Back to cf_standard_names | Category Index
CF Standard Names (copied into data request to facilitate validation, particularly validation of consistency of definition in the CF standard with usage in the data request).
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| canonical_units | W m-2 |
| description | The surface called "surface" means the lower boundary of the atmosphere. "Diffuse" radiation is radiation that has been scattered by gas molecules in the atmosphere and by particles such as cloud droplets and aerosols. The term "shortwave" means shortwave radiation. Downwelling radiation is radiation from above. It does not mean "net downward". The sign convention is that "upwelling" is positive upwards and "downwelling" is positive downwards. When thought of as being incident on a surface, a radiative flux is sometimes called "irradiance". In addition, it is identical with the quantity measured by a cosine-collector light-meter and sometimes called "vector irradiance". In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics. A phrase "assuming_condition" indicates that the named quantity is the value which would obtain if all aspects of the system were unaltered except for the assumption of the circumstances specified by the condition. "Clear sky" means in the absence of clouds. |
| name | surface_diffuse_downwelling_shortwave_flux_in_air_assuming_clear_sky |
| uid | 3ba8dae9-8ca2-11ef-944e-41a8eb05f654 |