Evaluation of ocean carbon cycle models with data‐based metrics

Matsumoto, Katsumi; Sarmiento, Jorge L.; Key, Robert M.; Aumont, Olivier; Bullister, John L.; Caldeira, K.; Campin, Jean‐Michel; Doney, Scott C.; Drange, Helge; Dutay, J.-C.; Follows, Michael J.; Gao, Yongqi; Gnanadesikan, Anand; Gruber, Nicolas; Ishida, Akio; Joos, Fortunat; Lindsay, Keith; Maier‐Reimer, Ernst; Marshall, John; Matear, Richard J.; Monfray, Patrick; Mouchet, Anne; Najjar, Raymond G.; Plattner, Gian‐Kasper; Schlitzer, Reiner; Slater, Richard D.; Swathi, P. S.; Totterdell, I.; Weirig, Marie-France; Yamanaka, Yasuhiro; Yool, Andrew; Orr, James C.

doi:10.1029/2003gl018970

Cited by 188 publications

(204 citation statements)

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“…After all, complex models may do rather poorly in tests against observations. For example, a number of ocean carbon cycle models fail to simulate well observed ocean 14 C distributions and, therefore, present day ocean circulation and mixing (Matsumoto et al, 2004). Our calibrations to complex model results have been limited to the choice of a CO 2 fertilization factor for the land biosphere and to the dependence of methane consumption on methane concentration in the atmosphere.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Presentation, calibration and validation of the low-order, DCESS Earth System Model (Version 1)

2008

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Abstract.A new, low-order Earth System Model is described, calibrated and tested against Earth system data. The model features modules for the atmosphere, ocean, ocean sediment, land biosphere and lithosphere and has been designed to simulate global change on time scales of years to millions of years. The atmosphere module considers radiation balance, meridional transport of heat and water vapor between low-mid latitude and high latitude zones, heat and gas exchange with the ocean and sea ice and snow cover. Gases considered are carbon dioxide and methane for all three carbon isotopes, nitrous oxide and oxygen. The ocean module has 100 m vertical resolution, carbonate chemistry and prescribed circulation and mixing. Ocean biogeochemical tracers are phosphate, dissolved oxygen, dissolved inorganic carbon for all three carbon isotopes and alkalinity. Biogenic production of particulate organic matter in the ocean surface layer depends on phosphate availability but with lower efficiency in the high latitude zone, as determined by model fit to ocean data. The calcite to organic carbon rain ratio depends on surface layer temperature. The semi-analytical, ocean sediment module considers calcium carbonate dissolution and oxic and anoxic organic matter remineralisation. The sediment is composed of calcite, non-calcite mineral and reactive organic matter. Sediment porosity profiles are related to sediment composition and a bioturbated layer of 0.1 m thickness is assumed. A sediment segment is ascribed to each ocean layer and segment area stems from observed ocean depth distributions. Sediment burial is calculated from Correspondence to: G. Shaffer (gs@dcess.ku.dk) sedimentation velocities at the base of the bioturbated layer. Bioturbation rates and oxic and anoxic remineralisation rates depend on organic carbon rain rates and dissolved oxygen concentrations. The land biosphere module considers leaves, wood, litter and soil. Net primary production depends on atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration and remineralization rates in the litter and soil are related to mean atmospheric temperatures. Methane production is a small fraction of the soil remineralization. The lithosphere module considers outgassing, weathering of carbonate and silicate rocks and weathering of rocks containing old organic carbon and phosphorus. Weathering rates are related to mean atmospheric temperatures.A pre-industrial, steady state calibration to Earth system data is carried out. Ocean observations of temperature, carbon 14, phosphate, dissolved oxygen, dissolved inorganic carbon and alkalinity constrain air-sea exchange and ocean circulation, mixing and biogeochemical parameters. Observed calcite and organic carbon distributions and inventories in the ocean sediment help constrain sediment module parameters. Carbon isotopic data and carbonate vs. silicate weathering fractions are used to estimate initial lithosphere outgassing and rock weathering rates. Model performance is tested by simulating atmospheric greenhouse gas increases, global warming ...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Presentation, calibration and validation of the low-order, DCESS Earth System Model (Version 1)

