Variable names
==============

To allow HARP to perform automatic operations on variables, it imposes a strict naming convention for variables. This
naming convention applies to the variable name itself and is therefore fully complementary to naming conventions that
apply to the value of a variable attribute, such as ``standard_name`` (as specified by netCDF-CF).

Note that it is possible to use variables inside HARP products with names that do not follow the convention, but then
these variables may not be handled correctly by operations that you perform on the product. The general rule is that if
you have a quantity that can be represented by the naming convention below then you should use the HARP variable name
for it.


HARP defines the following variable names:

============================================== =============== =============== ======= ==== ======= ===== ==================== =======================================================================
Name                                           Prefixes        Postfixes       Quality Vert Lat/Lon Spect Default unit         Comments
============================================== =============== =============== ======= ==== ======= ===== ==================== =======================================================================
absolute_vorticity                                                             X       X    X             [1/s]
absorbing_aerosol_index                                                        X            X             []
aerosol_backscatter_coefficient                surface                         X       X    X       X     [1/m/sr]
aerosol_base_height                                                            X            X             [m]
aerosol_base_pressure                                                          X            X             [Pa]
aerosol_column_number_density                                                  X       X    X             [1/m2]
aerosol_density                                                                X       X    X             [kg/m3]
aerosol_extinction_coefficient                 surface                         X       X    X       X     [1/m]
aerosol_height                                                                 X            X             [m]
aerosol_lidar_ratio                            surface                         X       X    X       X     [sr]
aerosol_number_density                                                         X       X    X             [1/m3]
aerosol_optical_depth                          stratospheric,                  X       X    X       X     []                   this is equal to 'aerosol optical thickness'
                                               tropospheric
aerosol_pressure                                                               X            X             [Pa]
aerosol_top_height                                                             X            X             [m]
aerosol_top_pressure                                                           X            X             [Pa]
<aerosol_size>_aerosol_backscatter_coefficient surface                         X       X    X       X     [1/m/sr]
<aerosol_type>_aerosol_base_height                                             X            X             [m]
<aerosol_type>_aerosol_base_pressure                                           X            X             [Pa]
<aerosol_size>_aerosol_column_number_density                                   X       X    X             [1/m2]
<aerosol_size>_aerosol_density                                                 X       X    X             [kg/m3]
<aerosol_size>_aerosol_extinction_coefficient  surface                         X       X    X       X     [1/m]
<aerosol_type>_aerosol_height                                                  X            X             [m]
<aerosol_size>_aerosol_lidar_ratio             surface                         X       X    X       X     [sr]
<aerosol_size>_aerosol_number_density                                          X       X    X             [1/m3]
<aerosol_size>_aerosol_optical_depth           stratospheric,                  X       X    X       X     []                   this is equal to 'aerosol optical thickness'
                                               tropospheric
<aerosol_type>_aerosol_pressure                                                X            X             [Pa]
<aerosol_type>_aerosol_top_height                                              X            X             [m]
<aerosol_type>_aerosol_top_pressure                                            X            X             [m]
altitude                                       sensor,                         X       X    X             [m]
                                               surface
altitude_bounds                                                                X       X    X             [m]
angstrom_exponent                                                              X       X    X             []
area                                                                           X                          [m2]                 the size of an area defined by latitude/longitude bounds
backscatter_coefficient                        surface                         X       X    X       X     [1/m/sr]
circular_depolarization_ratio                                                  X       X    X       X     []
cloud_albedo                                                                   X            X             []
cloud_base_albedo                                                              X            X             []
cloud_base_height                                                              X            X             [m]
cloud_base_pressure                                                            X            X             [Pa]
cloud_base_temperature                                                         X            X             [K]
cloud_fraction                                                                 X            X             []
cloud_height                                                                   X            X             [m]
cloud_optical_depth                                                            X            X             []                   this is equal to 'cloud optical thickness'
cloud_pressure                                                                 X            X             [Pa]
cloud_temperature                                                              X            X             [K]
cloud_top_albedo                                                               X            X             []
cloud_top_height                                                               X            X             [m]
cloud_top_pressure                                                             X            X             [Pa]
cloud_top_temperature                                                          X            X             [K]
cloud_type                                                                     X            X
collocation_index                                                                                                              zero-based index as provided in the collocation result file
column_density                                 stratospheric,  amf, apriori,   X       X    X             [kg/m2]
                                               tropospheric    avk, dfs, sic
column_number_density                          stratospheric,  amf, apriori,   X       X    X             [molec/m2]
                                               tropospheric    avk, dfs, sic
count                                                                                                                          number of samples per bin for binning/averaging
datetime                                                                                                  [s since 2000-01-01]
datetime_bounds                                                                                           [s since 2000-01-01]
datetime_length                                                                                           [s]
datetime_start                                                                                            [s since 2000-01-01]
