Simulations of radiocarbon in a coarse-resolution world ocean model, 2, Distributions of bomb-produced carbon 14

• Main Authors: J. R. Toggweiler, K. Dixon, K. Bryan
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1989
• Subjects: Antarctic; Pacific; The Antarctic; Antarc*; North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.143.8864; http://www.gfdl.noaa.gov/reference/bibliography/1989/jrt8901.pdf

This paper presents the results of five numerical!iimulations of the radiocarbon distribution in the ocean using the Geophysical Fluid DynaR1ics Laboratory primitive equation world ocean gent~ral circulation model. The model has a 4.5 ° latit~de by 3.75 ° longitude grid. 12 verticallevel!i, and reali:;tic continental boundaries and bottom topography. The model i!i forced at the!iurface by obsel"Ved. annually averaged temperatures, salinities, and wind!itre!ise!i. There are no chemical transformations or transport of 14C by biological proce!ises in the model. Each!iimulation in this paper has been run,out the equivalent of several thousand years to simulate the natural. steadv!itate distribution of 14C in the ocean. In a companion paper the final state of these!iimulation!i i!i ' used a!i the starting point for simulations of the ocean's transient uptake of bomb-produced 14C. The model reproduces the mid-depth 14C minimum observed in the North Pacific and the strong front near 4_~oS between old, d(:ep Pacific waters and younger circumpolar waters, In the Atlantic, the model's deep 14C distributi,oll is much too strongly layered with relatively old water from the Antarctic penetrating into the north.:rn reaches of the North Atlantic basin. Two third!i of the decay of 14C between 35°S and 35°N is balant~ed by local14C input from the atmosphere and downward transport by vertical mi.xing (both diffusiorl.lnd advective stirring). Only one third is balanced by transport of 14C from high latitudes. A moderoltely