CF area types

Area Type
`all_area_types` No help available.
`bare_ground` No help available.
`burnt_vegetation` No help available.
`c3_plant_functional_types` A plant that utilizes the C3 carbon fixation pathway as the sole mechanism to bind CO2 before photosynthesis reactions take place. All trees are C3 type. Grasses and crops can be C3 or C4.
`c4_plant_functional_types` A plant that utilizes the C4 carbon fixation pathway in which the CO2 is first bound to a compound containing four carbon atoms before photosynthesis reactions take place. All trees are C3 type. Grasses and crops can be C3 or C4.
`clear_sky` No help available.
`cloud` No help available.
`crops` The definition of "crops" is model dependent, for example, some models may include fruit trees as crops.
`dust_aerosol` An area_type of "dust_aerosol" indicates that dust aerosol is present at some level in the atmospheric column above an area on the surface of the Earth.
`fire` An area_type of "fire" indicates that biomass fire, either flaming, smouldering, or both, is present.
`floating_ice` All ice floating on water including lake-ice, sea-ice, ice-shelves and icebergs.
`floating_ice_shelf` An area type of "floating ice shelf" indicates where ice shelves are present. Ice shelves are the component of ice sheets that flow over the ocean.
`grounded_ice_sheet` An area type of "grounded ice sheet" indicates where the ice sheet rest over bedrock and is thus grounded. It excludes ice-caps, glaciers and floating ice shelves.
`ice_free_land` No help available.
`ice_free_sea` No help available.
`ice_sheet` An area type of "ice sheet" indicates where ice sheets are present. It includes both grounded ice sheets resting over bedrock and ice shelves flowing over the ocean, but excludes ice-caps and glaciers (in contrast to land_ice, which includes all components).
`lake_ice_or_sea_ice` Floating ice excluding ice-shelves and icebergs.
`land` No help available.
`land_ice` No help available.
`melt_pond_free_sea_ice` The area occupied by type "sea_ice" is the sum of the areas of types "sea_ice_melt_pond" and "melt_pond_free_sea_ice".
`natural_grasses` No help available.
`pastures` Pastures are assumed to be anthropogenic in origin. They include anthropogenically managed pastureland and rangeland.
`primary_and_secondary_land` "Primary and secondary land" is all vegetated land that is not in active use as cropland or pastureland, including forests, grasslands, bare ground and vegetated wetlands. "Primary land" is land that has never been subjected to human disturbance. "Secondary land" is land that has undergone human disturbance and has either subsequently been abandoned or is currently being managed for human use (e.g., wood harvest). Reference: Hurtt et al. (2011), Climatic Change, 109 - 117, Harmonization of land-use scenarios for the period 1500–2100: 600 years of global gridded annual land-use transitions, wood harvest, and resulting secondary lands, doi: 10.1007/s10584-011-0153-2. "Primary and secondary land" refers to a land use, rather than to specific categories of vegetation, and is distinct from the area types for primary and secondary trees.
`primary_deciduous_trees` A primary forest is a naturally regenerated forest of native species, where there are no clearly visible indications of human activities and the ecological processes are not significantly disturbed. Reference: 'Global Forest Resources Assessment: Terms and Definitions', Forestry Department of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, Rome 2010, www.fao.org/forestry/14241-0d7b74f45b0d2cfef31599cc17e4c28cd.pdf. Deciduous trees lose their leaves seasonally, for example, during winter in high latitudes or following seasonal variations in rainfall.
`primary_evergreen_trees` A primary forest is a naturally regenerated forest of native species, where there are no clearly visible indications of human activities and the ecological processes are not significantly disturbed. Reference: 'Global Forest Resources Assessment: Terms and Definitions', Forestry Department of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, Rome 2010, www.fao.org/forestry/14241-0d7b74f45b0d2cfef31599cc17e4c28cd.pdf. Evergreen trees have leaves in all seasons.
`rain` An area_type of "rain" indicates that falling rain is present at some level in the atmospheric column above an area on the surface of the Earth.
`sea` The area occupied by type "sea" is equal to the sum of the areas of types "ice_free_sea" and "sea_ice".
`sea_ice` The area occupied by type "sea_ice" within a grid cell is the sum of the areas of types "sea_ice_melt_pond" and "melt_pond_free_sea_ice". Melt ponds occur on top of the existing sea ice. The area occupied by type "sea" is equal to the sum of the areas of types "ice_free_sea" and "sea_ice".
`sea_ice_melt_pond` The area classified as type "sea_ice" within a grid cell is unaltered when an area of type "sea_ice_melt_pond" is also present because melt ponds occur on top of the existing sea ice.
`secondary_deciduous_trees` A secondary forest is a forest that has been logged and has recovered naturally or artificially. Reference: 'Report of the ad hoc technical expert group on forest biological diversity', United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, www.cbd.int/forest/definitions.shtml. Deciduous trees lose their leaves seasonally, for example, during winter in high latitudes or following seasonal variations in rainfall.
`secondary_evergreen_trees` A secondary forest is a forest that has been logged and has recovered naturally or artificially. Reference: 'Report of the ad hoc technical expert group on forest biological diversity', United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, www.cbd.int/forest/definitions.shtml. Evergreen trees have leaves in all seasons.
`shrubs` The distinction between trees and shrubs is model dependent.
`smoke` An area_type of "smoke" indicates that smoke aerosol is present at some level in the atmospheric column above an area on the surface of the Earth.
`snow` No help available.
`snow_free_land` No help available.
`trees` The distinction between trees and shrubs is model dependent. All trees are C3 plant functional type.
`urban` Urban or Built-up Land is comprised of areas of intensive use with much of the land covered by structures. Included in this category are cities, towns, villages, strip developments along highways, transportation, power, and communications facilities, and areas such as those occupied by mills, shopping centers, industrial and commercial complexes, and institutions that may, in some instances, be isolated from urban areas. Reference: Anderson, J.R, E. E. Hardy, J. T. Roach and R. E. Witmer (1976), A Land Use And Land Cover Classification System For Use With Remote Sensor Data, Appendix C Land Use Defintions, Geological Survey Professional Paper 964, A revision of the land use classification system as presented in U.S. Geological Survey Circular 671, https://www.usbr.gov/lc/socal/reports/SMappend_C.pdf.
`vegetation` No help available.
`volcanic_ash_cloud` An area_type of "volcanic_ash_cloud" indicates that volcanic ash aerosol is present at some level in the atmospheric column above an area on the surface of the Earth.

