Chapter 3: Regional Considerations

• Main Authors: HOEPFFNER Nicolas, RAMAN Mini
• Language: English
• Published: International Ocean-Colour Coordinating Group 2009
• Subjects: Longhurst; North Atlantic
• Online Access: https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC56615

The first implementation of biogeochemical provinces for the global ocean (Longhurst 1998) is magisterial in scope and treatment: it has been applied successfully to a variety of problems at global and regional scales. For certain regional problems, however, it may be necessary to examine more deeply the subtleties of forcing and its seasonal variations. The Longhurst template provides an ideal starting point in such cases. In this section, we examine the issue of oceanographic partition for selected regions with differing forcing, taking into consideration the alternatives that have been proposed and the applications that have resulted. Two regions, the Arabian Sea and the North Atlantic, have been of particular importance within International IGBP Programmes such as JGOFS (Joint Global Ocean Flux Study), and will be examined in this chapter. JRC.DDG.H.3 - Global environement monitoring