ODF Time Variable Timezone?

[JessyBarrette]

Issue

odf_parser for the moment does not handle any timezone information. So far, the only timezone information observed within the ODF files is sometimes available within the UNITS of the ODF SYTM variables.

All the test ODFs (~2500 files) also used the standard time format: dd-MMM-yyyy HH:mm:ss (ex: 31-DEC-2019 23:50:00.00) with no timezone information attached. This format is used within the data and the header.

The only timezone retrieved so far are:

• UTC
• GMT
• none
• no units

As of now

We're not handling any timezone and just output a warning if the time variable has a unit different than the ones listed above.
We could potentially replace the warning by an error to be more conservative.

Solution?

What should be done in the future? Is it an actual issue?
What to assume:

1. Time with no timezone information is by default in UTC. This follow CF convention, maybe that's what ODF is also.
2. Handle no timezone data differently? Leave a default timezone within the config file
3. Report the time zone just within the future ERDDAP dataset

[guillotp]

Assume it is UTC.

[JessyBarrette]

@guillotp always?

[guillotp]

For QO and Amundsen Science: yes.
For MLI: I am waiting for a confirmation.
For BIO: no idea.

[guillotp]

MLI is also always using UTC.
But I guess QO and MLI must fix this lack a future ODF version.

[JessyBarrette]

@guillotp

But I guess QO and MLI must fix this lack a future ODF version.

You mean leaving UTC within the units. I think it's alright, it is still compliant with the CF standards where if no time zone is provided it defaults to UTC.

See note https://cfconventions.org/Data/cf-conventions/cf-conventions-1.8/cf-conventions.html#time-coordinate

[guillotp]

I did not know. Thank you.