Wavelength

[ejwelton]

Branch

Summary and Purpose
There is currently no way to specify the wavelength of optical observations (as from remote sensing). The Frequencies feature type exists in WMDR with appropriate descriptors. However, units of frequency are not adequate for observations in the UV-VIS-NIR spectrum due to the significant digits required for accuracy (and units of nanometer or micrometer are standard).

Stakeholder(s)
lidar and other remote sensing

Proposal
A new Wavelengths feature type be created, modeled after Frequencies:

Wavelengths feature type:

• bandwidth
• bandwidthUnit (expected values are nanometer and micrometer)
• wavelength
• wavelengthUnit (expected values are nanometer and micrometer)
• wavelengthUse
• purposeOfWavelengthUse
• transmissionMode

This proposal requires that nanometer and micrometer (and/or micron) be added to the measurement unit code registry (they are currently missing).

Reason
These proposed changes will provide a way for users to specify the wavelength of their observations. Such information is critical for remote sensing data.

[fstuerzl]

@ejwelton, I think, this issue needs to be moved to the wmds repository (see wmo-im/wmds#269).

[ejwelton]

@fstuerzl, I created this issue in wmdr, not wmds, at the suggestion of @joergklausen. Please discuss this with him, I'm not sure which location is better to address the issue.