Standard names: *integrated ocean quantities*

[baylorfk]

Proposer's name Baylor Fox-Kemper

Date 24 OCT 2024

For each term please try to give the following:

- Term Proposed terms to appear in the vocabulary
existing term: integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_potential_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content.
new related terms:
integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_conservative_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content
integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_practical_salinity_expressed_as_salt_content
integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_preformed_salinity_expressed_as_salt_content
integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_absolute_salinity_expressed_as_salt_content

- Description A brief description to explain the meaning of the term

These new terms are for applications in comparison to observational syntheses and hybrid reconstructions (e.g., Domingues et al., 2008, updated; Levitus et al., 2012; Good et al., 2013; Cheng et al., 2017; Ishii et al., 2017; Zanna et al. 2019; Palmer et al. 2021), especially in the cases of integrated ocean heat content and integrated ocean salt content over the layers commonly used in these observational syntheses (which are related to the different technologies over time, e.g., XBT, Argo, etc.). Because they are for comparison to properties which are organized into layers delineated by hydrostatic pressure instruments and then connected to depth ranges, we specify them in pressure integrals rather than depth ranges (which also has implications for conversion from complex model vertical coordinate choices). Here are the specifications needed for the definite integration levels:

0-300m layer (0 to 30.3 bar)
300-700m layer (30.3 bar to 70.7 bar)
700-2000m layer (70.7 bar to 202.5 bar)
2000m to bottom (202.5 bar to the local maximum pressure at seafloor)

These integrated dimensions should have the following variables defined. The rationale for doing the integrals in advance is that modeling centers are using a variety of vertical coordinates which make these integrals hard to do or imprecise offline.

integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_potential_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content
(This variable is already defined, is ideal for using in non-TEOS-10 models and for comparison to traditional observations formulated in terms of potential temperature, with thetao=0C as the 0 kiloJoule reference temperature, in units of kilojoules m^-2 to aid with precision).

New variables:
integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_conservative_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content (for TEOS-10 models and comparison to observations utilizing TEOS-10, with bigthetao=0C as the 0 kiloJoule reference temperature, in units of kilojoules m^-2 to aid with precision)

integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_practical_salinity_expressed_as_salt_content. (for non-TEOS-10 models, in units of kg m^-2)
This variable is the equivalent to potential temperature heat content, but for column-integrated salt anomalies.

integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_preformed_salinity_expressed_as_salt_content (for TEOS-10 models, in units of kg m^-2)
This variable is the equivalent to conservative temperature heat content, but for column-integrated salt anomalies excluding the effects of biogeochemistry on salt. This may be relevant to observations using TEOS-10, but with conductivity conversion to salinity based on

integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_preformed_salinity_expressed_as_salt_content (for TEOS-10 models, in units of kg m^-2)
This variable is the equivalent to conservative temperature heat content, but for column-integrated salt anomalies including the effects of biogeochemistry on salt.

- Units
kilojoules m^-2 for the column integrated heat content variables, expressed gridpoint-by-gridpoint
kilograms m^-2 for the column integrated salt content variables, expressed gridpoint-by-gridpoint

[github-actions]

Thank you for your proposal. These terms will be added to the cfeditor (http://cfeditor.ceda.ac.uk/proposals/1) shortly. Your proposal will then be reviewed and commented on by the community and Standard Names moderator.

[taylor13]

There is a mix of uses of "content" in the current standard names. Often different standard names are defined depending on whether the vertical integral is calculated through the entire extent of a particular medium (e.g. atmosphere, sea ice, or ocean) or calculated only through a portion of the column (i.e., within some layer specified by bounds on a vertical coordinate). As an example, contrast atmosphere_mass_content_of_water and mass_content_of_water_in_atmosphere_layer.

Sometimes, however, the same standard name applies to both the entire column or only a portion. In this case, the interpretation by default is that the integral is over the entire column, but if bounds on a vertical coordinate are specified, then it is confined to a layer. For example, the names sea_water_potential_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content and sea_ice_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content include in the descriptions:

If used for a layer heat content, coordinate bounds should be used to define the extent of the layers. If no 
coordinate bounds are specified, it is assumed that the integral is calculated over the entire vertical extent 
of the medium, e.g, if the medium is sea water the integral is assumed to be calculated over the full depth 
of the ocean.

