Premium
Chlorophyll a reconstruction from in situ measurements: 1. Method description
Author(s) -
Fründt B.,
Dippner J. W.,
Waniek J. J.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: biogeosciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-8961
pISSN - 2169-8953
DOI - 10.1002/2014jg002691
Subject(s) - hindcast , ocean gyre , environmental science , photic zone , context (archaeology) , chlorophyll a , seawifs , phytoplankton , carbon cycle , chlorophyll , oceanography , deep chlorophyll maximum , climatology , subtropics , geology , nutrient , ecosystem , ecology , biology , botany , paleontology
Understanding the development of primary production is essential for projections of the global carbon cycle in the context of climate change. A chlorophyll a hindcast that serves as a primary production indicator was obtained by fitting in situ measurements of nitrate, chlorophyll a , and temperature. The resulting fitting functions were adapted to a modeled temperature field. The method was applied to observations from the Madeira Basin, in the northeastern part of the oligotrophic North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre and yielded a chlorophyll a field from 1989 to 2008 with a monthly resolution validated with remotely measured surface chlorophyll a data by SeaWiFS. The chlorophyll a hindcast determined with our method resolved the seasonal and interannual variability in the phytoplankton biomass of the euphotic zone as well as the deep chlorophyll maximum. Moreover, it will allow estimation of carbon uptake over long time scales.