Area Type

all_area_types

No help available.

bare_ground

No help available.

burnt_vegetation

No help available.

c3_plant_functional_types

A plant that utilizes the C3 carbon fixation pathway as the sole mechanism to bind CO2 before photosynthesis reactions take place. All trees are C3 type. Grasses and crops can be C3 or C4.

c4_plant_functional_types

A plant that utilizes the C4 carbon fixation pathway in which the CO2 is first bound to a compound containing four carbon atoms before photosynthesis reactions take place. All trees are C3 type. Grasses and crops can be C3 or C4.

clear_sky

No help available.

cloud

No help available.

crops

The definition of "crops" is model dependent, for example, some models may include fruit trees as crops.

dust_aerosol

An area_type of "dust_aerosol" indicates that dust aerosol is present at some level in the atmospheric column above an area on the surface of the Earth.

fire

An area_type of "fire" indicates that biomass fire, either flaming, smouldering, or both, is present.

floating_ice

All ice floating on water including lake-ice, sea-ice, ice-shelves and icebergs.

floating_ice_shelf

An area type of "floating ice shelf" indicates where ice shelves are present. Ice shelves are the component of ice sheets that flow over the ocean.

grounded_ice_sheet

An area type of "grounded ice sheet" indicates where the ice sheet rest over bedrock and is thus grounded. It excludes ice-caps, glaciers and floating ice shelves.

ice_free_land

No help available.

ice_free_sea

No help available.

ice_sheet

An area type of "ice sheet" indicates where ice sheets are present. It includes both grounded ice sheets resting over bedrock and ice shelves flowing over the ocean, but excludes ice-caps and glaciers (in contrast to land_ice, which includes all components).