A similar approach is used for integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_temperature.

Of possible relevance are also these existing names:
integral_wrt_depth_of_product_of_conservative_temperature_and_sea_water_density kg degree_C m-2
integral_wrt_depth_of_product_of_salinity_and_sea_water_density 1e-3 kg m-2
integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_practical_salinity m
tendency_of_sea_water_salinity_expressed_as_salt_content kg m-2 s-1

Given the existing names and discussion above, I wonder if the following names might not be better:

sea_water_conservative_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content (J m-2) instead of integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_conservative_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content . I think the integral wrt depth is implied by "content".

sea_water_practical_salinity_expressed_as_mass_content_of_salt (kg m-2) instead of integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_practical_salinity_expressed_as_salt_content.

sea_water_preformed_salinity_expressed_as_mass_content_of_salt (kg m-2) instead of integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_preformed_salinity_expressed_as_salt_content

sea_water_absolute_salinity_expressed_as_mass_content_of_salt (kg m-2) instead of integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_absolute_salinity_expressed_as_salt_content

[JonathanGregory]

Thanks for your proposal, Baylor @baylorfk.

The background and motivation is useful, but for the description in the standard name table the text should be a short explanation of the quantity and the name, like the description of e.g. sea_water_potential_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content, which is

The phrase "expressed_as_heat_content" means that this quantity is calculated as the specific heat capacity times density of sea water multiplied by the potential temperature of the sea water in the grid cell and integrated over depth. If used for a layer heat content, coordinate bounds should be used to define the extent of the layers. If no coordinate bounds are specified, it is assumed that the integral is calculated over the entire vertical extent of the medium, e.g, if the medium is sea water the integral is assumed to be calculated over the full depth of the ocean. Potential temperature is the temperature a parcel of air or sea water would have if moved adiabatically to sea level pressure.

I think your clarification of the zero is useful to include. We ought to include that point in the above as well.

Karl has pointed out an inconsistency in the existing standard names. On the one hand, we have

kg degree_C m-2   integral_wrt_depth_of_product_of_conservative_temperature_and_sea_water_density
degree_C m-2      integral_wrt_depth_of_product_of_potential_temperature_and_sea_water_density
1e-3 kg m-2       integral_wrt_depth_of_product_of_salinity_and_sea_water_density
m                 integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_practical_salinity
K m               integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_temperature

and you have used this pattern for your proposed new ones

J m-2              integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_conservative_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content
kg m-2             integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_practical_salinity_expressed_as_salt_content
kg m-2             integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_preformed_salinity_expressed_as_salt_content
kg m-2             integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_absolute_salinity_expressed_as_salt_content

On the other hand we also have existing standard names (which below I call Group A)

J m-2              sea_water_potential_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content
W m-2              tendency_of_sea_water_conservative_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content
W m-2              tendency_of_sea_water_potential_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content
kg m-2 s-1         tendency_of_sea_water_salinity_expressed_as_salt_content

and several standard names of the form tendency_of_of_sea_water_{conservative|potential}_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content_due_to_X and tendency_of_sea_water_salinity_expressed_as_salt_content_due_to_X, where X is a process. I notice that there is an alias indicating that sea_water_potential_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content was formerly called integral_of_sea_water_temperature_wrt_depth_expressed_as_heat_content.

There isn't one pattern which fits all these cases, but for the ones with expressed_as_heat_content and expressed_as_salt_content we ought to be consistent. Is it clearer to say "temperature expressed as heat content" or "integral wrt depth of temperature expressed as heat content" for a quantity in J m-2? - that's the question.

If we adopt the form "temperature expressed as heat content" the new names would be

sea_water_conservative_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content
sea_water_practical_salinity_expressed_as_salt_content
sea_water_preformed_salinity_expressed_as_salt_content
sea_water_absolute_salinity_expressed_as_salt_content

This would be consistent with existing names. If we adopt the form "integral wrt depth of temperature expressed as heat content", the new names would be as proposed by Baylor, but we should change the existing Group A for consistency to

integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_potential_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content
tendency_of_integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_conservative_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content
tendency_of_integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_potential_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content
tendency_of_integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_salinity_expressed_as_salt_content

and likewise with the tendencies due_to_X.

The latter is more complicated, but which is better?

