cell.
depth_cell
depth_cell
In situ temperature of the ocean.
celcius
water_temperature
water_temperature
CDIP
The wave direction at the wave frequency where the wave spectrum reaches its maximum.
degrees_true
peak_wave_direction
peak_wave_direction
Irradiance for black body and white light source.
W m-2
black_white_irradiance
black_white_irradiance
A relative measure of the abundance of phytoplankton in sea water. It can be calibrated to give an estimate in mg/L or mg/g, though the relationship between fluorescence and biomass is quite complex.
chlorophyll_flourescence
chlorophyll_flourescence
Measure of combined effects on light caused by absorption and scattering over a defined distance for a specific wavelength of light.
m-1
light_attenuation_coefficient
light_attenuation_coefficient
AMS Glossary of Meterology, Second Edition, 2000, Cambridge, Massachusetts. http://amsglossary.allenpress.com/glossary
As waves propagate through a medium, the signal strength attenuates by absorption and scattering within the medium.
absorption
absorption
The difference between the time of last acceptable measurement or value and the time of the measurement or value of interest.
delta_t
delta_t
Rotation about the longitudinal axis of a sensor platform like a ship or buoy or bottom frame.
degree
roll
roll
Temperature of evaporative cooling.
celcius
wet_bulb_temperature
wet_bulb_temperature
Radiance for black body and white light source.
W m-2 sr-1
black_white_radiance
black_white_radiance
Ability of a material to pass an electrical current. Inverse of resistance. In water, it is a proxy from which salinity is derived for water quality or to further derive water density.
siemens | uS
conductivity
conductivity
AMS Glossary of Meterology, Second Edition, 2000, Cambridge, Massachusetts. http://amsglossary.allenpress.com/glossary
A measure of the fraction of incident radiation that is scattered directly back toward the source. [Also called backscatter coefficient, backscatter(ing) cross section.]
1/(m*sr)
scattering_coefficient
scattering_coefficient
Frequency is the number of oscillations of a wave per unit time. The inverse of wave_period.
s-1
wave_frequency
wave_frequency
Sensor manufacturer stated resolution. Resolution is the fineness that an intrument can read a value.
sensor_resolution
sensor_resolution
Z-coordinate of observation in vertical distance below reference. Down is positive. (sea surface | geiod | ellipsoid | MSL | MLLW | AGL )
meter
depth
depth
Range-ring or annulus defined by the area between two distances about a central point. The first step of three in processing HF Radar returned signal is to extract the distance or range from a patch of scatterers divided into bins (usually 32 to 64 bins). Each range bin includes signal returned from a range ring or annulus about the site.
range_bin
range_bin
For an ADCP, the range of depth over which the current velocities are averaged.
meter
depth_cell_size
depth_cell_size
AMS Glossary of Meterology, Second Edition, 2000, Cambridge, Massachusetts. http://amsglossary.allenpress.com/glossary
Brightness or intensity of scattered or reflected radio signal from a target.
echo_intensity
echo_intensity
Scripps Sea Water CO2 Program, http://scrippsco2.ucsd.edu/research/sea_water_co2.html
A measure of the buffering capacity of water or the ability of a solution to neutralize acid. Total alkalinity is a measure of the amount of negatively charged ions in a given amount of water. In the oceans, most of the negatively charged ions present are bicarbonate (HCO3-) and carbonate (CO3--). Combined with DIC measurments, total alkalinity is used to calculate the pCO2 for a volume of water.
mEq l-1
total_alkalinity
total_alkalinity
A measure of visibility or transparency in water. A Secchi Disk is a patterned disk that is lowered into the water and the depth at which the pattern is no longer visible is the called the Secchi Disk depth (SDD).
m
secchi_disk_depth
secchi_disk_depth
Refers to the vector sum or combination of at least two spatially-overlapping radial velocities observed by two distinct observers. For surface current mapping, it is the combination of two colocated radial velocity vectors measured by two independent HF Radar sites.
cm s-1
total_velocity
total_velocity
For HF Radar surface current applications, it is the velocity of the scattering medium of a specific area defined by the bearing and distance from the sensing antenna. Radial velocity is a vector quantity of range bin, radial speed, and radial direction.
cm s-1
radial_velocity
radial_velocity
Integrated downwelling irradiance for spectral wavelengths greater than 700nm.
