ISFS Variable Names
ISFS variable names and naming convention. Applicable to all ASTER/PAM/ISFF/ISFS projects.
Many meteorological variables are sampled using both slow response and fast response sensors. The slow response sensors provide a mean value for state variables, while fast measurements are used in eddy correlation calculations.
Names of slowly sampled variables (usually once per second or less) begin with an upper case character, for example P, T, RH, Dir, Spd, U, and V.
Lower case is used for more rapidly sampled (usually 10/sec or more) eddy correlation variables,for example: t, u, v, w, and q.
Derived fluxes use the abbreviation commonly used in the literature, which may be upper or lower case, for example, H for sensible heat flux.
| Variable Name | Full Name | Usual Units | Usual Source | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
P
|
barometric pressure
|
mb
|
barometer
|
|
|
T
|
air temperature
|
degC
|
thermometer, TRH sensor
|
|
|
RH
|
relative humidity
|
%
|
hygrometer, TRH sensor
|
|
|
Td
|
dewpoint temperature
|
degC
|
|
|
|
Tw
|
wet bulb temperature
|
degC
|
|
|
|
Q
|
specific humidity
|
gr/kg of moist air
|
|
|
|
MR
|
water vapor
mixing ratio |
gr/kg of dry air
|
|
|
|
Spd
|
wind Speed
|
m/s
|
prop vane or
2D sonic aneomometer |
|
|
Dir
|
wind Direction
|
deg
|
prop vane or
2D sonic anemometer |
0=from North,
90=East |
|
Spdmax
|
maximum wind speed
|
m/s
|
|
|
|
U
|
U wind vector
component |
m/s
|
prop vane or 2D sonic
|
+ is from West
|
|
V
|
V wind vector
component
|
m/s
|
prop vane or 2D sonic
|
+ is from South
|
|
Variable Name
|
Full Name
|
Usual Units
|
Usual Source
|
Notes
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
u
|
U wind component
|
m/s
|
Sonic anemometer
|
may be in instrument, geographic or
special coordindate system |
|
v
|
V wind component
|
m/s
|
"
|
"
|
|
w
|
W wind component
|
m/s
|
"
|
"
|
|
spd
|
wind speed
|
m/s
|
"
|
"
|
|
dir
|
ind direction
|
deg
|
"
|
0=along +u axis
|
| diagbits | CSAT3 diagnostic sum | CSAT3 Sonic anemometer | sum of: 1(low signal),2(high signal), 4(no lock), 8(path difference),16(skipped sample) |
|
| ldiag | CSAT3 logical diagnostic | CSAT3 | logical value, 0=all diagbits are zero, 1=one or more non-zero diabits |
|
|
Vazimuth
|
pointing direction (0=N,90=E)
of sonic +V axis
|
deg
|
hand held compass
|
|
|
uflag,vflag,
wflag,tcflag |
sonic spikes
|
none
|
statistical analysis
|
fraction of points that are
detected as spikes |
|
Variable Name
|
Full Name
|
Usual Units
|
Usual Source
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
tc
|
virtual Temp
|
degC
|
Sonic anemometer,
speed of sound |
|
t
|
air Temperature
|
degC
|
Platinum wire
|
|
kh2o
|
water vapor density
|
gr/m^3
|
krypton hygrometer, not corrected for absorption by O2
|
| h2o | water vapor density | gr/m^3 | fast hygrometer |
|
q
|
specific humidity
|
gr/kg of moist air
|
|
|
mr
|
water vapor
mixing ratio |
gr/kg of dry air
|
|
|
co2mr
|
CO2 mixing ratio
|
ppmV
|
|
| irgadiag | diagnostic flag | EC150 H2O/CO2 infrared gas analyzer | |
|
o3mr
|
ozone mixing ratio
|
ppbV
|
|
| Pcell, Pirga | gas analyzer pressure | mb | Li7500, EC150; will have dynamic pressure error due to poor port placement |
|
Variable Name
|
Full Name
|
Usual Units
|
Usual Source
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
w't'
|
|
m/s degC
|
covariance of w with t from fast temperature probe
|
|
w'tc'
|
|
m/s degC
|
covariance of w with sonic temperature |
|
w'q'
|
|
m/s gr/kg
|
|
|
w'h2o'
|
|
m/s gr/m^3
|
covariance of w with fast water vapor |
| w'kh2o' | m/s gr/m^3 | Covariance of w with kh2o from krypton hygrometer, not corrected for absorption by O2 | |
|
w'mr'
|
|
m/s gr/kg
|
|
|
w'co2mr'
|
|
m/s ppmV
|
|
|
w'o3mr'
|
|
m/a ppbV
|
|
Variable Name
|
Full Name
|
Usual Units
|
Usual Source
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
H
|
sensible heat flux
|
W/m^2
|
derived from sonic anemometer + gas analyzer
|
|
LE
|
latent heat flux
|
W/m^2
|
derived from sonic + gas analyzer
|
|
Gsfc
|
surface heat flux
|
W/m^2
|
derived from Gsoil, Tsoil, Csoil
|
|
L
|
Monin-Obukhov length
|
m
|
derived from sonic anemometer + gas analyzer
|
|
u*
|
friction velocity
|
m/s
|
derived from sonic anemometer
|
|
z/L
|
stability
|
|
derived from L
|
|
Variable Name
|
Full Name
|
Usual Units
|
Usual Source
|
Notes
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Rnet
|
net radiation
|
W/m^2
|
Q7
|
|
|
Rsw.in
|
incoming short
wave radiation |
W/m^2
|
Pyranometer
|
|
|
Rsw.out
|
|
W/m^2
|
|
|
|
Rlw.in
|
incoming long
wave radiation |
W/m^2
|
Pyrgeometer
|
Derived from Rpile.in, Tcase.in
|
|
Rlw.out
|
|
W/m^2
|
Pyrgeometer
|
Derived from Rpile.out, Tcase.out
|
|
Rpile.in
|
upward-looking
pyrgeometer thermopile measurement |
W/m^2
|
Pyrgeometer thermopile
|
Not corrected for sensor temperature
|
|
Rpile.out
|
downward-looking
pyrgeometer thermopile |
W/m^2
|
Pyrgeometer thermopile
|
Not corrected.