Karl has implied another suggestion, that we should have expressed_as_mass_content_of_salt in the new names instead of expressed_as_salt_content. If we adopt that suggestion, we should also correspondingly change the seven existing standard names containing tendency_of_sea_water_salinity_expressed_as_salt_content. On the other hand, if we stick with salt_content, we ought to change the existing sea_ice_mass_content_of_salt in kg m-2 to sea_ice_salt_content. In either case, we have to change some existing names. Again, either is possible, but which is better?

Best wishes

Jonathan

[baylorfk]

Hi Both,
Thanks for the detailed suggestions. I think that emphasizing the integral in the name is key, as we are specifying integral layer definitions at the same time into the CMIP data request, specifically to address this point. I personally find sea_water_conservative_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content to be unclear if it is a vertical grid-cell integral (in J m-2) or an intensive quantity (in J m-3).
So, I prefer the
integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_potential_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content
versions, but I agree that consistency would be desired across the whole bunch.

[baylorfk]

I don't see a value in having non-energy units for e.g.,

kg degree_C m-2 integral_wrt_depth_of_product_of_conservative_temperature_and_sea_water_density

I just find that to be confusing. The Griffies et al. paper and the one supporting the data request are addressing these points precisely. The modeling centers should be converting to energy units based on these suggestions.

[JonathanGregory]

Dear @baylorfk

Certainly you can propose that modelling centres should convert their data from kg degree_C m-2 to J m-2 (by multiplying by specific heat capacity), but that makes a different geophysical quantity as far as CF is concerned. As you say, integral_wrt_depth_of_product_of_conservative_temperature_and_sea_water_density has units of kg degree_C m-2. Multiplying it by specific heat capacity gives integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_conservative_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content in J m-2, the quantity you propose. CF provides metadata (in this case standard names) for data-writers to describe the quantities they want to store, but CF doesn't have an opinion on what quantities they should store. CMIP has an opinion on that, of course, which is fine.

Cheers

Jonathan

[baylorfk]

Yes, @JonathanGregory, understood. I was just attempting to point out that we do not need to add other intermediate quantities involved in either the tendency or the content, e.g.,

integral_wrt_depth_of_product_of_potential_temperature_and_sea_water_density
integral_wrt_depth_of_product_of_preformed_salinity_and_sea_water_density
...

And so on...

[JonathanGregory]

Thanks, Baylor. Yes, I agree. J

[martinjuckes]

Hello All,

Is the following now agreed for the new quantities to be used in CMIP7 (as set out in Jonathan's post above)?

New names:

J m-2              integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_conservative_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content
kg m-2             integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_practical_salinity_expressed_as_salt_content
kg m-2             integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_preformed_salinity_expressed_as_salt_content
kg m-2             integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_absolute_salinity_expressed_as_salt_content

Existing names to be revised by adding integral_wrt_depth_of at the start:

J m-2              sea_water_potential_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content
W m-2              tendency_of_sea_water_conservative_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content
W m-2              tendency_of_sea_water_potential_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content
kg m-2 s-1         tendency_of_sea_water_salinity_expressed_as_salt_content

[taylor13]

I think it's not explicit enough to say "expressed_as_salt_content". In the atmosphere, at least, the amount of a chemical species might be quantified as a mass fraction or a molecular fraction. And "content" in the standard names does not imply mass, so shouldn't we say "expressed_as_salt_mass_content" (consistent with "expressed_as_heat_content").

[baylorfk]

It is not as necessary in the (typically Boussinesq) ocean to distinguish between mass content and density fraction (mass/volume), but I do not object to this modification. Thus,

J m-2 integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_conservative_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content
kg m-2 integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_practical_salinity_expressed_as_salt_mass_content
kg m-2 integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_preformed_salinity_expressed_as_salt_mass_content
kg m-2 integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_absolute_salinity_expressed_as_salt_mass_content

Existing names to be revised:

J m-2 integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_potential_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content
W m-2 integral_wrt_depth_of_tendency_of_sea_water_conservative_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content
W m-2 integral_wrt_depth_of_tendency_of_sea_water_potential_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content
kg m-2 s-1 integral_wrt_depth_of_tendency_of_sea_water_salinity_expressed_as_salt_mass_content

[japamment]

@baylorfk Thank you for your proposals and thanks to @taylor13 @JonathanGregory and @martinjuckes for your comments in the discussion. The form of the names seems to be agreed and we will need to create some aliases for existing names to keep the syntax consistent.