datetime_stop                                                                                             [s since 2000-01-01]
density                                                                        X       X    X             [kg/m3]
extinction_coefficient                         surface                         X       X    X       X     [1/m]
frequency                                                                      X                    X     [Hz]
frequency_bounds                                                               X                    X     [Hz]
frequency_irradiance                                                           X                    X     [W/m2/Hz]
frequency_photon_irradiance                                                    X                    X     [1/s/m2/Hz]
frequency_photon_radiance                                                      X                    X     [1/s/sr/m2/Hz]
frequency_photon_transmittance                                                 X                    X     []
frequency_radiance                                                             X                    X     [W/sr/m2/Hz]
frequency_transmittance                                                        X                    X     []
geoid_height                                                                   X            X             [m]
geopotential                                   surface                         X       X    X             [m2/s2]
geopotential_height                            surface                         X       X    X             [m]
geopotential_height_bounds                                                     X       X    X             [m]
gravity                                        surface                         X       X    X             [m/s2]
hlos_wind_velocity                             surface                         X       X    X             [m/s]                hlos means 'horizontal line of sight'
index                                                                                                                          zero-based index of the sample within the source product
integration_time                                                                       X    X       X     [s]                  provides measurement specific integration time
                                                                                                                               (at e.g. altitude or wavelength) compared to overal datetime_length;
                                                                                                                               only use if integration time differs from datetime_length;
                                                                                                                               integration_time longer than datetime_length that covers multiple
                                                                                                                               datetime values means replication of measured value in time dimension
land_type                                                                      X            X
latitude                                       sensor                          X            (lat)         [degree_north]
latitude_bounds                                                                             (lat)         [degree_north]
lidar_ratio                                    surface                         X       X    X       X     [sr]
linear_depolarization_ratio                                                    X       X    X       X     []
location_name                                                                                                                  name of the geographical location of the data
longitude                                      sensor                          X            (lon)         [degree_east]
longitude_bounds                                                                            (lon)         [degree_east]
meridional_wind_velocity                       surface                         X       X    X             [m/s]
molar_mass                                                                     X       X    X             [g/mol]              this is the molar mass of the total substance (it is defined by the
                                                                                                                               relation between the variables 'density' and 'number_density')
month                                                                                                                          category variable for month of year ('January', ..., 'December')
number_density                                 surface                         X       X    X             [molec/m3]
O3_effective_temperature                                                       X            X             [K]
optical_depth                                                                  X       X    X       X     []                   this is equal to 'optical thickness'
orbit_index                                                                                                                    the absolute orbit number for data from polar orbiting satellites
<particle>_column_number_density                                               X       X    X             [1/m2]
<particle>_effective_radius                                                                               [m]
<particle>_number_density                                                      X       X    X             [1/m3]
particle_type                                                                  X            X
planetary_boundary_layer_height                                                X            X             [m]
<pm>_column_density                            stratospheric,                  X       X    X             [kg/m2]
                                               tropospheric
<pm>_density                                   surface                         X       X    X             [kg/m3]
potential_temperature                          surface                         X       X    X             [K]
pressure                                       surface                         X       X    X             [Pa]
pressure_bounds                                                                X       X    X             [Pa]
radiance                                                                       X                    X     [W/sr/m2]
rain_rate                                                                      X            X             [mm/h]
reflectance                                                                    X                    X     []
relative_azimuth_angle                                                         X                          [degree]             absolute difference between sensor and solar azimuth angles
relative_humidity                              surface                         X       X    X             []
relative_vorticity                                                             X       X    X             []
scan_direction_type
scan_subindex
scattering_angle                                                               X                          [degree]
scene_albedo                                                                   X            X             []
scene_pressure                                                                 X            X             [Pa]
scene_type                                                                     X            X
sensor_azimuth_angle                                                           X                          [degree]
sensor_elevation_angle                                                         X                          [degree]
sensor_name                                                                                                                    used mainly for ground based networks to provide a unique sensor id
sensor_zenith_angle                                                            X                          [degree]
