Template talk:Meteorological variables

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[edit] Ordering?

There seems to be no particular order to the terms in this template, and it's hard to find things. Unless there are strenuous and reasoned objections, I propose to order the terms alphabetically. --MCB 21:57, 18 August 2006 (UTC)

I alphabetized the list, and also removed some entries like wind and cloud that are not data or variables but are merely weather concepts. --MCB 00:51, 24 August 2006 (UTC)

Actually, wind is an observable, as such data is collected on it. In forecasting; jet stream, surface winds, etc., are in fact important variables. The generalized term wind is used on the template. The same arguments about cloud can be made. -- Hard Raspy Sci 15:37, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Adding additional terms?

Can you perhaps explain what you are trying to do here? Is this supposed to be a list of actual "data and variables", or simply a list of meteorological concepts? If it's the former, things like lightning and Surface weather analysis don't belong. If it's the latter, it should be renamed to something more general and descriptive. As it is, it's a mixed bag of directly measurable/quantifiable data and broad concepts, which does not strike me as being as useful. --MCB 23:27, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

Certainly, from the perspective of pure science--anything that is an observable is data and can be measured. Any quantifiable differance between data points is considered variable. However, the recently added surface weather analysis (by myself) may not sound like it is on topic. When viewed on the climatic scale, a daily surface weather analysis is a variable, albeit a complex data point.

So, not really "a mixed bag" for experienced meteorologists (or climatologists, atmospheric scientists), but rather an extremely common set. In terms of forecasting, all of the above applies the same.--Hard Raspy Sci 01:51, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

On another note, the template is designed to keep things simple. It is not useful to split off a multitude of templates showing the possible variety of data types--measured, abstract, derived, complex, functional, theoretical, cardinal, etc... --Hard Raspy Sci 02:08, 7 January 2007 (UTC)