Estimation of the PAR Irradiance Ratio and Its Variability under Clear-sky Conditions at Ieodo in the East China Sea

Determining 'photosynthetically active radiation' (PAR) is a key part of calculating phytoplankton productivity in a biogeochemical model. We explore the daily and seasonal variability in the ratio of PAR irradiance to total irradiance that occurred at Ieodo Ocean Research Station (IORS) in the East China Sea under clear-sky conditions in 2004 using a simple radiative transfer model (RTM). Meteorological data observed at IORS and aerosol optical properties derived from Aerosol Robotic Network observations at Gosan are used for the RTM. Preliminary results suggest that the use of simple PAR irradiance-ratio values is appropriate in calculating phytoplankton productivity as follows: an average of $0.44\;({\pm}0.01)$ in January to an average of $0.48\;({\pm}0.01)$ in July, with average daily variabilities over these periods of about $0.016\;({\pm}0.008)$ and $0.025\;({\pm}0.008)$, respectively. The model experiments demonstrate that variations in the major controlling input parameters (i.e. solar zenith angle, precipitable water vapor and aerosol optical thickness) cause PAR irradiance ratio variation at daily and seasonal timescales. Further, increases (>0.012) in the PAR irradiance ratio just below the sea-surface are positively correlated with high solar zenith angles and strong wind stresses relative to those just above the sea-surface.