lake_ice_or_sea_ice

Floating ice excluding ice-shelves and icebergs.

land

No help available.

land_ice

No help available.

melt_pond_free_sea_ice

The area occupied by type "sea_ice" is the sum of the areas of types "sea_ice_melt_pond" and "melt_pond_free_sea_ice".

natural_grasses

No help available.

pastures

Pastures are assumed to be anthropogenic in origin. They include anthropogenically managed pastureland and rangeland.

primary_and_secondary_land

"Primary and secondary land" is all vegetated land that is not in active use as cropland or pastureland, including forests, grasslands, bare ground and vegetated wetlands. "Primary land" is land that has never been subjected to human disturbance. "Secondary land" is land that has undergone human disturbance and has either subsequently been abandoned or is currently being managed for human use (e.g., wood harvest). Reference: Hurtt et al. (2011), Climatic Change, 109 - 117, Harmonization of land-use scenarios for the period 1500–2100: 600 years of global gridded annual land-use transitions, wood harvest, and resulting secondary lands, doi: 10.1007/s10584-011-0153-2. "Primary and secondary land" refers to a land use, rather than to specific categories of vegetation, and is distinct from the area types for primary and secondary trees.

primary_deciduous_trees

A primary forest is a naturally regenerated forest of native species, where there are no clearly visible indications of human activities and the ecological processes are not significantly disturbed. Reference: 'Global Forest Resources Assessment: Terms and Definitions', Forestry Department of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, Rome 2010, www.fao.org/forestry/14241-0d7b74f45b0d2cfef31599cc17e4c28cd.pdf. Deciduous trees lose their leaves seasonally, for example, during winter in high latitudes or following seasonal variations in rainfall.

primary_evergreen_trees

rain

An area_type of "rain" indicates that falling rain is present at some level in the atmospheric column above an area on the surface of the Earth.

sea

The area occupied by type "sea" is equal to the sum of the areas of types "ice_free_sea" and "sea_ice".

sea_ice

The area occupied by type "sea_ice" within a grid cell is the sum of the areas of types "sea_ice_melt_pond" and "melt_pond_free_sea_ice". Melt ponds occur on top of the existing sea ice. The area occupied by type "sea" is equal to the sum of the areas of types "ice_free_sea" and "sea_ice".

sea_ice_melt_pond

The area classified as type "sea_ice" within a grid cell is unaltered when an area of type "sea_ice_melt_pond" is also present because melt ponds occur on top of the existing sea ice.

secondary_deciduous_trees

A secondary forest is a forest that has been logged and has recovered naturally or artificially. Reference: 'Report of the ad hoc technical expert group on forest biological diversity', United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, www.cbd.int/forest/definitions.shtml. Deciduous trees lose their leaves seasonally, for example, during winter in high latitudes or following seasonal variations in rainfall.

secondary_evergreen_trees

shrubs

The distinction between trees and shrubs is model dependent.

smoke

An area_type of "smoke" indicates that smoke aerosol is present at some level in the atmospheric column above an area on the surface of the Earth.

snow

No help available.

snow_free_land

No help available.

trees

The distinction between trees and shrubs is model dependent. All trees are C3 plant functional type.

urban

Urban or Built-up Land is comprised of areas of intensive use with much of the land covered by structures. Included in this category are cities, towns, villages, strip developments along highways, transportation, power, and communications facilities, and areas such as those occupied by mills, shopping centers, industrial and commercial complexes, and institutions that may, in some instances, be isolated from urban areas. Reference: Anderson, J.R, E. E. Hardy, J. T. Roach and R. E. Witmer (1976), A Land Use And Land Cover Classification System For Use With Remote Sensor Data, Appendix C Land Use Defintions, Geological Survey Professional Paper 964, A revision of the land use classification system as presented in U.S. Geological Survey Circular 671, https://www.usbr.gov/lc/socal/reports/SMappend_C.pdf.

vegetation

No help available.

volcanic_ash_cloud

An area_type of "volcanic_ash_cloud" indicates that volcanic ash aerosol is present at some level in the atmospheric column above an area on the surface of the Earth.

CF Area Type Table