<species>_column_density                       stratospheric,  amf, apriori,   X       X    X             [kg/m2]
                                               tropospheric    avk, dfs, sic
<species>_column_number_density                stratospheric,  amf, apriori,   X       X    X             [molec/m2]
                                               tropospheric    avk, dfs, sic
<species>_column_mass_mixing_ratio             stratospheric,                  X            X             [kg/kg]
                                               tropospheric
<species>_column_mass_mixing_ratio_dry_air     stratospheric,                  X            X             [kg/kg]
                                               tropospheric
<species>_column_volume_mixing_ratio           stratospheric,                  X            X             [ppv]
                                               tropospheric
<species>_column_volume_mixing_ratio_dry_air   stratospheric,                  X            X             [ppv]
                                               tropospheric
<species>_density                              surface                         X       X    X             [kg/m3]
<species>_mass_flux                                                            X       X    X             [kg/m2/s]
<species>_mass_mixing_ratio                    surface         apriori, avk,   X       X    X             [kg/kg]
                                                               dfs, sic
<species>_mass_mixing_ratio_dry_air            surface         apriori, avk,   X       X    X             [kg/kg]
                                                               dfs, sic
<species>_number_density                       surface         apriori, avk,   X       X    X             [molec/m3]
                                                               dfs, sic
<species>_partial_pressure                     surface                         X       X    X             [Pa]
<species>_partial_pressure_dry_air             surface                         X       X    X             [Pa]
<species>_slant_column_density                                                 X            X             [kg/m2]
<species>_slant_column_number_density                                          X            X             [molec/m2]
<species>_volume_mixing_ratio                  surface         apriori, avk,   X       X    X             [ppv]                this is equal to 'number mixing ratio'
                                                               dfs, sic
<species>_volume_mixing_ratio_dry_air          surface         apriori, avk,   X       X    X             [ppv]
                                                               dfs, sic
solar_azimuth_angle                            sensor,                         X                          [degree]
                                               surface, toa
solar_declination_angle                                                                                   [degree]
solar_elevation_angle                          sensor,                         X                          [degree]
                                               surface, toa
solar_hour_angle                                                                                          [degree]
solar_irradiance                                                               X                    X     [W/m2]
solar_zenith_angle                             sensor,                         X                          [degree]
                                               surface, toa,
sun_normalized_radiance                                                        X                    X     [degree]
surface_albedo                                                                 X            X       X     []
temperature                                    surface                         X       X    X             [K]
tropopause_altitude                                                            X            X             [m]                  altitude of the troposphere/stratosphere boundary location
tropopause_pressure                                                            X            X             [K]                  pressure level of the troposphere/stratosphere boundary location
validity                                                                                                                       validity flag for each time sample or whole product;
                                                                                                                               only to be used if validity flag is for multiple variables combined
viewing_azimuth_angle                                                          X                          [degree]
viewing_elevation_angle                                                        X                          [degree]
viewing_zenith_angle                                                           X                          [degree]
virtual_temperature                                                            X       X    X             [K]
wavelength                                                                     X                    X     [m]
wavelength_bounds                                                              X                    X     [m]
wavelength_irradiance                                                          X                    X     [W/m2/m]
wavelength_photon_irradiance                                                   X                    X     [1/s/m2/m]
wavelength_photon_radiance                                                     X                    X     [1/s/sr/m2/m]
wavelength_photon_transmittance                                                X                    X     []
wavelength_radiance                                                            X                    X     [W/sr/m2/m]
wavelength_transmittance                                                       X                    X     []
wavenumber                                                                     X                    X     [1/m]
wavenumber_bounds                                                              X                    X     [1/m]
wavenumber_irradiance                                                          X                    X     [Wm/m2]
wavenumber_photon_irradiance                                                   X                    X     [m/s/m2]
wavenumber_photon_radiance                                                     X                    X     [m/s/sr/m2]
wavenumber_photon_transmittance                                                X                    X     []
wavenumber_radiance                                                            X                    X     [Wm/sr/m2]
wavenumber_transmittance                                                       X                    X     []
weekday                                                                                                                        category variable for day of week ('Monday', ..., 'Sunday')
week                                                                                                                           integer value representing an ISO week number within a year (1, ..., 53)
weekyear                                                                                                                       integer value representing an ISO week year
weight                                                                                      X                                  weighting factors used for binning/averaging
wind_speed                                     surface                         X       X    X             [m/s]
wind_direction                                 surface                         X       X    X             [degree]
year                                                                                                                           integer value representing a year
zonal_wind_velocity                            surface                         X       X    X             [m/s]
============================================== =============== =============== ======= ==== ======= ===== ==================== =======================================================================