W m-2
downwelling_longwave_irradiance
downwelling_longwave_irradiance
Yentsch.C.S. and Menzel.D. (1963), A method for the determination of phytoplankton chlorophyll and phaeophytin by fluorescence, Deep-Sea Res., 10, 221-231.
A pigment that occurs naturally or as a result of acidification and that is produced by digestion of chlorophyll-a. In highly productive coastal waters, high levels of phaeophytin can be encountered, necessitating measurement and correction of Chlorophyll-a measurements.
ug l-1
phaeophytin
phaeophytin
Specific frequency of energy within the electromagnetic spectrum.
m
electromagnetic_wavelength
electromagnetic_wavelength
Symonds, D.R. QA/QC Parameters for Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers, Teledyne RDI Application Note, June, 2006.
This parameter is the difference between the two independent estimates of vertical velocity at a given range bin.
cm s-1
error_velocity
error_velocity
Temperature at which water vapor in air begins to condense.
celcius
dew_point_temperature
dew_point_temperature
PAC, 2007, 79, 293 (Glossary of terms used in photochemistry, 3rd edition (IUPAC Recommendations 2006)) on page 406
In fluorescence, it is defined as the number of photons emitted divided by the number of photons absorbed.
ratio 0-1
quantum_yield_of_fluourescence
quantum_yield_of_fluourescence
Upward/Downward component of ocean current. Upward is positive. Current is the steady flow of water along a cyclic or directional path relative to location and time.
cm s-1
vertical_current
vertical_current
Y-coordinate of dependent observation in geographic coordinate. North is positive.
degrees_north
latitude
latitude
Direction towards which a drifter is going. A drifter is an object that moves with the flow of current.
degrees_true
drifter_to_direction
drifter_to_direction
Height of transducer above bottom or from surface.
meter
transducer_height
transducer_height
The difference between the last acceptable measurement or value and the measurement or value of interest.
delta_m
delta_m
Battery voltage of a sensor system or datalogger that is recorded as an indicator of sensor health and data reliability.
volts
battery_voltage
battery_voltage
Operating frequency of ADCP
kHz
transducer_frequency
transducer_frequency
The volumetric rate of water flow of a stream or river or pipe. The measure of flow through a cross-sectional area per unit time.
m3 sec-1 | cfs
river_level
river_level
CDIP
The quality, state or condition of peakedness or flatness of the wave spectral distribution. One property derived from low-order Fourier coefficients of a directional wave spectrum.
wave_kurtosis
wave_kurtosis
Evaporative exchange of heat from the atmosphere to the ocean. Positive is downward.
W m-2
latent_heat_flux
latent_heat_flux
Distance to sea floor determined by travel time of a reflected pulses sent out from ship-mounted ADCP.
meter
bottom_tracking_depth
bottom_tracking_depth
pH is defined as the negative decimal logarithm of the activity of the hydrogen ion in solution and is a measure of acidity.
acidity
acidity
EPA Report of the Experts Scientific Workshop on Critical Research Needs for the Development of New or Revised Recreational Water Quality Criteria (EPA 823-R-07-006; June 2007)
Enterococci are bacterial indicators of fecal contamination. In marine/estuarine waters, E. coli is more readily inactivated than enterococci and appears to correlate less well to health risk than enterococci for saline water environments. Most Probable Number (MPN) per unit volume.
MPN ml-1
enterococcus
enterococcus
Magnitude of velocity of ocean current. Current is the steady flow of water along a cyclic or directional path relative to location and time.
cm s-1
current_speed
current_speed
EPA Basic Information about Pathogens and Indicators in Drinking Water, http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/basicinformation/
Coliforms are bacteria that are naturally present in the environment and used as an indicator that other, potentially harmful, bacteria may be present. Most Probable Number (MPN) per unit volume.
MPN ml-1
total_coliform
total_coliform
North/South component of wind stress. Northward is positive. Wind is motion of air relative to the surface of the earth. Wind stress is the force of wind imposed on a unit area.
