• Journal of the Korean earth science society
• /
• v.40 no.4
• /
• pp.392-405
• /
• 2019

Biogeochemical processes play an important role in ocean environments and can affect the entire Earth's climate system. Using an ocean-biogeochemistry model (NEMO-TOPAZ), we investigated the effects of changes in albedo and wind stress caused by phytoplankton in the equatorial Pacific. The simulated ocean temperature showed a slight decrease when the solar reflectance of the regions where phytoplankton were present increased. Phytoplankton also decreased the El $Ni{\tilde{n}}o$-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) amplitude by decreasing the influence of trade winds due to their biological enhancement of upper-ocean turbulent viscosity. Consequently, the cold sea surface temperature bias in the equatorial Pacific and overestimation of the ENSO amplitude were slightly reduced in our model simulations. Further sensitivity tests suggested the necessity of improving the phytoplankton-related equation and optimal coefficients. Our results highlight the effects of altered albedo and wind stress due to phytoplankton on the climate system.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
• /
• v.38 no.7
• /
• pp.469-480
• /
• 2017

Controversy has surrounded the potential impacts of phytoplankton on the tropical climate, since climate models produce diverse behaviors in terms of the equatorial mean state and El $Ni{\tilde{n}}o$-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) amplitude. We explored biophysical impacts on the tropical ocean temperature using an ocean general circulation model coupled to a biogeochemistry model in which chlorophyll can modify solar attenuation and in turn feed back to ocean physics. Compared with a control model run excluding biophysical processes, our model with biogeochemistry showed that subsurface chlorophyll concentrations led to an increase in sea surface temperature (particularly in the western Pacific) via horizontal accumulation of heat contents. In the central Pacific, however, a mild cold anomaly appeared, accompanying the strengthened westward currents. The magnitude and skewness of ENSO were also modulated by biophysical feedbacks resulting from the chlorophyll affecting El $Ni{\tilde{n}}o$ and La $Ni{\tilde{n}}a$ in an asymmetric way. That is, El $Ni{\tilde{n}}o$ conditions were intensified by the higher contribution of the second baroclinic mode to sea surface temperature anomalies, whereas La $Ni{\tilde{n}}a$ conditions were slightly weakened by the absorption of shortwave radiation by phytoplankton. In our model experiments, the intensification of El $Ni{\tilde{n}}o$ was more dominant than the dampening of La $Ni{\tilde{n}}a$, resulting in the amplification of ENSO and higher skewness.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
• /
• v.42 no.4
• /
• pp.390-400
• /
• 2021

Ocean biogeochemistry plays a crucial role in sustaining the marine ecosystem and global carbon cycle. To investigate the oceanic biogeochemical responses to iron parameters in the tropical Pacific, we conducted sensitivity experiments using the Nucleus for European Modelling of the Ocean-Tracers of Ocean Phytoplankton with Allometric Zooplankton (NEMO-TOPAZ) model. Compared to observations, the NEMO-TOPAZ model overestimated the concentrations of chlorophyll and dissolved iron (DFe). The sensitivity tests showed that with increasing (+50%) iron scavenging rates, chlorophyll concentrations in the tropical Pacific were reduced by approximately 16%. The bias in DFe also decreased by approximately 7%; however, the sea surface temperature was not affected. As such, these results can facilitate the development of the model tuning strategy to improve ocean biogeochemical performance using the NEMO-TOPAZ model.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.266-276
• /
• 2013

The ocean is the largest reservoir of carbon in the climate system. Atmospheric $CO_2$ is efficiently transferred to the deep ocean by a process called the biological carbon pump: photosynthetic fixation of $CO_2$ at the sea surface and remineralization of sinking organic carbon at depths are main causes for the vertical contrast of carbon in the ocean. The sequestered carbon to the deep ocean returns to the sea surface by ocean circulation. Part of the upwelled $CO_2$ leaks into the atmosphere through air-sea gas exchange. It has been suggested that the air-sea partitioning of carbon has varied in concert with the glacial-interglacial climate variations, due partly to changes in ocean circulation. In this review paper, we briefly summarize key concepts of the oceanic carbon pump. We also discuss the response of the air-sea carbon partitioning to change in ocean circulation in the context of the glacial-interglacial climate change.