Satellite chlorophyll and carbon sensitivity analysis of Southern Ocean ecosystem model
Michael
R
Hiscock, Princeton University, mhiscock@princeton.edu
(Presenting)
Patrick
Schultz, Princeton University, pschultz@princeton.edu
Jorge
L
Sarmiento, Princeton University, jls@princeton.edu
Some of the phytoplankton physiological responses to iron addition in the Southern Ocean are 1. chlorophyll to carbon ratio tripled, 2. maximum quantum yield of photosynthesis (Φm), a measure of light-limited primary productivity, doubled, and 3. Pbmax, a measure of light-saturated primary productivity, was statistically unchanged. Here we use these phytoplankton physiological responses to iron addition to model how iron, grazing, export, mixing and mixed layer depth determine the potential nitrate utilization and potential biological pump during the Southern Ocean growing season. This model uses climatological physical data as a baseline and explores the biological response using very simple ecosystem dynamic assumptions. We analyze the sensitivity of the model to using different inputs of satellite chlorophyll and carbon as well as to using different mixed layer depth products.
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