Simulating the coupling between atmosphere–ocean processes and the planktonic ecosystem during SERIES

Abstract

Abstract We have developed a 1-D atmosphere–ocean-biogeochemical model to investigate the coupling between atmosphere–ocean exchanges and the planktonic ecosystem during the Subarctic Ecosystem Response to Iron Enrichment Study (SERIES) in 2002. The atmospheric Single Column Model (SCM) is based on the Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis (CCCma) Atmospheric General Circulation Model (AGCM). The ocean component employs the General Ocean Turbulence Model (GOTM). A seven-component ecosystem model is embedded in GOTM, which includes nitrogen, organic and inorganic carbon, silica and oxygen cycling. We use observations from SERIES combined with atmospheric reanalysis data to initiate and force the coupled physical model. We found that atmospheric temperatures and humidities are higher and the stratification more stable if nudged to National Centre of Environmental Prediction (NCEP) rather than to European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) 40-yr reanalysis data. Doubling the vertical resolution in the atmosphere improved the representation of mixing and the thermal structure, affecting cloudiness and radiative fluxes at the ocean surface as well as planetary boundary layer heights and gas dispersion in the lower atmosphere. From observed ocean-surface dimethyl sulphide (DMS) concentrations (outside the patch) we simulated DMS dispersion in the atmospheric boundary layer by applying a first-order loss term, with turnover times ranging from 1 to 4 days. During SERIES, shallow boundary-layer heights that occurred when DMS production was highest prevented dispersion into the atmosphere beyond several 100 m. Finally, successive model runs with iron fertilization starting on June 25, July 10 and 25 showed that the general nature of the response to iron enrichment at OSP (SERIES) is robust, but the strength as well as length of the response depend strongly on short-term atmospheric conditions (wind and radiative fluxes).