The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

Bio-physical feedbacks in the Arctic Ocean using an Earth system model

Bio-physical feedbacks in the Arctic Ocean using an Earth system model
Bio-physical feedbacks in the Arctic Ocean using an Earth system model
An Earth System model with an oceanic biogeochemical component is shown to reproduce accurately the seasonal course of sea-ice and chlorophyll distribution in the Arctic region. It is argued that the phytoplankton blooms that occur concomitantly with the ice retreat along the Arctic coastal shelves in spring and summer strongly impact the Arctic climate and improve the sea-ice distribution in the model. Indeed, these blooms modify the vertical distribution of radiant heating and trap the penetrating solar heat flux at the surface in these regions. The resulting surface warming triggers a reduction of sea-ice thickness and concentration. This reduction increases the solar energy penetrating into the ocean, therefore providing a positive feedback that further amplifies the direct biological warming. The increased melting, precipitation and runoff related to these bio-physical feedbacks freshen the Arctic Ocean and the Greenland Sea, provoking a slight slowdown of the overturning circulation.
0094-8276
L21602
Lengaigne, Matthieu
3f78eafe-bcd2-41c4-9e0e-3b8bb3c55aa4
Madec, Gurvan
ffb28deb-4bbd-4a4c-914f-492f813e4864
Bopp, Laurent
771de655-3caf-42ba-8231-40f17d4addc4
Menkes, Christophe
5471b65b-0584-49ff-b27f-4c7b29e75bbd
Aumont, Olivier
6ea5af9d-4c27-42d9-9ba7-749729efa72f
Cadule, Patricia
1f254547-6f7b-48a6-ac71-13d23f7317eb
Lengaigne, Matthieu
3f78eafe-bcd2-41c4-9e0e-3b8bb3c55aa4
Madec, Gurvan
ffb28deb-4bbd-4a4c-914f-492f813e4864
Bopp, Laurent
771de655-3caf-42ba-8231-40f17d4addc4
Menkes, Christophe
5471b65b-0584-49ff-b27f-4c7b29e75bbd
Aumont, Olivier
6ea5af9d-4c27-42d9-9ba7-749729efa72f
Cadule, Patricia
1f254547-6f7b-48a6-ac71-13d23f7317eb

Lengaigne, Matthieu, Madec, Gurvan, Bopp, Laurent, Menkes, Christophe, Aumont, Olivier and Cadule, Patricia (2010) Bio-physical feedbacks in the Arctic Ocean using an Earth system model. Geophysical Research Letters, 36, L21602. (doi:10.1029/2009GL040145).

Record type: Article

Abstract

An Earth System model with an oceanic biogeochemical component is shown to reproduce accurately the seasonal course of sea-ice and chlorophyll distribution in the Arctic region. It is argued that the phytoplankton blooms that occur concomitantly with the ice retreat along the Arctic coastal shelves in spring and summer strongly impact the Arctic climate and improve the sea-ice distribution in the model. Indeed, these blooms modify the vertical distribution of radiant heating and trap the penetrating solar heat flux at the surface in these regions. The resulting surface warming triggers a reduction of sea-ice thickness and concentration. This reduction increases the solar energy penetrating into the ocean, therefore providing a positive feedback that further amplifies the direct biological warming. The increased melting, precipitation and runoff related to these bio-physical feedbacks freshen the Arctic Ocean and the Greenland Sea, provoking a slight slowdown of the overturning circulation.

This record has no associated files available for download.

More information

Published date: 2010
Organisations: Marine Systems Modelling

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 71842
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/71842
ISSN: 0094-8276
PURE UUID: 374ba547-06bb-429a-a124-228ce5afc55c

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 04 Jan 2010
Last modified: 13 Mar 2024 20:48

Export record

Altmetrics

Contributors

Author: Matthieu Lengaigne
Author: Gurvan Madec
Author: Laurent Bopp
Author: Christophe Menkes
Author: Olivier Aumont
Author: Patricia Cadule

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×