US Joint Global Ocean Flux Study

This research promotes the comparison of ecosystem models applied to various locations around the world. Through intercomparison of carefully designed simulations, the improvement of biogeochemical models will be accelerated and the scientific community will be significantly closer to a set of rigorously tested models to be used for ocean carbon cycle prediction.

This research capitalizes on work previously accomplished under the US JGOFS SMP in which these various ecosystem models were designed and tested against observations. Each ecosystem model will be used in all locations to find those that are realistic in several locations. A cost function is defined that is a quantitative indication of misfit between the model and observations. Data assimilation is used, along with the cost function, to adjust poorly known parameters to improve the model fit to observations.

The co-investigators involved in this project will freely provide their regional expertise, model code, forcing fields, and biogeochemical data sets to this project to quantitatively assess a number of different biogeochemical models and modeling approaches.

When complete, this website will provide a general overview of the project, results to date, lists and links to pertinent publications and presentations and background information on the participants and their respective models.  This website is also being used to distribute information regarding the annual Regional Testbed workshops.  Most importantly the site provides downloadable versions of the software and accompanying documentation, such that others interested in the RTB project will be able to download the Testbed software, implement their own model within the testbed framework, and compare their results to those of other participants included on the website. 

• Overview of Research Activities
• Workshop 1:  31 March  - 2 April, 2003
• Workshop 2:  21-23 March 2005
• Software and documentation
• Publications and presentations
• Results and data
• People
• Joint Global Ocean Flux Study Synthesis and Modeling Program main page

Active participants: Larry Anderson, Fei Chai, Jim Christian, Scott Doney, John Dunne, Jeff Dusenberry, Katja Fennel, Raleigh Hood, John Klinck, Jay McCreary, Dennis McGillicuddy, Keith Moore, Ragu Murtugudde, Markus Schartau, Yvette Spitz, and Jerry Wiggert

Original co-Investigators: Rob Armstrong, Kevin Arrigo, Fei Chai, Jim Christian, Scott Doney, David Glover, Eileen Hofmann, Raleigh Hood, John Klinck, Jay McCreary, Dennis McGillicuddy, Ragu Murtugudde, and Jerry Wiggert

Written by J. Klinck, April, 2003. Last updated by M. Friedrichs, September, 2004.

Send questions or comments by e-mail to marjy@ccpo.odu.edu