N m-2
northward_wind_stress
northward_wind_stress
The direction towards an object relative to a fixed reference, usually a geographic frame of reference, such as True North.
degrees_true
heading
heading
Upwelling radiance (Lu) divided by downwelling radiance (Ed) at a specific spectral wavelength.
sr-1
remote_sensing_spectral_reflectance
remote_sensing_spectral_reflectance
The direction from which a wave approaches.
degrees_true
wave_from_direction
wave_from_direction
Amount of moisture in the air as vapor relative to how much it can possibly hold at the same temperature.
percent
relative_humidity
relative_humidity
Concentration of total phosphorus (TP) represents the sum of organic and inorganic phosphorus compounds in a water sample.
ug L-1 as P
total_phosphorus
total_phosphorus
Direction towards which ocean current is going. Oceanographic convention. Current is the steady flow of water along a cyclic or directional path relative to location and time.
degrees_true
current_to_direction
current_to_direction
Time coordinate of observation based on number of seconds since the defined reference time. (UDUNITS {sec | hr | day} since YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS.xxx {+/- ZONE})
sec since 1970-1-1 00:00:00
time
time
The vector quantity of speed and direction or geographic components of speed of current flow. Current is the steady flow of water along a cyclic or directional path relative to location and time.
cm s-1
current_velocity
current_velocity
Downward IR radiation. Positive is downward.
downward_longwave_radiation
downward_longwave_radiation
Time between two successive wave crests or the time for one wavelength to pass a fixed point.
second
wave_period
wave_period
Direction from which wind gust is blowing when maximum wind speed is observed. Meteorological Convention. Wind is motion of air relative to the surface of the earth.
degrees from N
wind_gust_from_direction
wind_gust_from_direction
Light energy of specific wavelength from a set of directions (solid angle) at a point and time in space.
W m-2 sr-1
spectral_radiance
spectral_radiance
In satellite imagery, true color data and images are the composite of the normalized, measured reflected energy in the red, green, and blue bandwidths from a given surface area.
true_color
true_color
The mean height of highest third of the waves recorded during a sampling period. It is also estimated from measured wave energy, as four times the square-root of the first moment of the wave spectrum.
meter
significant_wave_height
significant_wave_height
Concentration of nitrite and nitrate (NO2+NO3) in a water sample.
ug L-1 as N
nitrite_plus_nitrate
nitrite_plus_nitrate
Upwelling irradiance (Eu) divided by downwelling radiance (Ed) at a specific spectral wavelength.
1
spectral_reflectance
spectral_reflectance
CDIP
The wave period as inverse of wave frequency at which the wave spectrum reaches its maximum. Sometimes referred to as the dominant wave period.
s
peak_wave_period
peak_wave_period
Concentration of orthophosphate (PO4) in a water sample.
ug L-1 as P
phosphate
phosphate
Radiance from above.
W m-2 m-1 sr-1
upwelling_radiance
upwelling_radiance
The direction toward which a wave propagates.
degrees_true
wave_to_direction
wave_to_direction
EPA Basic Information about Pathogens and Indicators in Drinking Water, http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/basicinformation/
Fecal coliform and E. coli are bacteria whose presence indicates that water may be contaminanted by human or animal wastes. In marine/estuarine waters, E. coli is more readily inactivated than enterococci and appears to correlate less well to health risk than enterococci for saline water environments. Most Probable Number (MPN) per unit volume.
MPN ml-1
e_coli
e_coli
Sensor manufacturer stated accuracy. Accuracy is closeness of measurement to the true value.
sensor_accuracy
sensor_accuracy
Concentration of ammonium (NH4+) in a water sample.
ug L-1 as N
ammonium
ammonium
EPA Basic Information about Pathogens and Indicators in Drinking Water, http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/basicinformation/
A single-celled protozoan parasite commonly found in lakes and rivers, especially when the water is contaminated with sewage and animal waste. Cryptosporidium can survive in the salt water for up to 12 weeks, primarily infecting filter feeders such as oysters. The occurrence of Cryptosporidium is increased in water with decreasing temperatures and increasing turbidity of the water. Most Probable Number (MPN) per unit volume.
