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Sensitivity of ocean carbon tracer distributions to particulate organic flux parameterizations
Author(s) -
Howard M. T.,
Winguth A. M. E.,
Klaas C.,
MaierReimer E.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
global biogeochemical cycles
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.512
H-Index - 187
eISSN - 1944-9224
pISSN - 0886-6236
DOI - 10.1029/2005gb002499
Subject(s) - photic zone , flux (metallurgy) , sediment trap , environmental science , tracer , carbon cycle , particulates , oceanography , mineral dust , deep sea , total organic carbon , atmospheric sciences , carbon flux , geology , aerosol , water column , environmental chemistry , meteorology , chemistry , phytoplankton , ecology , physics , organic chemistry , ecosystem , nutrient , nuclear physics , biology
Vertical fluxes of particulate organic carbon (POC) from the euphotic zone to the deep sea are an important part of the carbon cycle in the oceans. In this study, oceanic fluxes of POC below the euphotic zone were simulated with the Hamburg ocean carbon cycle model (HAMOCC5.1) by using different POC‐flux parameterizations and compared with sediment trap data. Overall, the geochemical distributions in the deep sea showed a high sensitivity to the selection of POC flux parameterization. Below 2000 m in the oceans, differences between simulated and observed carbon tracers (PO 4 , Alk*) and model‐data differences of POC fluxes are lowest when a regionally variable POC flux parameterization is used. Specifically, model‐data differences are lowest in the subtropics when simulated vertical POC flux considers mineral ballasting, while they are lowest in the Arabian Sea and west coast of Africa when a mineral dust parameterization is used for the vertical POC flux.