For the new names I have produced descriptions based on the text for existing similar names. @baylorfk Please can you check them and if you are happy with the descriptions I think these names can be accepted for publication in the standard name table.

1. integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_conservative_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content
   Units: J m-2
   Description: The phrase "integral_wrt_X_of_Y" means int Y dX. The abbreviation "wrt" means "with respect to". To specify the limits of the integral the data variable should have an axis for X and associated coordinate bounds. If no axis for X is associated with the data variable, or no coordinate bounds are specified, it is assumed that the integral is calculated over the entire vertical extent of the medium, e.g, if the medium is air the integral is assumed to be calculated over the full depth of the atmosphere. Conservative Temperature is defined as part of the Thermodynamic Equation of Seawater 2010 (TEOS-10) which was adopted in 2010 by the International Oceanographic Commission (IOC). Conservative Temperature is specific potential enthalpy (which has the standard name sea_water_specific_potential_enthalpy) divided by a fixed value of the specific heat capacity of sea water, namely cp_0 = 3991.86795711963 J kg-1 K-1. The zero Joule reference temperature, referred to as bigthetao, is zero degrees Celsius. Conservative Temperature is a more accurate measure of the "heat content" of sea water, by a factor of one hundred, than is potential temperature. Because of this, it can be regarded as being proportional to the heat content of sea water per unit mass. Reference: www.teos-10.org; McDougall, 2003 doi: 10.1175/1520-0485(2003)033<0945:PEACOV>2.0.CO;2. The phrase "expressed_as_heat_content" means that this quantity is calculated as the specific heat capacity times density of sea water multiplied by the conservative temperature of the sea water in the grid cell and integrated over depth.

I added a sentence about the zero point of conservative temperature because Jonathan commented that it would be useful to include it in the description. Is this a standard part of the TEOS-10 formulation and should we be including this sentence in the descriptions of all the existing conservative_temperature standard names?

2. integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_practical_salinity_expressed_as_salt_mass_content
   Units: kg m-2
   Description: The phrase "integral_wrt_X_of_Y" means int Y dX. To specify the limits of the integral the data variable should have an axis for X and associated coordinate bounds. If no axis for X is associated with the data variable, or no coordinate bounds are specified, it is assumed that the integral is calculated over the entire vertical extent of the medium, e.g, if the medium is air the integral is assumed to be calculated over the full depth of the atmosphere. The abbreviation "wrt" means "with respect to". Depth is the vertical distance below the surface. Practical Salinity, S_P, is a determination of the salinity of sea water, based on its electrical conductance. The measured conductance, corrected for temperature and pressure, is compared to the conductance of a standard potassium chloride solution, producing a value on the Practical Salinity Scale of 1978 (PSS-78). This name should not be used to describe salinity observations made before 1978, or ones not based on conductance measurements. Conversion of Practical Salinity to other precisely defined salinity measures should use the appropriate formulas specified by TEOS-10. Other standard names for precisely defined salinity quantities are sea_water_absolute_salinity (S_A); sea_water_preformed_salinity (S_*), sea_water_reference_salinity (S_R); sea_water_cox_salinity (S_C), used for salinity observations between 1967 and 1977; and sea_water_knudsen_salinity (S_K), used for salinity observations between 1901 and 1966. Salinity quantities that do not match any of the precise definitions shoul d be given the more general standard name of sea_water_salinity. Reference: www.teos-10.org; Lewis, 1980 doi:10.1109/JOE.1980.1145448.

3. integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_preformed_salinity_expressed_as_salt_mass_content
   Units: kg m-2
   Description: The phrase "integral_wrt_X_of_Y" means int Y dX. To specify the limits of the integral the data variable should have an axis for X and associated coordinate bounds. If no axis for X is associated with the data variable, or no coordinate bounds are specified, it is assumed that the integral is calculated over the entire vertical extent of the medium, e.g, if the medium is air the integral is assumed to be calculated over the full depth of the atmosphere. The abbreviation "wrt" means "with respect to". Depth is the vertical distance below the surface. Preformed Salinity, S*, is defined as part of the Thermodynamic Equation of Seawater 2010 (TEOS-10) which was adopted in 2010 by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC). Preformed Salinity is a salinity variable that is designed to be as conservative as possible, by removing the estimated biogeochemical influences on the sea water composition. Preformed Salinity is Absolute Salinity, S_A (which has the standard name sea_water_absolute_salinity), minus all contributions to sea water composition from biogeochemical processes. Preformed Salinity is the mass fraction of dissolved material in sea water. Reference: www.teos-10.org; Pawlowicz et al., 2011 doi: 10.5194/os-7-363-2011; Wright et al., 2011 doi: 10.5194/os-7-1-2011. There are also standard names for the precisely defined salinity quantities sea_water_knudsen_salinity, S_K (used for salinity observations between 1901 and 1966), sea_water_cox_salinity, S_C (used for salinity observations between 1967 and 1977), sea_water_practical_salinity, S_P (used for salinity observations from 1978 onwards), and sea_water_reference_salinity. Salinity quantities that do not match any of the precise definitions should be given the more general standard name of sea_water_salinity.

4. integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_absolute_salinity_expressed_as_salt_mass_content
   Units: kg m-2
   Description: The phrase "integral_wrt_X_of_Y" means int Y dX. To specify the limits of the integral the data variable should have an axis for X and associated coordinate bounds. If no axis for X is associated with the data variable, or no coordinate bounds are specified, it is assumed that the integral is calculated over the entire vertical extent of the medium, e.g, if the medium is air the integral is assumed to be calculated over the full depth of the atmosphere. The abbreviation "wrt" means "with respect to". Depth is the vertical distance below the surface. Absolute Salinity, S_A, is defined as part of the Thermodynamic Equation of Seawater 2010 (TEOS-10) which was adopted in 2010 by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC). It is the mass fraction of dissolved material in sea water. Absolute Salinity incorporates the spatial variations in the composition of sea water. This type of Absolute Salinity is also called "Density Salinity". TEOS-10 estimates Absolute Salinity as the salinity variable that, when used with the TEOS-10 expression for density, yields the correct density of a sea water sample even when the sample is not of Reference Composition. In practice, Absolute Salinity is often calculated from Practical Salinity using a spatial lookup table of pre-defined values of the Absolute Salinity Anomaly. It is recommended that the version of (TEOS-10) software and the associated Absolute Salinity Anomaly climatology be specified within metadata by attaching a comment attribute to the data variable. Reference: www.teos-10.org; Millero et al., 2008 doi: 10.1016/j.dsr.2007.10.001. There are also standard names for the precisely defined salinity quantities sea_water_knudsen_salinity, S_K (used for salinity observations between 1901 and 1966), sea_water_cox_salinity, S_C (used for salinity observations between 1967 and 1977), sea_water_practical_salinity, S_P (used for salinity observations from 1978 onwards), sea_water_preformed_salinity, S_*, and sea_water_reference_salinity. Salinity quantities that do not match any of the precise definitions should be given the more general standard name of sea_water_salinity.

To standardize the syntax used for expressed_as_heat_content names, the following aliases will be created for existing names (their descriptions will be updated correspondingly).

N.B. the first of these will be reverting a standard name to one of its own previous aliases - this has not been done before in CF but I don't think there is any reason why we shouldn't do it from a naming point-of-view. (Note to self: how should this be implemented in the XML version of the standard name table - adding a new alias to the list, or removing one? Also can we "undeprecate" a term in the NERC vobulary server).

Alias 1: sea_water_potential_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content -> integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_potential_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content
Units: J m-2
Updated description: The phrase "integral_wrt_X_of_Y" means int Y dX. To specify the limits of the integral the data variable should have an axis for X and associated coordinate bounds. If no axis for X is associated with the data variable, or no coordinate bounds are specified, it is assumed that the integral is calculated over the entire vertical extent of the medium, e.g, if the medium is air the integral is assumed to be calculated over the full depth of the atmosphere. The abbreviation "wrt" means "with respect to". Depth is the vertical distance below the surface. Sea water potential temperature is the temperature a parcel of sea water would have if moved adiabatically to sea level pressure. The phrase "expressed_as_heat_content" means that this quantity is calculated as the specific heat capacity times density of sea water multiplied by the potential temperature of the sea water in the grid cell and integrated over depth.