MPN ml-1
cryptosporidium
cryptosporidium
Height or altitude of the sea surface above specified reference.
meter
surface_elevation
surface_elevation
The distance between successive troughs or crests of a wave.
meter
wavelength
wavelength
The velocity of an object that moves with the flow of current. Speed and direction are determined from point-to-point geographic locations with time.
cm s-1
drifter_velocity
drifter_velocity
Handbook of Automated Data Quality Control Checks and Procedures of the National Data Buoy Center, NDBC Technical Document 09-02, 2009, http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/handbook.pdf
The maximum allowable change of a given parameter that can be defined for a specific time period (delta_t). The Time Continuity Threshold (TCT) is used in the assessment of data quality for several common parameters and oceanographic settings, but the threshold can be locally defined.
time_continuity_threshold
time_continuity_threshold
Light energy of specific wavelength from all directions at a point and time in space.
W m-2
spectral_irradiance
spectral_irradiance
Low-level analog or digital output of a sensor and not yet converted to the engineering or scientific units for the sensor.
volts
voltage
voltage
The direction towards an object usually from one's own frame of reference.
degree
bearing
bearing
Magnitude of sound velocity in air, water or other medium.
m s-1
sound_speed
sound_speed
CDIP
The quality or state of asymmetry shown by a wave spectrum frequency distribution that is bunched on one side of the average and tails out on the other side. One property derived from low-order Fourier coefficients of a directional wave spectrum.
wave_skewness
wave_skewness
Rotation about the vertical axis of a sensor platform like a ship or buoy or bottom frame.
degree
yaw
yaw
Disease-causing bacteria, virus, or protozoan.
pathogen
pathogen
Integrated downwelling radiance for wavelengths in the ultraviolet region.
W m-2 sr-1
downwelling_uv_radiance
downwelling_uv_radiance
EPA Basic Information about Pathogens and Indicators in Drinking Water, http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/basicinformation/
A single-celled protozoan parasite that lives in the intestine of infected humans or animals. It is found on surfaces or in soil, food, or water that has been contaminated with the feces from infected humans or animals. Giardia can survive in the saline waters for up to 12 weeks. The occurrence of Giardia is increased in water with decreasing temperatures and increasing turbidity of the water. Most Probable Number (MPN) per unit volume.
MPN ml-1
giardia_lamblia
giardia_lamblia
Manual on marine meteorological services (WMO-No. 558, App. 1.2)
An undulating ridge of water moving across the surface of a liquid.
wave
wave
CDIP
Swell characteristically exhibits a more regular and longer period and has flatter crests than waves within their fetch. Swell waves are wind-generated waves that are propagating away or are outside their generating area.
swell_wave
swell_wave
Fraction of downward radiation that is reflected or scattered
albedo
albedo
Top of a layer. Also, upper most position or layer.
top
top
Total nitrogen (TN) represents the sum of organic and inorganic nitrogen compounds in a water sample.
ug L-1 as N
total_nitrogen
total_nitrogen
The ratio of mass of water vapor to the mass of dry air in the sample.
g kg-1
mixing_ratio
mixing_ratio
X-coordinate of dependent observation in geographic coordinate. East is positive.
degrees_east
longitude
longitude
Measure of light scattering due to suspended material in water. Measure of the cloudiness of water. Higher turbidity levels are often associated with higher levels of disease-causing microorganisms such as viruses, parasites and some bacteria.
NTU
turbidity
turbidity
AMS Glossary of Meterology, Second Edition, 2000, Cambridge, Massachusetts. http://amsglossary.allenpress.com/glossary
As waves propagate through a medium, the signal strength attenuates by absorption and scattering within the medium.
attenuation
attenuation
Annu. Rev. Plant. Physiol. 1958.9:1-24.
