Integrating Biogeochemistry and Ecology Into Ocean Data Assimilation Systems

Brasseur, Pierre; Gruber, Nicolas; Barciela, Rosa; Brander, Keith; Doron, Maéva; Moussaoui, A. El; Hobday, Alistair J.; Huret, Martin; Krémeur, Anne-Sophie; Lehodey, Patrick; Matear, Richard J.; Moulin, C.; Murtugudde, Raghu; Senina, Inna; Svendsen, Einar

doi:10.5670/oceanog.2009.80

Cited by 80 publications

(54 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…In other words, the profiling float observations could be easily merged with satellite ocean colour maps, to finally generate a unique 3-D picture of the Chl a C field. The use of this 3-D picture of Chl a C could improve the operational simulations of oceanic ecosystems, in particular in an assimilation scheme (Brasseur et al, 2009). In this context, our method appears more promising than the Boss et al (2008) procedure, which rather requires the utilisation of all the fluorescence profiles achieved during the whole lifetime of the float to determine correction coefficients, and thus cannot be applied in real-time.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards a merged satellite and in situ fluorescence ocean chlorophyll product

et al. 2012

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Abstract. Understanding the ocean carbon cycle requires a precise assessment of phytoplankton biomass in the oceans. In terms of numbers of observations, satellite data represent the largest available data set. However, as they are limited to surface waters, they have to be merged with in situ observations. Amongst the in situ data, fluorescence profiles constitute the greatest data set available, because fluorometers have operated routinely on oceanographic cruises since the 1970s. Nevertheless, fluorescence is only a proxy of the total chlorophyll a concentration and a data calibration is required. Calibration issues are, however, sources of uncertainty, and they have prevented a systematic and wide range exploitation of the fluorescence data set. In particular, very few attempts to standardize the fluorescence databases have been made. Consequently, merged estimations with other data sources (e.g. satellite) are lacking.We propose a merging method to fill this gap. It consists firstly in adjusting the fluorescence profile to impose a zero chlorophyll a concentration at depth. Secondly, each point of the fluorescence profile is then multiplied by a correction coefficient, which forces the chlorophyll a integrated content measured on the fluorescence profile to be consistent with the concomitant ocean colour observation. The method is close to the approach proposed by Boss et al. (2008) to correct fluorescence data of a profiling float, although important differences do exist. To develop and test our approach, in situ data from three open ocean stations (BATS, HOT and DYFAMED) were used. Comparison of the socalled "satellite-corrected" fluorescence profiles with concomitant bottle-derived estimations of chlorophyll a concentration was performed to evaluate the final error (estimated at 31 %). Comparison with the Boss et al. (2008) method, using a subset of the DYFAMED data set, demonstrated that the methods have similar accuracy. The method was applied to two different data sets to demonstrate its utility. Using fluorescence profiles at BATS, we show that the integration of "satellite-corrected" fluorescence profiles in chlorophyll a climatologies could improve both the statistical relevance of chlorophyll a averages and the vertical structure of the chlorophyll a field. We also show that our method could be efficiently used to process, within near-real time, profiles obtained by a fluorometer deployed on autonomous platforms, in our case a bio-optical profiling float. The application of the proposed method should provide a first step towards the generation of a merged satellite/fluorescence chlorophyll a product, as the "satellite-corrected" profiles should then be consistent with satellite observations. Improved climatologies with more consistent satellite and in situ data are likely to enhance the performance of present biogeochemical models.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards a merged satellite and in situ fluorescence ocean chlorophyll product

et al. 2012

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“…Data assimilation has been used routinely for many years in numerical weather prediction for short-term forecasting and, more recently, for ocean models that are run operationally (in forecast mode) or for improving state estimates in hindcasts (e.g. Wunsch and Heimbach 2007;Brasseur et al 2009). …”

Section: Modellingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…5.1.1.1). Expansion of this initiative aimed at including chemical and bio-optical measurements will likely lead to tremendous improvements in our ability to characterise the biogeochemical state of the ocean Brasseur et al 2009). …”

Section: Modellingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ocean-Atmosphere Interactions of Gases and Particles

2014

Springer Earth System Sciences

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Why a chapter on Perspectives and Integration in SOLAS Science in this book? SOLAS science by its nature deals with interactions that occur: across a wide spectrum of time and space scales, involve gases and particles, between the ocean and the atmosphere, across many disciplines including chemistry, biology, optics, physics, mathematics, computing, socio-economics and consequently interactions between many different scientists and across scientific generations. This chapter provides a guide through the remarkable diversity of cross-cutting approaches and tools in the gigantic puzzle of the SOLAS realm.Here we overview the existing prime components of atmospheric and oceanic observing systems, with the acquisition of ocean-atmosphere observables either from in situ or from satellites, the rich hierarchy of models to test our knowledge of Earth System functioning, and the tremendous efforts accomplished over the last decade within the COST Action 735 and SOLAS Integration project frameworks to understand, as best we can, the current physical and biogeochemical state of the atmosphere and ocean commons. A few SOLAS integrative studies illustrate the full meaning of interactions, paving the way for even tighter connections between thematic fields. Ultimately, SOLAS research will also develop with an enhanced consideration of societal demand while preserving fundamental research coherency.

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“…Reference [95] provides a GODAE view of recent progress in integrating biogeochemistry and ecology into ocean data assimilation. They note the importance of resolution and the need to consider additional processes, such as river runoff, as the focus moves to the continental margin.…”

Section: Integrated Earth System Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%