Alias 2: tendency_of_sea_water_conservative_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content -> tendency_of_integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_conservative_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content
Units: W m-2
Updated description: The phrase "tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. This tendency encompasses all processes that impact on the time changes for the heat content within a grid cell. The phrase "integral_wrt_X_of_Y" means int Y dX. To specify the limits of the integral the data variable should have an axis for X and associated coordinate bounds. If no axis for X is associated with the data variable, or no coordinate bounds are specified, it is assumed that the integral is calculated over the entire vertical extent of the medium, e.g, if the medium is air the integral is assumed to be calculated over the full depth of the atmosphere. The abbreviation "wrt" means "with respect to". Depth is the vertical distance below the surface. Conservative Temperature is defined as part of the Thermodynamic Equation of Seawater 2010 (TEOS-10) which was adopted in 2010 by the International Oceanographic Commission (IOC). Conservative Temperature is specific potential enthalpy (which has the standard name sea_water_specific_potential_enthalpy) divided by a fixed value of the specific heat capacity of sea water, namely cp_0 = 3991.86795711963 J kg-1 K-1. Conservative Temperature is a more accurate measure of the "heat content" of sea water, by a factor of one hundred, than is potential temperature. Because of this, it can be regarded as being proportional to the heat content of sea water per unit mass. Reference: www.teos-10.org; McDougall, 2003 doi: 10.1175/1520-0485(2003)033<0945:PEACOV>2.0.CO;2. The phrase "expressed_as_heat_content" means that this quantity is calculated as the specific heat capacity times density of sea water multiplied by the conservative temperature of the sea water in the grid cell and integrated over depth.

Alias 3: tendency_of_sea_water_potential_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content -> tendency_of_integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_potential_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content
Units: W m-2
Updated description: The phrase "tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. This tendency encompasses all processes that impact on the time changes for the heat content within a grid cell. The phrase "integral_wrt_X_of_Y" means int Y dX. To specify the limits of the integral the data variable should have an axis for X and associated coordinate bounds. If no axis for X is associated with the data variable, or no coordinate bounds are specified, it is assumed that the integral is calculated over the entire vertical extent of the medium, e.g, if the medium is air the integral is assumed to be calculated over the full depth of the atmosphere. The abbreviation "wrt" means "with respect to". Depth is the vertical distance below the surface. Sea water potential temperature is the temperature a parcel of sea water would have if moved adiabatically to sea level pressure. The phrase "expressed_as_heat_content" means that this quantity is calculated as the specific heat capacity times density of sea water multiplied by the potential temperature of the sea water in the grid cell and integrated over depth.

Alias 4: tendency_of_sea_water_salinity_expressed_as_salt_content -> tendency_of_integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_salinity_expressed_as_salt_mass_content
Units: kg m-2 s-1
Updated description: The phrase "tendency_of_X" means derivative of X with respect to time. This tendency encompasses all processes that impact on the time changes for the salt content within a grid cell. The phrase "integral_wrt_X_of_Y" means int Y dX. To specify the limits of the integral the data variable should have an axis for X and associated coordinate bounds. If no axis for X is associated with the data variable, or no coordinate bounds are specified, it is assumed that the integral is calculated over the entire vertical extent of the medium, e.g, if the medium is air the integral is assumed to be calculated over the full depth of the atmosphere. The abbreviation "wrt" means "with respect to". Depth is the vertical distance below the surface. Sea water salinity is the salt concentration of sea water, often on the Practical Salinity Scale of 1978. However, the unqualified term 'salinity' is generic and does not necessarily imply any particular method of calculation. There are standard names for the more precisely defined salinity quantities sea_water_knudsen_salinity, S_K (used for salinity observations between 1901 and 1966), sea_water_cox_salinity, S_C (used for salinity observations between 1967 and 1977), sea_water_practical_salinity, S_P (used for salinity observations from 1978 to the present day), sea_water_absolute_salinity, S_A, sea_water_preformed_salinity, S_*, and sea_water_reference_salinity. Salinity quantities that do not match any of the precise definitions should be given the more general standard name of sea_water_salinity.

@JonathanGregory pointed out that there are also existing names for tendencies in sea_water_conservative_temperature, sea_water_potential_temperature and sea_water_salinity which are expressed_as_heat|salt_content_due_to_X where X is a process contributing to the total tendency. These give rise to the following additional aliases (I have not written out all the updated descriptions but they are similar to those above and can be viewed in full in the standard names editor). For all the salinity tendencies I have replaced salt_content with salt_mass_content as suggested by Karl.