See Quantum Yield of Photosynthesis
quantum_efficiency
quantum_efficiency
North/South component of ocean current. Northward is positive. Current is the steady flow of water along a cyclic or directional path relative to location and time.
cm s-1
northward_current
northward_current
Scripps Sea Water CO2 Program, http://scrippsco2.ucsd.edu/research/sea_water_co2.html
Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) is used to describe the thousands of dissolved compounds found in water that derive from organic materials. DOC mostly consists of long-chain organic molecules, but smaller species, such as methane, are also considered organic.
umol l-1
dissolved_organic_carbon
dissolved_organic_carbon
Upper 1-2 meters of an interface between two layers - commonly the sea surface.
meter
surface
surface
CDIP
The quality or state of directional range shown by a wave spectrum directional distribution that is bunched together or spread out about the average. One property derived from low-order Fourier coefficients of a directional wave spectrum.
wave_directional_spread
wave_directional_spread
Dissolved Oxygen Saturation (DO%) is DO concentraion relative to DO saturation levels at the same temperature and salinity in a water sample.
%
dissolved_oxygen_saturation
dissolved_oxygen_saturation
Time period between reports to local storage media local or transmitted to a remote location.
seconds
reporting_interval
reporting_interval
Mass of water per unit volume.
kg m-3
water_density
water_density
Alliance for Coastal Technologies (ACT)
First-five or First-5 refers to the first five terms of a two-dimensional wave spectrum as a function of frequency and direction, specifically the frequency wave spectrum (S(f)), and the first- and second-order Fourier coefficients (a1, b1, a2, b2) that estimate the directional wave spectrum at a given frequency.
Wave Sensor Technologies
first_five_wave_terms
first_five_wave_terms
Vertical wind velocity. Up/Down component of wind vector. Up is positive. Wind is motion of air relative to the surface of the earth.
m s-1
upward_wind
upward_wind
Combined net shortwave net longwave sensible and latent heat fluxes. Positive is downward.
W m-2
net_heat_flux
net_heat_flux
Concentration of nitrate (NO3) in a water sample.
ug L-1 as N
nitrate
nitrate
Direction toward which wind stress is acting. Wind is motion of air relative to the surface of the earth. Wind stress is the force of wind imposed on a unit area.
degrees_true
wind_stress_to_direction
wind_stress_to_direction
Backscatter refers to the scattered part of returned or echoed signal received in radar.
backscatter
backscatter
Height or vertical displacement from trough to crest of the wave.
meter
wave_height
wave_height
Integrated downwelling irradiance for spectral wavelengths less than 700nm.
W m-2
downwelling_shortwave_irradiance
downwelling_shortwave_irradiance
Bearing from an HF Radar site that defines the directional component of the radial velocity vector observed. The final and third step in processng HF Radar returned signal is to determine the bearing angle or direction of the patch of scatterers based on each speed and each range found in the first two steps.
degrees_true
radial_direction
radial_direction
The average time it takes for successive wave crests to pass a single point. Mean wave period is estimated several ways from a measured wave spectrum.
second
mean_wave_period
mean_wave_period
Distance from instrument to first depth cell measurement that is blanked to avoid ringing in the transducer head and flow disturbance of the ADCP and mount.
meter
blanking_height
blanking_height
CDIP
(1) Waves being locally formed and built up by the wind; SEAS. (2) Loosely, any wave generated by wind.
wind_wave
wind_wave
East/West component of wind vector. Eastward wind is positive. Wind is motion of air relative to the surface of the earth.
m s-1
eastward_wind
eastward_wind
Z-coordinate of observation in vertical distance above reference. Up is positive. (sea surface | geiod | ellipsoid | MSL | MLLW | AGL)
meter
altitude
altitude
Magnitude of velocity of a drifter. A drifter is an object that moves with the flow of current.
cm s-1
drifter_speed
drifter_speed
Temperature of air in situ.
celcius
air_temperature
air_temperature
Bottom of a layer. Also, lowest position or layer.
bottom
bottom
Radiance from below - leaving the water surface.
W m-2 m-1 sr-1
water_leaving_radiance
water_leaving_radiance
AMS Glossary of Meterology, Second Edition, 2000, Cambridge, Massachusetts. http://amsglossary.allenpress.com/glossary
In radar, the power of the signal transmitted or received. Signal strength is generally expressed in decibels relative to some standard value, commonly 1 milliwatt or relative to power received at same distance of a signal transmitted in a vacuum.
dBm | mW
signal_strength
signal_strength
Irradiance from below.