The supported partical types are:

====================== ===================================
Partical type          Description
====================== ===================================
aerosol                aerosol particles
<aerosol_size>_aerosol any of the aerosol sizes
<aerosol_type>_aerosol any of the aerosol types
ice_particle           ice particles
liquid_particle        liquid droplets
particle               any generic set of particles
<pm>                   any of the particulate matter types
rain_particle          rain droplets
snow_particle          snow flakes
====================== ===================================

The supported aerosol sizes are:

============ ====================================================
Aerosol size Description
============ ====================================================
ultrafine    particles < 0.1 um
fine         particles < threshold, 0.5 um <= threshold <= 2.5 um
coarse       particles > threshold, 0.5 um <= threshold <= 2.5 um
============ ====================================================

The supported aerosol types are:

============== =================
Aerosol type   Description
============== =================
black_carbon   black carbon
dust           dust
organic_matter organic matter
sea_salt       sea salt
sulphate       sulphate
============== =================

The supported PM (particulate matter) types are:

===== ==================================
Name  Description
===== ==================================
PM1   particulate matter with d < 1 um
PM2p5 particulate matter with d < 2.5 um
PM10  particulate matter with d < 10 um
===== ==================================

The supported species are:

============ ============================= ===========================
Name         Description                   Aliases (not used by HARP)
============ ============================= ===========================
dry_air      dry air
BrO          bromine oxide
BrO2         bromine dioxide
CCl2F2       dichlorodifluoromethane       freon-12, CFC-12, R-12, F12
CCl3F        trichlorofluoromethane        freon-11, CFC-11, R-11, F11
CCl4         tetrachloromethane
CF4          tetrafluoromethane            CFC-14, F14
CHClF2       chlorodifluoromethane         HCFC-22, R-22, F22
CH3Cl        chloromethane,                HCC-40, R-40
             methyl chloride
CH3CN        acetonitrile,
             methyl cyanide
CH3OH        methanol
CH4          methane
CO           carbon monoxide
COF2         carbonyl fluoride
COS          carbonyl sulfide              OCS
CO2          carbon dioxide
C2H2         acetylene                     HCCH
C2H2O2       glyoxal                       OCHCHO, CHOCHO
C2H3NO5      peroxyacetyl nitrate          PAN
C2H6         ethane
C3H8         propane
C5H8         isoprene
ClNO3        chlorine nitrate
ClO          chlorine monoxide
HCHO         formaldehyde                  CH2O, H2CO
HCOOH        formic acid                   HCO2H
HCN          hydrogen cyanide
HCl          hydrogen chloride
HF           hydrogen fluoride
HNO2         nitrous acid
HNO3         nitric acid
HNO4         peroxynitric acid
HOCl         hypochlorous acid
HO2          hydroperoxyl
H2O          water
H2O_161      water (H1/O16/H1 isotopes)
H2O_162      water (H1/O16/H2 isotopes)    HDO
H2O_171      water (H1/O17/H1 isotopes)
H2O_181      water (H1/O18/H1 isotopes)
H2O2         hydrogen peroxide
IO           hypoiodite
ice_water    H2O in clouds in ice state    IWC
liquid_water H2O in clouds in liquid state LWC
NH3          ammonia
NO           nitric oxide
NOCl         nitrosyl chloride
NO2          nitrogen dioxide
NO3          nitrate
N2           nitrogen gas
N2O          nitrous oxide                 NOS
N2O5         dinitrogen pentoxide
OClO         chlorine dioxide              ClO2
OH           hydroxyl
O2           oxygen
O3           ozone
O3_666       ozone (O16/O16/O16 isotopes)
O3_667       ozone (O16/O16/O17 isotopes)
O3_668       ozone (O16/O16/O18 isotopes)
O3_686       ozone (O16/O18/O16 isotopes)
O4           tetraoxygen, oxozone
rain_water   H2O as rain                   RWC
SF6          sulfur hexafluoride
SO2          sulfur dioxide
snow_water   H2O as snow/ice               SWC
water_vapour H2O as water vapour
============ ============================= ===========================

Variables for which a prefix and/or postfix is provided can have any of the given prefixes and/or any of the given
postfixes (separated by underscores). It is not allowed to provide more than one prefix or more than one postfix.
Variables having an 'X' in the Quality column can have any of the following additional versions of the variable
(where `<variable>` can include any of the allowed prefix and/or postfix combinations):

- <variable>_covariance
- <variable>_uncertainty
- <variable>_uncertainty_random
- <variable>_uncertainty_systematic
- <variable>_validity

Some examples of valid variable names are: ``tropospheric_O3_column_number_density``,
``tropospheric_O3_column_number_density_apriori``, ``O3_column_number_density_apriori``,
``tropospheric_O3_column_number_density_uncertainty``, ``O3_column_number_density_apriori_uncertainty``.