Alias 5: tendency_of_sea_water_conservative_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content_due_to_parameterized_dianeutral_mixing -> tendency_of_integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_conservative_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content_due_to_parameterized_dianeutral_mixing

Alias 6: tendency_of_sea_water_conservative_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content_due_to_parameterized_eddy_advection ->
tendency_of_integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_conservative_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content_due_to_parameterized_eddy_advection

Alias 7. tendency_of_sea_water_conservative_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content_due_to_parameterized_mesoscale_eddy_advection -> tendency_of_integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_conservative_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content_due_to_parameterized_mesoscale_eddy_advection

Alias 8. tendency_of_sea_water_conservative_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content_due_to_parameterized_mesoscale_eddy_diffusion ->
tendency_of_integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_conservative_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content_due_to_parameterized_mesoscale_eddy_diffusion

Alias 9. tendency_of_sea_water_conservative_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content_due_to_parameterized_submesoscale_eddy_advection -> tendency_of_integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_conservative_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content_due_to_parameterized_submesoscale_eddy_advection

Alias 10.
tendency_of_sea_water_conservative_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content_due_to_residual_mean_advection -> tendency_of_integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_conservative_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content_due_to_residual_mean_advection

Alias 11. tendency_of_sea_water_potential_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content_due_to_parameterized_dianeutral_mixing -> tendency_of_integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_potential_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content_due_to_parameterized_dianeutral_mixing

Alias 12. tendency_of_sea_water_potential_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content_due_to_parameterized_eddy_advection ->
tendency_of_integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_potential_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content_due_to_parameterized_eddy_advection

Alias 13. tendency_of_sea_water_potential_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content_due_to_parameterized_mesoscale_eddy_advection -> tendency_of_integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_potential_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content_due_to_parameterized_mesoscale_eddy_advection

Alias 14. tendency_of_sea_water_potential_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content_due_to_parameterized_mesoscale_eddy_diffusion ->
tendency_of_integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_potential_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content_due_to_parameterized_mesoscale_eddy_diffusion

Alias 15. tendency_of_sea_water_potential_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content_due_to_parameterized_submesoscale_eddy_advection -> tendency_of_integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_potential_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content_due_to_parameterized_submesoscale_eddy_advection

Alias 16. tendency_of_sea_water_potential_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content_due_to_residual_mean_advection -> tendency_of_integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_potential_temperature_expressed_as_heat_content_due_to_residual_mean_advection

Alias 17. tendency_of_sea_water_salinity_expressed_as_salt_content_due_to_parameterized_dianeutral_mixing ->
tendency_of_integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_salinity_expressed_as_salt_mass_content_due_to_parameterized_dianeutral_mixing

Alias 18. tendency_of_sea_water_salinity_expressed_as_salt_content_due_to_parameterized_eddy_advection ->
tendency_of_integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_salinity_expressed_as_salt_mass_content_due_to_parameterized_eddy_advection

Alias 19. tendency_of_sea_water_salinity_expressed_as_salt_content_due_to_parameterized_mesoscale_eddy_advection -> tendency_of_integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_salinity_expressed_as_salt_mass_content_due_to_parameterized_mesoscale_eddy_advection

Alias 20. tendency_of_sea_water_salinity_expressed_as_salt_content_due_to_parameterized_mesoscale_eddy_diffusion -> tendency_of_integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_salinity_expressed_as_salt_mass_content_due_to_parameterized_mesoscale_eddy_diffusion

Alias 21. tendency_of_sea_water_salinity_expressed_as_salt_content_due_to_parameterized_submesoscale_eddy_advection ->
tendency_of_integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_salinity_expressed_as_salt_mass_content_due_to_parameterized_submesoscale_eddy_advection

Alias 22. tendency_of_sea_water_salinity_expressed_as_salt_content_due_to_residual_mean_advection -> tendency_of_integral_wrt_depth_of_sea_water_salinity_expressed_as_salt_mass_content_due_to_residual_mean_advection

Best wishes,
Alison

[japamment]

Hi @baylorfk

Do you have any further comments on these names? We've not had any comments for three weeks, so if you are happy with the names as they stand I can mark them all as accepted and they will be published in the next update.

Best wishes,
Alison