Merging bio-optical data from Biogeochemical-Argo floats and models in marine biogeochemistry
<p>New autonomous robotic platforms for observing the ocean, i.e. Biogeochemical-Argo (BGC-Argo) floats, have drastically increased the number of vertical profiles of irradiance, photosynthetically available radiation (PAR), and algal chlorophyll concentrations around the globe independent of...
Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2019-07-01
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Series: | Biogeosciences |
Online Access: | https://www.biogeosciences.net/16/2527/2019/bg-16-2527-2019.pdf |
Summary: | <p>New autonomous robotic platforms for observing the ocean, i.e. Biogeochemical-Argo (BGC-Argo) floats, have drastically increased the number of vertical profiles of irradiance, photosynthetically available radiation (PAR), and algal chlorophyll concentrations around the globe independent of the season. Such data may therefore be a fruitful resource to improve performances of numerical models for marine biogeochemistry. Here we present a work that integrates 1314 vertical profiles of PAR acquired by 31 BGC-Argo floats operated in the Mediterranean Sea between 2012 and 2016 into a one-dimensional model to simulate the vertical and temporal variability of algal chlorophyll concentrations. The model
was initially forced with PAR
measurements to assess its skill when
using quality-controlled light profiles, and
subsequently with a number of
alternative bio-optical models to analyse
the model capability when light
observations are not available. Model
outputs were evaluated against
co-located chlorophyll profiles measured
by BGC-Argo floats.
Results highlight that the data-driven
model is able to reproduce the
spatial and temporal variability of deep
chlorophyll maxima depth observed at a
number of Mediterranean sites well. Further,
we illustrate the key role of PAR and
vertical mixing in shaping the vertical
dynamics of primary producers in the
Mediterranean Sea.
The comparison of alternative bio-optical
models identifies the best simple one to
be used, and suggests that model
simulations benefit from considering the diel cycle.</p> |
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ISSN: | 1726-4170 1726-4189 |