W m-2 m-1
upwelling_irradiance
upwelling_irradiance
EPA Report of the Experts Scientific Workshop on Critical Research Needs for the Development of New or Revised Recreational Water Quality Criteria (EPA 823-R-07-006; June 2007)
Clostridium perfringens are spore-forming anaerobic bacteria excreted in human and animal fecal matter that do not appear to grow in the aquatic/soil environment. Another indicator of fecal contamination. E Coli and Enterococci have been found to multiply in aquatic soils. Most Probable Number (MPN) per unit volume
MPN ml-1
clostridium_perfringens
clostridium_perfringens
Total Suspended Solids (TSS) are organic and inorganic solids that suspend in the water. They can be silt, phytoplankton, and waste.
mg/L
total_suspended_solids
total_suspended_solids
Net solar insolation considering albedo effects. Positive is downward.
W m-2
net_shortwave_radiation
net_shortwave_radiation
Z-coordinate of observation in vertical distance above reference. Up is positive. (sea surface | geiod | ellipsoid | MSL | MLLW | AGL )
meter
height
height
For acoustic applications, it is the velocity of the scattering medium of a volume defined by the bearing or beam direction over a specific distance range from the sensing antenna.
cm s-1
beam_velocity
beam_velocity
Symonds, D.R. QA/QC Parameters for Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers, Teledyne RDI Application Note, June, 2006.
This parameter is a measure of the pulse-to-pulse correlation in a returned signal. Specifically for RDI ADCP, it is the magnitude of the normalized echo autocorrelation at the lag used for estimating the Doppler phase change. As the correlation magnitude value decreases, so does data accuracy.
correlation_magnitude
correlation_magnitude
Colored (or chromophoric) dissolved organic matter (CDOM). Measurements using spectrographic or flourometry must be calibrated against discrete water sample measurements at a frequency appropriate to the local conditions.
mg l-1 or ppm
cdom
cdom
The average direction from which waves approach or toward which they propagate. Mean wave direction is estimated several ways from a measured wave spectrum.
degrees_true
mean_wave_direction
mean_wave_direction
Direction toward which wind is blowing. Oceanographic convention. Wind is motion of air relative to the surface of the earth.
degrees_true
wind_to_direction
wind_to_direction
Pressure exerted by overlying air
hPa
air_pressure
air_pressure
Direction from which wind gust is blowing when maximum wind speed is observed. Oceanographic Convention. Wind is motion of air relative to the surface of the earth.
degrees from N
wind_gust_to_direction
wind_gust_to_direction
Z-coordinate of observation. Zero (z=0) is defined by reference. Up is positive.
meter
z
z
Manual on marine meteorological services (WMO-No. 558, App. 1.2)
The deposit of atmospheric moisture as rain, hail, sleet, snow, frost or dew. Precipition amount is often measured as depth of liquid equivalent moisture at a point but also can be expressed as liquid volume or mass per unit area.
mm | ml | kg m-2
precipitation_amount
precipitation_amount
Radiance from below.
W m-2 sr-1
downwelling_radiance
downwelling_radiance
AMS Glossary of Meterology, Second Edition, 2000, Cambridge, Massachusetts. http://amsglossary.allenpress.com/glossary
Amplitude of an echoed or returned signal received in radar. Amplitude is vertical deflection or magnitude of radio wave and is a function of the signal strength.
echo_amplitude
echo_amplitude
Inside temperature of an enclosure or housing for sensor, system electronics, or battery that is recorded to monitor sensor health and data reliability. Some instruments may cease to operate or may perform poorly outside of manufacturer recommended operating temperatures.
deg C
enclosed_temperature
enclosed_temperature
Integrated downwelling irradiance for wavelengths in the ultraviolet region.
