Decadal variability in biogeochemical models: comparison with a 50‐year ocean colour dataset
Assessing the skill of biogeochemical models to hindcast past variability is challenging, yet vital in order to assess their ability to predict biogeochemical change. However, the validation of decadal variability is limited by the sparsity of consistent, long‐term biological datasets. The Phytoplan...
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ftnerc:oai:nora.nerc.ac.uk:171934 2023-05-15T17:32:22+02:00 Decadal variability in biogeochemical models: comparison with a 50‐year ocean colour dataset Henson, Stephanie A. Raitsos, Dionysios Dunne, John P. McQuatters‐Gollop, Abigail 2009-11-16 http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/171934/ http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/2009/2009GL040874.shtml unknown Henson, Stephanie A. orcid:0000-0002-3875-6802 Raitsos, Dionysios; Dunne, John P.; McQuatters‐Gollop, Abigail. 2009 Decadal variability in biogeochemical models: comparison with a 50‐year ocean colour dataset. Geophysical Research Letters, 36 (11). L21601. https://doi.org/10.1029/2009GL040874 <https://doi.org/10.1029/2009GL040874> Publication - Article PeerReviewed 2009 ftnerc https://doi.org/10.1029/2009GL040874 2023-02-04T19:35:33Z Assessing the skill of biogeochemical models to hindcast past variability is challenging, yet vital in order to assess their ability to predict biogeochemical change. However, the validation of decadal variability is limited by the sparsity of consistent, long‐term biological datasets. The Phytoplankton Colour Index (PCI) product from the Continuous Plankton Recorder survey, which has been sampling the North Atlantic since 1948, is an example of such a dataset. Converting the PCI to chlorophyll values using SeaWiFS data allows a direct comparison with model output. Here we validate decadal variability in chlorophyll from the GFDL TOPAZ model. The model demonstrates skill at reproducing interannual variability, but cannot simulate the regime shifts evident in the PCI data. Comparison of the model output, data and climate indices highlights under‐represented processes that it may be necessary to include in future biogeochemical models in order to accurately simulate decadal variability in ocean ecosystems. Article in Journal/Newspaper North Atlantic Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive Geophysical Research Letters 36 21 |
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Open Polar |
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Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive |
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description |
Assessing the skill of biogeochemical models to hindcast past variability is challenging, yet vital in order to assess their ability to predict biogeochemical change. However, the validation of decadal variability is limited by the sparsity of consistent, long‐term biological datasets. The Phytoplankton Colour Index (PCI) product from the Continuous Plankton Recorder survey, which has been sampling the North Atlantic since 1948, is an example of such a dataset. Converting the PCI to chlorophyll values using SeaWiFS data allows a direct comparison with model output. Here we validate decadal variability in chlorophyll from the GFDL TOPAZ model. The model demonstrates skill at reproducing interannual variability, but cannot simulate the regime shifts evident in the PCI data. Comparison of the model output, data and climate indices highlights under‐represented processes that it may be necessary to include in future biogeochemical models in order to accurately simulate decadal variability in ocean ecosystems. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Henson, Stephanie A. Raitsos, Dionysios Dunne, John P. McQuatters‐Gollop, Abigail |
spellingShingle |
Henson, Stephanie A. Raitsos, Dionysios Dunne, John P. McQuatters‐Gollop, Abigail Decadal variability in biogeochemical models: comparison with a 50‐year ocean colour dataset |
author_facet |
Henson, Stephanie A. Raitsos, Dionysios Dunne, John P. McQuatters‐Gollop, Abigail |
author_sort |
Henson, Stephanie A. |
title |
Decadal variability in biogeochemical models: comparison with a 50‐year ocean colour dataset |
title_short |
Decadal variability in biogeochemical models: comparison with a 50‐year ocean colour dataset |
title_full |
Decadal variability in biogeochemical models: comparison with a 50‐year ocean colour dataset |
title_fullStr |
Decadal variability in biogeochemical models: comparison with a 50‐year ocean colour dataset |
title_full_unstemmed |
Decadal variability in biogeochemical models: comparison with a 50‐year ocean colour dataset |
title_sort |
decadal variability in biogeochemical models: comparison with a 50‐year ocean colour dataset |
publishDate |
2009 |
url |
http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/171934/ http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/2009/2009GL040874.shtml |
genre |
North Atlantic |
genre_facet |
North Atlantic |
op_relation |
Henson, Stephanie A. orcid:0000-0002-3875-6802 Raitsos, Dionysios; Dunne, John P.; McQuatters‐Gollop, Abigail. 2009 Decadal variability in biogeochemical models: comparison with a 50‐year ocean colour dataset. Geophysical Research Letters, 36 (11). L21601. https://doi.org/10.1029/2009GL040874 <https://doi.org/10.1029/2009GL040874> |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2009GL040874 |
container_title |
Geophysical Research Letters |
container_volume |
36 |
container_issue |
21 |
_version_ |
1766130462623793152 |