|
|
Tcase.in
|
radiometer case
temperature |
degC
|
thermistor
|
|
|
Tdome.in
|
radiometer dome
temperature |
degC
|
thermistor
|
|
|
Tcase.out
|
|
degC
|
thermistor
|
|
|
Tdome.out
|
|
degC
|
thermistor
|
|
|
Rsw.sum
|
signed sum of
short wave radiation |
W/m^2
|
|
Rsw.in - Rsw.out
|
|
Rlw.sum
|
signed sum of
long wave radiation |
W/m^2
|
|
Rlw.in - Rlw.out
|
|
Rsum
|
signed sum of
all radiation |
W/m^2
|
|
Rsw.sum + Rlw.sum
|
|
Tsfc
|
surface temperature
|
degC
|
Everest
|
|
|
Rpar.in
|
|
|
Quantum
|
|
|
Rpar.out
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ruv.in
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ruv.out
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rveg
|
|
|
"veggie" meters
|
|
| Wetness | surface wetness indicator | mV | Decagon sensor | can detect water source from shape of signal; flat=dry |
|
Variable Name
|
Full Name
|
Usual Units
|
Usual Source
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Tsoil
|
soil temperature
|
degC
|
Presently, 4-prong NCAR-built probes
|
|
Qsoil
|
soil moisture
|
%vol
|
CS615, EC-20, EC-5 probes
|
|
Gsfc
|
heat flux at surface
|
W/m^2
|
Derived from Gsoil, Tsoil, Csoil
|
|
Gsoil
|
heat flux at at depth
|
W/m^2
|
REBS HFT
|
| Vheat | heater voltage | V | Hukseflux TP01 |
| Vpile | thermopile voltage | microV | Hukseflux TP01 |
| asoil | soil thermal diffusivity | m^2/s | Derived from TP01 Vheat, Vpile, Tau63 |
| Tau63 | soil heating time constant | s | Hukseflux TP01 |
| Lambdasoil | soil thermal conductivity | W/m K | Hukseflux TP01 |
| Csoil | soil heat capacity | J/m^3 K | Derived from TP01 asoil, Lambdasoil |
|
Tice
|
ice temperature
|
degC
|
|
|
Gice
|
heat flux at at depth
|
W/m^2
|
|
Variable Name
|
Full Name
|
Usual Units
|
Usual Source
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
rainr, Rainr
|
rain rate
|
mm/hr
|
tipping bucket, Ott Parsival2
|
|
raina, Raina
|
rain accumulation
|
mm
|
derived from raina, Ott Parsival2 |
| WX | Present weather code | Ott Parsival2 | |
| Z | Radar reflectivity (derived) | dBz | Ott Parsival2 |
| Vis | MOR visibility | m | Ott Parsival2 |
| KE | Particle kinetic energy | J/m^2h | Ott Parsival2 |
| Sig | Signal amplitude | Ott Parsival2 | |
| N | Number of particles | Ott Parsival2 | |
| Stat | Sensor status | Ott Parsival2 |
|
Variable Name
|
Full Name
|
Usual Units
|
Usual Source
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Tbox
|
electronics temperature
|
degC
|
|
| Vin, Vdsm | power supply input voltage | V | |
| Iin | power supply current | mA | |
| V3.3 | Voltage to 3.3V supply | V | |
| I3.3 | current consumption of 3.3V supply | mA | |
| Ixb | current to Xbee radio | mA | |
| I9x | current to 9Xtend radio | mA | |
| Isnsr | current to sensor | mA | |
| GPSnsat | number of satellites acquired by GPS | ||
| GPSstat | status of GPS (1 is okay) | ||
| Stratum | status of time service (1 is best) | ||
| Timeoffset | error in data system clock | us | |
| Ifan | current consumption of TRH sensor's fan | mA |
Full Format of ISFF Variable Names
If a variable is sampled at multiple locations at a site or with multiple sensors, additional fields can be appended to the variable names to make them unique. Adding additional fields to the variable names should only be done to keep the variables distinct. The instrument type, height and site should be documented elsewhere, rather than carried as excess baggage in the variable name. If possible, use simply "u" instead of "u.ati",or "u.ati.5m", or "u.ati.5m.flux".
Full format of variable names: variable [. sensor ][. height_depth ][. site ]
variable : conventional name for variable being measured, from tables above. Note that temperature measurements of substances other than air should have the substance in the measurement name, like Tsoil, Telec, so that it won't be confused with an air temperature.
sensor : (optional) use sensor name if measurement is not unique, e.g.: u.ati & u.gill.
height_depth : (optional) height or depth, e.g. 3m, 10m, 8cm. Use height if otherwise the name is not unique or if it helps clarify the name.
site : (optional) tower or site name. This is usually only needed if there are multiple towers at a station doing redundant measurements. In NetCDF files, variables from multiple stations will have a station dimension, rather than different names.
Names of Variances, Covariances and Higher Moments:
variance: varname'varname' u'u'
covariance: varname1'varname2' u'v'
How to combine long names into a covariance:
Covariance of "u.atik.3m" and h2o.csi.3m: u'h2o'.(atik,csi).3m
Covariance of "u.atik.3m" and h2o.3m: u'h2o'.(atik,).3m