W m-2
downwelling_uv_irradiance
downwelling_uv_irradiance
Scripps Sea Water CO2 Program, http://scrippsco2.ucsd.edu/research/sea_water_co2.html
Total dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) is the sum of gaseous CO2, bicarbonate and carbonate is the major carbon reservoir in the ocean. DIC content is expressed as mole of Carbon to mass of seawater.
umol kg-1
dissolved_inorganic_carbon
dissolved_inorganic_carbon
AMS Glossary of Meterology, Second Edition, 2000, Cambridge, Massachusetts. http://amsglossary.allenpress.com/glossary
The measure of extinction of a wavelength of light due to absorption as it traverses through the medium in which the incident radiant energy is taken up by the substance. Attenuation of light in seawater is caused by absorption and scattering of the radiation of the volume.
1/(m*sr)
absorption_coefficient
absorption_coefficient
Upper millimeter to centimeter of a surface.
meter
skin
skin
Number of uniformly spaced depth cells or bins that define the total profile range.
number_depth_cells
number_depth_cells
Downward solar insolation. Positive is downward.
W m-2
downward_shortwave_radiation
downward_shortwave_radiation
Time period between observations.
seconds
sampling_interval
sampling_interval
Conductive or convective exchange of heat from the atmosphere to the ocean. Positive is downward.
W m-2
sensible_heat_flux
sensible_heat_flux
Pressure exerted by overlying air and water.
Pa
water_pressure
water_pressure
Maximum instantaneous wind speed (usually no more than but not limited to 10 seconds) within a sample averaging interval. Wind is motion of air relative to the surface of the earth.
m s-1
wind_gust
wind_gust
CDIP
The statistical average of wave height recorded during a sampling period.
meter
mean_wave_height
mean_wave_height
Percent of sky covered by clouds of all types.
percent
cloud_cover
cloud_cover
Concentration of dissolved oxygen (DO) in water and can be measured by laboratory chemical analysis, electrochemical or optical probes. DO concentration is highly dependent on temperature and salinity.
mg L-1
dissolved_oxygen
dissolved_oxygen
Integrated downwelling irradiance for wavelengths from 400 to 700nm. It is the energy from the visible portion of sunlight that is available for photosynthesis.
W m-2
photosynthetically_available_radiation
photosynthetically_available_radiation
Magnitude of velocity of motion of a target toward or away from an observer. The second step of three in processing HF Radar returned signal is to extract from Doppler-shift frequency the speed of the motion of currents and waves for each range bin from the returned signal.
cm s-1
radial_speed
radial_speed
Direction from which wind is blowing. Meteorological Convention. Wind is motion of air relative to the surface of the earth.
degrees_true
wind_from_direction
wind_from_direction
The lowest value or lowest limit of a quantity or measured value.
minimum
minimum
Mass of air per unit volume.
kg m-3
air_density
air_density
The volumetric rate of water flow of a stream or river or pipe. The measure of flow through a cross-sectional area per unit time.
m3 sec-1 | cfs
river_discharge
river_discharge
Number of directionally independent beams of the ADCP
number_of_transducer_beams
number_of_transducer_beams
North/South component of wind vector. Northward wind is positive. Wind is motion of air relative to the surface of the earth.
m s-1
northward_wind
northward_wind
Concentration of nitrite (NO2) in a water sample.
ug L-1 as N
nitrite
nitrite
Magnitude of wind velocity relative to a moving platform e.g. ship.
m s-1
relative_wind_speed
relative_wind_speed
EPA Basic Information about Pathogens and Indicators in Drinking Water, http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/basicinformation/
Fecal coliform and E. coli are bacteria whose presence indicates that water may be contaminanted by human or animal wastes. Most Probable Number (MPN) per unit volume.
MPN ml-1
fecal_coliform
fecal_coliform
In vessel-mounted ADCP applications, bottom tracking can be used to accurately remove platform velocity from profile velocities. When the sea-floor bottom is within range of the ADCP, a special ping can be transmitted to measure the Doppler shift of the signal return from the bottom, providing a very accurate measurement of ship velocity. When bottom-tracking is unavailable (too deep for ADCP to sense sea-floor), ship navigation data is used to estimate ship velocity.
degrees
bottom_tracking_velocity
bottom_tracking_velocity
Net IR radiation - includes reflected IR radiation. Positive is downward.
