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Title: Evaluation of NorESM-OC (versions 1 and 1.2), the ocean carbon-cycle stand-alone configuration of the Norwegian Earth System Model (NorESM1)

Journal Article · · Geoscientific Model Development (Online)
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [3];  [4]
  1. Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, Bergen (Norway)
  2. GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum fur Ozeanforschung, Kiel (Germany)
  3. Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, Bergen (Norway); Univ. of Gothenburg, Gothenburg (Sweden)
  4. Univ. of Bergen, Bergen (Norway); Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, Bergen (Norway)

Idealised and hindcast simulations performed with the stand-alone ocean carbon-cycle configuration of the Norwegian Earth System Model (NorESM-OC) are described and evaluated. We present simulation results of three different model configurations (two different model versions at different grid resolutions) using two different atmospheric forcing data sets. Model version NorESM-OC1 corresponds to the version that is included in the NorESM-ME1 fully coupled model, which participated in CMIP5. The main update between NorESM-OC1 and NorESM-OC1.2 is the addition of two new options for the treatment of sinking particles. We find that using a constant sinking speed, which has been the standard in NorESM's ocean carbon cycle module HAMOCC (HAMburg Ocean Carbon Cycle model), does not transport enough particulate organic carbon (POC) into the deep ocean below approximately 2000 m depth. The two newly implemented parameterisations, a particle aggregation scheme with prognostic sinking speed, and a simpler scheme that uses a linear increase in the sinking speed with depth, provide better agreement with observed POC fluxes. Additionally, reduced deep ocean biases of oxygen and remineralised phosphate indicate a better performance of the new parameterisations. For model version 1.2, a re-tuning of the ecosystem parameterisation has been performed, which (i) reduces previously too high primary production at high latitudes, (ii) consequently improves model results for surface nutrients, and (iii) reduces alkalinity and dissolved inorganic carbon biases at low latitudes. We use hindcast simulations with prescribed observed and constant (pre-industrial) atmospheric CO2 concentrations to derive the past and contemporary ocean carbon sink. As a result, for the period 1990–1999 we find an average ocean carbon uptake ranging from 2.01 to 2.58 Pg C yr-1 depending on model version, grid resolution, and atmospheric forcing data set.

Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
OSTI ID:
1375729
Journal Information:
Geoscientific Model Development (Online), Vol. 9, Issue 8; ISSN 1991-9603
Publisher:
European Geosciences UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 46 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Mechanisms and Early Detections of Multidecadal Oxygen Changes in the Interior Subpolar North Atlantic journal May 2018
Global Carbon Budget 2019 journal January 2019
Optimising assimilation of sea ice concentration in an Earth system model with a multicategory sea ice model journal January 2018
Global Carbon Budget 2017 journal January 2018
Reviews and syntheses: parameter identification in marine planktonic ecosystem modelling journal January 2017
A Model-Based Evaluation of the Inverse Gaussian Transit-Time Distribution Method for Inferring Anthropogenic Carbon Storage in the Ocean journal March 2018
Description and evaluation of NorESM1-F: a fast version of the Norwegian Earth System Model (NorESM) journal January 2019
Global carbon budget 2019 text January 2019
Global Carbon Budget 2016 journal January 2016
Global Carbon Budget 2017 text January 2018
Global Carbon Budget 2018 text January 2018
Reviews and syntheses: Parameter identification in marine planktonic ecosystem modelling posted_content June 2016
Global carbon budget 2019 text January 2019
Description and evaluation of NorESM1-F: A fast version of the Norwegian Earth System Model (NorESM) posted_content September 2018
Global Carbon Budget 2016 text January 2016
Global Carbon Budget 2019 text January 2019
Global Carbon Budget 2016 text January 2016
Evaluating the biological pump efficiency of the Last Glacial Maximum ocean using d13C text January 2021
Amplification of global warming through pH dependence of DMS production simulated with a fully coupled Earth system model journal January 2017
Variable particle size distributions reduce the sensitivity of global export flux to climate change journal January 2021
Microstructure and composition of marine aggregates as co-determinants for vertical particulate organic carbon transfer in the global ocean posted_content September 2019
Global Carbon Budget 2020 journal January 2020
A Last Glacial Maximum forcing dataset for ocean modelling journal July 2019
Overview of the Norwegian Earth System Model (NorESM2) and key climate response of CMIP6 DECK, historical, and scenario simulations journal January 2020

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