Re: Unidata Observation Dataset Conventions

• To: Bob Simons <Bob.Simons@xxxxxxxx>
• Subject: Re: Unidata Observation Dataset Conventions
• From: John Caron <caron@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
• Date: Wed, 01 Feb 2006 13:04:08 -0700

Hi Bob:

Bob Simons wrote:

In the Unidata Observation Dataset Conventions, under the heading "Identifying the Coordinate Variables", it says "Each observation must have a latitude, longitude, altitude, and time coordinate value associated with it."

The spec covers 2 cases:

A PointObsDataset will have the lat, lon, etc in the observation.

A StationObsDataset will have the lat, lon, etc in the station. Since the 
station is associated wwith the obs, the lat, lon, etc are asociates withe the 
obs.

Under the heading "Station Observation datasets", it says "The latitude, longitude, and altitude variables must all be station variables".

I am confused. It seems like the first quote indicates these variables should use the observationDimension, but the second indicates they should use the stationDimension. Which is it?

In some ways I see that it would be nice to have the information in both places (although that violates standard database design standards), but you can't have two variables with the same name.

You can certainly put them in both places, obviously  using a different name. 
Some other data providers need that. The adapter code will only use one of 
them, but they should be identical, so it doesnt matter.

Sincerely,

Bob Simons
Satellite Data Product Manager
Environmental Research Division
NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center
1352 Lighthouse Ave
Pacific Grove, CA 93950-2079
(831)658-3205
bob.simons@xxxxxxxx
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