W m-2
net_longwave_radiation
net_longwave_radiation
Time period over which several observations are averaged.
seconds
averaging_interval
averaging_interval
The ratio of wave height to wavelength provides a measure of steepness.
wave_steepness
wave_steepness
Unesco (1981b). Background papers and supporting data on the Practical Salinity Scale 1978. Tech. Pap. Mar. Sci., 37: 144 pp.
Salinity is to the salt content of a water sample or body of water. The measure of salt content of a water sample follows UNESCO standards known as the Practical Salinity Scale (PSS) as the conductivity ratio of a sea water sample to a standard KCl solution. PSS is a ratio and has no units.
salinity
salinity
An upper or lower limit that defines a point or level beyond which a measured value is valid or adequate or vice versa.
threshold
threshold
East/West component of ocean current. Eastward is positive. Current is the steady flow of water along a cyclic or directional path relative to location and time.
cm s-1
eastward_current
eastward_current
Magnitude of wind stress. Wind is motion of air relative to the surface of the earth. Wind stress is the force of wind imposed on a unit area.
N m-2
wind_stress
wind_stress
percent_good
percent_good
Amount of wet equivalent precipitation per unit time.
mm hr-1
precipitation_rate
precipitation_rate
Refers to the patch of sea-surface determined by the range bin and radial direction of an HF Radar radial site.
radial_cell
radial_cell
The distribution of wave energy sometimes described as a function of wave frequency or in two-dimensions as a function of wave frequency and wave direction.
m2 s | m2 s rad-1
wave_spectrum
wave_spectrum
Contents taken from Glossary: Carbon Dioxide and Climate, 1990. ORNL/CDIAC-39, Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Edited by: Fred O'Hara Jr. http://cdiac.ornl.gov/glossary.html
The partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) in the atmosphere or ocean. In the atmosphere, the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) is defined as the pressure the CO2 would exert if all other gases were removed. In the ocean, the pCO2 is determined by the amount of dissolved CO2 and H2CO3.
uatm
pCO2
pCO2
AMS Glossary of Meterology, Second Edition, 2000, Cambridge, Massachusetts. http://amsglossary.allenpress.com/glossary
Often the term scattered radiation is applied to that radiation observed in directions other than that of the source and may also be applied to acoustic and other waves. As waves propagate through a medium, the signal strength attenuates by absorption and scattering within the medium.
scattering
scattering
Irradiance from above.
W m-2
downwelling_irradiance
downwelling_irradiance
Greatest distance an object can be seen and identified. Usually refering to visibility in air - but could be other medium, such as diver visibility in water.
m
visibility
visibility
Concentration of ammonia (NH3) in a water sample.
ug L-1 as N
ammonia
ammonia
Amount of liquid equivalent precipitation accumulated or totaled for a defined period of time, usually hourly, daily, or annually.
mm
precipitation_accumulated
precipitation_accumulated
Annu. Rev. Plant. Physiol. 1958.9:1-24.
For a photochemical reaction such as photosynthesis, quantum yield or quantum efficiency is defined as the moles of product consumed or produced divided by the moles of photons absorbed.
ratio 0-1
quantum_yield_of_photosynthesis
quantum_yield_of_photosynthesis
If relative humidity inside of an enclosure or housing for a sensor exceeds a specified tolerance, moisture may cause sensor damage or corrosion. It is an indicator of sensor health and data reliability.
%
leak_detect
leak_detect
Direction from which wind is blowing relative to a moving platform e.g. ship.
degrees_true
relative_wind_from_direction
relative_wind_from_direction
Rotation about the lateral axis of a sensor platform like a ship or buoy or bottom frame.
degree
pitch
pitch
Alain Aminot and Francisco Rey, 2001
Concentration of chloropyll-a in a defined volume of water used to estimate phytoplanton mass. Measurements using spectrographic or flourometry must be calibrated against discrete water sample measurements at a frequency appropriate to the local conditions.
chlorophyll_a
chlorophyll_a
Magnitude of wind velocity. Wind is motion of air relative to the surface of the earth.
m s-1
wind_speed
wind_speed
The largest value or upper limit of a quantity or measured value.
maximum
maximum