Standard Names For Satellite Observations

From Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP)
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The Climate and Forecast (CF) metadata convention maintains a list of standard names for data stored in variables of a netCDF file. Not many standard names in that list are relevant to satellite observation data so additional names are proposed here. The new names and accompanying information will follow the CF guidelines.

Proposed Names

Standard name sensor_band_identifier
Canonical units N/A
Definition Alphanumeric identifier of a sensor band.
Standard name central_wavelength
Canonical units m
Definition The central wavelength of a sensor's band, calculated as the first moment of the band's spectral response function.


Standard name central_wavenumber
Canonical units m-1
Definition The central wavenumber of a sensor's band, calculated as the first moment of the band's spectral response function.
Standard name central_frequency
Canonical units Hz
Definition The central frequency of a sensor's band, calculated as the first moment of the band's spectral response function.
Standard name time_interval
Canonical units s
Definition An interval of time.
Standard name datetime_iso8601
Canonical units N/A
Definition String containing date-time information in one of the ISO 8601 formats. Variables with this standard name cannot serve as coordinate variables.
Standard name platform_zenith_angle
Canonical units degree
Definition The angle between the line of sight to the platform and the local zenith.
Standard name sensor_zenith_angle
Canonical units degree
Definition The angle between the line of sight to the sensor and the local zenith.
Standard name platform_scan_angle
Canonical units degree
Definition The angle between the line of sight from the platform and the nadir line. Nadir is the direction given by the vertical from the platform looking towards the center of the Earth.
Standard name sensor_scan_angle
Canonical units degree
Definition The angle between the line of sight from the sensor and the nadir line. Nadir is the direction given by the vertical from the sensor looking towards the center of the Earth.
Standard name platform_azimuth_angle
Canonical units degree
Definition The horizontal angle between the line of sight to the platform and a reference direction which is often due north. The angle is measured clockwise.
Standard name sensor_azimuth_angle
Canonical units degree
Definition The horizontal angle between the line of sight to the sensor and a reference direction which is often due north. The angle is measured clockwise.
Standard name relative_sensor_azimuth_angle
Canonical units degree
Definition Difference between two sensor_azimuth_angle values.
Standard name toa_outgoing_spectral_radiance
Canonical units mW m-2 sr-1 (cm-1)-1
Definition "toa" means top of atmosphere; "outgoing" means emitted toward outer space; "spectral" means per unit wavenumber or as a function of wavenumber. Radiance is the radiant power per unit area in a particular direction per unit of solid angle.
Standard name toa_outgoing_spectral_radiance_mean_within_collocation_target
Canonical units mW m-2 sr-1 (cm-1)-1
Definition An average of toa_outgoing_spectral_radiance observations from sensor's adjacent field of views within a collocation target. Collocation target is an area on the Earth's surface at which observations from at least two sensors are collected. Its size is defined by the sensor with the largest field of view footprint.
Standard name toa_outgoing_spectral_radiance_stdev_within_collocation_target
Canonical units mW m-2 sr-1 (cm-1)-1
Definition Standard deviation of toa_outgoing_spectral_radiance observations from sensor's adjacent field of views within a collocation target. Collocation target is an area on the Earth's surface at which observations from at least two sensors are collected. Its size is defined by the sensor with the largest field of view footprint.
Standard name toa_outgoing_spectral_radiance_mean_within_collocation_scene
Canonical units mW m-2 sr-1 (cm-1)-1
Definition An average of toa_outgoing_spectral_radiance observations within a collocation scene. Collocation scene is a grouping of sensor's adjacent field of views (FOVs) centered on a collocation target. Collocation target is an area on the Earth's surface at which observations from at least two sensors are collected. Its size is defined by the sensor with the largest FOV footprint. Collocation scene's size is typically about twice the size of its collocation target.
Standard name toa_outgoing_spectral_radiance_stdev_within_collocation_scene
Canonical units mW m-2 sr-1 (cm-1)-1
Definition Standard deviation of toa_outgoing_spectral_radiance observations within a collocation scene. Collocation scene is a grouping of sensor's adjacent field of views (FOVs) centered on a collocation target. Collocation target is an area on the Earth's surface at which observations from at least two sensors are collected. Its size is defined by the sensor with the largest FOV footprint. Collocation scene's size is typically about twice the size of its collocation target.
Standard name linear_term_of_spectral_radiance_correction_due_to_intercalibration
Canonical units 1
Definition Linear term (slope) of the formula for correcting measured spectral radiance. The correction is derived from intercalibration between the monitored and the reference sensor. The resulting corrected spectral radiance of the monitored sensor becomes comparable to measured spectral radiance of the reference sensor. "Spectral" means per unit wavenumber or as a function of wavenumber. Radiance is the radiant power per unit area in a particular direction per unit of solid angle.
Standard name constant_term_of_spectral_radiance_correction_due_to_intercalibration
Canonical units mW m-2 sr-1 (cm-1)-1
Definition Constant term (offset) of the formula for correcting measured spectral radiance. The correction is derived from intercalibration between the monitored and the reference sensor. The resulting corrected spectral radiance of the monitored sensor becomes comparable with measured spectral radiance of the reference sensor. "Spectral" means per unit wavenumber or as a function of wavenumber. Radiance is the radiant power per unit area in a particular direction per unit of solid angle.
Standard name covariance_between_constant_and_linear_terms_of_spectral_radiance_correction
Canonical units mW m-2 sr-1 (cm-1)-1
Definition Covariance between constant_term_of_spectral_radiance_correction_due_to_intercalibration and linear_term_of_spectral_radiance_correction_due_to_intercalibration values.
Standard name toa_brightness_temperature_of_standard_scene
Canonical units K
Definition "toa" means top of atmosphere. Brightness temperature of a body is the temperature of a black body which radiates the same power per unit solid angle per unit area at a given wavenumber. Standard scene is a target area with typical Earth surface and atmospheric conditions that is accepted as a reference. The top-of-atmosphere radiance of the standard scene is calculated using a radiative transfer model for a given viewing geometry. The resultant top-of-atmosphere spectral radiance is then integrated with a sensor's spectral response function and converted to equivalent brightness temperature.
Standard name toa_brightness_temperature_bias_at_standard_scene_wrt_intercalibration
Canonical units K
Definition The difference between top-of-atmosphere (TOA) brightness temperature of the reference sensor and TOA brightness temperature of the monitored sensor. This TOA brightness temperature difference is a measure of the calibration difference between the monitored and reference sensors. Standard scene is a target area with typical Earth surface and atmospheric conditions that is accepted as a reference. Brightness temperature of a body is the temperature of a black body which radiates the same power per unit solid angle per unit area at a given wavenumber. TOA brightness temperature of the standard scene is calculated using a radiative transfer simulation for a given viewing geometry. The resultant top-of-atmosphere spectral radiance is then integrated with each sensor's spectral response function and converted to equivalent brightness temperature.

Table Template for Standard Name Proposals

Standard name ...standard name...
Canonical units ...units...
Definition ...text...