US JGOFS Regional Ecosystem Modeling Testbed Project

[image of logo] US Joint Global Ocean Flux Study

Regional Ecosystem Modeling Testbed Project

Overview of Research Activities

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: An important legacy of the U.S. Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS) Synthesis and Modeling Project (SMP) is the formulation of a broad suite of models designed to simulate biogeochemical cycling at the various process study sites. Although this set of models and modeling studies has already substantially advanced our understanding of these systems, few quantitative intercomparisons of these models have been made. We are conducting these intercomparisons, in order to critically examine which ecosystem structures and formulations are most robust, and to investigate the reasons for their success. Furthermore, we will critically evaluate the feasibility of developing biogeochemical models that are applicable over a wide range of diverse ecosystems.

The main objectives of this project are:

to add to the mechanistic understanding of how and why euphotic zone production, and the associated export of carbon, vary among diverse oceanographic regions, and
to accelerate the development of mechanistically-based ecosystem models that are capable of simultaneously describing the primary biogeochemical features of multiple oceanographic regimes.

To accomplish these goals, and to provide a forum for testing and comparing various ecosystem models, we have a series of "regional testbeds", based on the high quality and large quantity of observations available from

the Arabian Sea Process Study (ASPS),
the Antarctic Environment and Southern Ocean Process Study (AESOPS),
the Equatorial Pacific Process Study (EqPac),
the second iron enrichment experiment (IronExII),
the Bermuda Atlantic Time-Series Study (BATS), and
the Hawaii Ocean Time-series (HOT)

This web site provides the physical fields required to force the models, as well as time-series of biogeochemical data for either evaluation or optimization/assimilation. This structure is a community resource to be used to facilitate both intra-site and inter-site model comparisons.

This research capitalizes on work previously accomplished under the US JGOFS SMP: the twelve co-investigators involved in this project will freely provide their regional expertise, model code, forcing fields, and biogeochemical data sets to this project. To further promote model intercomparisons, this project will involve annual hands-on workshops in which scientists (including but not limited to the co-investigators of this proposal) will work together to quantitatively assess a number of different biogeochemical models and modeling approaches. Through these intercomparison exercises and carefully designed simulations, the improvement of biogeochemical models will be accelerated, and the scientific community will be significantly closer to having a set of rigorously tested models that can be used for ocean carbon cycle prediction.

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Written by J. Klinck, April, 2003. Last updated by M. Friedrichs Send questions or comments by e-mail to marjy@ccpo.odu.edu

Written by J. Klinck, April, 2003. Last updated by M. Friedrichs
Send questions or comments by e-mail to marjy@ccpo.odu.edu