The `Vert`, `Lat/Lon`, and `Spec` columns indicate whether a variable can be dependent on the ``vertical``,
``latitude`` & ``longitude``, and/or ``spectral`` dimensions (any variable can be dependent on the ``time`` dimension).


**surface quantities**

The 'surface' prefix should only be used when quantities are combined together with quantities that have a vertical dimension.
If a product just contains surface quantities then don't use a 'surface' prefix but just omit the vertical dimension and
indicate the vertical level (i.e. location of the surface) using a 'pressure', 'altitude', and/or 'geopotential_height' variable.

Surface wind velocity variables are actually near-surface wind velocities (usually at surface_altitude + 10m).


**azimuth angles**

All (horizontal) azimuth angles in HARP should follow the convention that 0 is North facing
and the angle is increasing when moving Eastwards (i.e. clockwise).
Wind direction follows the same rules as for azimuth angles (North = 0, East = 90 degrees),
but the direction indicates where the wind is coming *from*.


**differences**

In addition to the conventions above there can also be variables that describe a 'difference'.
These difference variables can only be used to describe differences of the same quantity between different datasets
('x' and 'y') and only for variables that have a unit.
All difference variables in a single product should apply to the same datasets 'x' and 'y'
(i.e. the difference variables should only reflect a single comparison of datasets;
you should not combine one difference variable for 'x-y' and another for 'x-z' (even for different quantities)
within the same product).
A difference variable is indicated by a postfix.
The 'difference postfix' can come before a 'quality postfix' if we are talking about the 'quality of the difference'.
If the 'difference postfix' comes after a 'quality postfix' then we are talking about the 'difference of the quality quantity'.
The supported differences are:

- <variable>_diff (:math:`x-y`)
- <variable>_diffrelx (:math:`\frac{x-y}{|x|}`)
- <variable>_diffrely (:math:`\frac{x-y}{|y|}`)
- <variable>_diffrelmin (:math:`\frac{x-y}{\min(|x|,|y|)}`)
- <variable>_diffrelmax (:math:`\frac{x-y}{\max(|x|,|y|)}`)
- <variable>_diffrelavg (:math:`\frac{2(x-y)}{|x|+|y|}`)
- <variable>_diffabs (:math:`|x-y|`)
- <variable>_diffabsrelx (:math:`\frac{|x-y|}{|x|}`)
- <variable>_diffabsrely (:math:`\frac{|x-y|}{|y|}`)
- <variable>_diffabsrelmin (:math:`\frac{|x-y|}{\min(|x|,|y|)}`)
- <variable>_diffabsrelmax (:math:`\frac{|x-y|}{\max(|x|,|y|)}`)
- <variable>_diffabsrelavg (:math:`\frac{2|x-y|}{|x|+|y|}`)


**statistics**

There are also 'postfix' variables available for statistics.
HARP only provides naming conventions for statistical quantities that can be propagated
(i.e. deriving statistics of a joined set of values based on statistics of disjoint subsets of those values).
Quantities like count, standard deviation, skewness, kurtosis, minimum, and maximum, can be propagated, but median and IQR cannot.
Variances should be stored as standard deviations.
For the mean of a value, the original variable name itself is used. Other quantities are indicated by a postfix:

- <variable>_count
- <variable>_weight
- <variable>_stddev (sample standard deviation)
- <variable>_skewness
- <variable>_kurtosis
- <variable>_min
- <variable>_max

The 'count' and 'weight' are also available as variables on their own.
The variable-specific postfix versions of 'count' and 'weight' should only be used
when filtering out invalid values of a variable during binning/averaging would result
in different count/weight values.


**vertical profiles**

The postfix 'avk' is used for averaging kernels of atmospheric vertical profiles.
An AVK that only depends once on the vertical dimension is a column averaging kernel,
and an AVK that depends twice on the vertical dimension is a profile averaging kernel.
The 'amf' postfix is used for air mass factors.
The 'dfs' postfix is used for the 'degree of freedom for signal' for vertical profiles which equals the trace or
diagonal of the two-dimensional AVK and provides information on the vertical resolution and information content of
profiles.
The 'sic' postfix is used for the 'Shannon information content' for vertical profiles which can be derived from the
two-dimensional AVK.