2008

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“…For the next IPCC assessment, much could be learned if Earth system models would include one simple passive tracer, like CFC11, in their ocean component (e.g., run optionally for 50 years as one additional passive tracer in the online ocean component). With this one anthropogenic tracer, it would be straightforward to assess ocean model skill in ventilating subsurface waters (e.g., England 1995;Smethie et al 2001;Dutay et al 2002;Matsumoto et al 2004Matsumoto et al , 2010 which is crucial for ocean biogeochemistry. Such simulations were performed routinely a decade ago for evaluating ocean circulation component of ocean carbon models during OCMIP.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Modeled CFC11 in surface waters is generally quite similar, being essentially set by atmospheric CFC11 and SST patterns. But, modeled CFC11 in subsurface waters and inventories can differ greatly providing information on ocean dynamics (e.g., Matsumoto et al 2004). Global inventories of CFC11 are about 4.3 9 10 8 , 6.3 9 10 8 , and 6.4 9 10 8 mol for CNRMCM5, IPSLCM4 and IPSLCM5, respectively.…”

Section: Cfc11 and Cfc12 Distributionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Skill assessment of three earth system models with common marine biogeochemistry

et al. 2012

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We have assessed the ability of a common ocean biogeochemical model, PISCES, to match relevant modern data fields across a range of ocean circulation fields from three distinct Earth system models: IPSL-CM4-LOOP, IPSL-CM5A-LR and CNRM-CM5.1. The first of these Earth system models has contributed to the IPCC 4th assessment report, while the latter two are contributing to the ongoing IPCC 5th assessment report. These models differ with respect to their atmospheric component, ocean subgrid-scale physics and resolution. The simulated vertical distribution of biogeochemical tracers suffer from biases in ocean circulation and a poor representation of the sinking fluxes of matter. Nevertheless, differences between upper and deep ocean model skills significantly point to changes in the underlying model representations of ocean circulation. IPSL-CM5A-LR and CNRM-CM5.1 poorly represent deep-ocean circulation compared to IPSL-CM4-LOOP degrading the vertical distribution of biogeochemical tracers. However, their representations of surface wind, wind stress, mixed-layer depth and geostrophic circulations (e.g., Antarctic Circumpolar Current) have been improved compared to IPSL-CM4-LOOP. These improvements result in a better representation of large-scale structure of biogeochemical fields in the upper ocean. In particular, a deepening of 20-40 m of the summer mixed-layer depth allows to capture the 0-0.5 lgChl L -1 concentrations class of surface chlorophyll in the Southern Ocean. Further improvements in the representation of the ocean mixedlayer and deep-ocean ventilation are needed for the next generations of models development to better simulate marine biogeochemistry. In order to better constrain ocean dynamics, we suggest that biogeochemical or passive tracer modules should be used routinely for both model development and model intercomparisons.

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“…A lesson from OCMIP-2 was that the uptake of anthropogenic transient tracers is quite variable in different ocean carbon cycle models because their physics, defined in the broadest sense (e.g., resolution, forcings, numerics, sea ice, seasonality, GM), was so diverse Dutay et al, 2002;Matsumoto et al, 2004). OCMIP-2 showed that biogeochemical tracers are very effective in evaluating the ventilation rate of the ocean interior, because the tracers have built-in clocks.…”

Section: Calibration and Control Run Of Mesmomentioning

confidence: 99%

First description of the Minnesota Earth System Model for Ocean biogeochemistry (MESMO 1.0)

et al. 2008

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Abstract.Here we describe the first version of the Minnesota Earth System Model for Ocean biogeochemistry (MESMO 1.0), an intermediate complexity model based on the Grid ENabled Integrated Earth system model (GENIE-1). As with GENIE-1, MESMO has a 3D dynamical ocean, energy-moisture balance atmosphere, dynamic and thermodynamic sea ice, and marine biogeochemistry. Main development goals of MESMO were to: (1) bring oceanic uptake of anthropogenic transient tracers within data constraints; (2) increase vertical resolution in the upper ocean to better represent near-surface biogeochemical processes; (3) calibrate the deep ocean ventilation with observed abundance of radiocarbon. We achieved all these goals through a combination of objective model optimization and subjective targeted tuning. An important new feature in MESMO that dramatically improved the uptake of CFC-11 and anthropogenic carbon is the depth dependent vertical diffusivity in the ocean, which is spatially uniform in GENIE-1. In MESMO, biological production occurs in the top two layers above the compensation depth of 100 m and is modified by additional parameters, for example, diagnosed mixed layer depth. In contrast, production in GENIE-1 occurs in a single layer with thickness of 175 m. These improvements make MESMO a wellcalibrated model of intermediate complexity suitable for investigations of the global marine carbon cycle requiring long integration time.

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Evaluation of ocean carbon cycle models with data‐based metrics

Cited by 188 publications

References 14 publications

Presentation, calibration and validation of the low-order, DCESS Earth System Model (Version 1)

Presentation, calibration and validation of the low-order, DCESS Earth System Model (Version 1)

Skill assessment of three earth system models with common marine biogeochemistry

First description of the Minnesota Earth System Model for Ocean biogeochemistry (MESMO 1.0)

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