Collaborative Research: Modeling coastal oxygen production and carbon sequestration

将对上升海岸边缘的海洋环流和生物地球化学氧碳动力学进行数值模拟研究。模型模拟与俄勒冈海岸的化学和物理观测相结合，将为沿海海洋环流和生物地球化学提供新的见解，特别关注管理跨陆架交换的过程，以及导致缺氧和海洋酸化加剧的因素。智力优势：拟议的研究将解决沿海海洋物理和生物地球化学过程中尚未解决的关键科学问题。沿海水域的氧和碳循环在全球具有重要意义，并在局部决定了缺氧和海洋酸化的条件，但两者都没有得到很好的理解。高分辨率环流模拟已经取得了足够的进展，为探索这些生物地球化学动力学提供了有用的背景。同时，物理环流模型还远远不够完善，这里提出的物理-生物地球化学耦合模拟将提供一个框架，用于探索由于缺乏了解或描述的物理参数和过程而引起的组合系统不确定性，并确定在哪些领域改进物理环流的表示将是理解耦合系统的未来进展所必需的。拟议的研究将特别侧重于对2001年、2006年和2009年上升季期间俄勒冈州大陆架的条件进行模拟，这些季节有高质量的生物地球化学和物理数据，并且证明了极低的氧气和极高的二氧化碳条件。2001年，物理环流已在前人的工作中得到了很好的模拟，为耦合模拟提供了一个起点。对于2006年和2009年，物理环流模型将是新颖的，提供了与实物数据的新比较，并有机会探索大陆架环流的基本年际变化。一种新的、简化的生物地球化学模型已经被制定出来，并将在环流模型中实现，该模型包含一个营养物质、两个颗粒类别和溶解氧。模拟将包括对生物地球化学模块和耦合系统行为的理想化探索，以及基于2001年、2006年和2009年最佳估计物理循环模拟的实际案例。在所有这些模拟中，选择高度简化的生物地球化学模块旨在促进多重模拟和参数值选择，以探索敏感性和确定方案的特征。广泛影响：该项目解决涉及高人类影响沿海带和沿海过程在与气候变化有关的全球生物地球化学平衡中的作用的基本科学问题。作为其培训的一部分，博士后调查员将发展跨越沿海物理和化学海洋学的广泛背景，并准备制定和解决沿海物理-生物地球化学相互作用关键领域的尖端科学问题。该提案还将通过与威斯康星大学/佐治亚州大学合作，为第二名女性博士后研究员提供部分支持，以发展和鼓励机构间和学科间的研究协作。拟议研究的结果将通过同行评议的研究期刊上的出版物和在国家和国际科学会议上的介绍以及通过继续和扩大现有的外联和一般教育活动来传播。拟议的研究与国家科学基金会海洋观测站倡议的沿海部分有关。

A numerical modeling study of ocean circulation and biogeochemical oxygen and carbon dynamics in an upwelling coastal margin will be conducted. Model simulations combined with chemical and physical observations along the Oregon coast will provide new insights into coastal ocean circulation and biogeochemistry, with particular focus on the processes that govern cross-shelf exchange, and the factors that lead to hypoxia and enhanced ocean acidification.Intellectual merit: The proposed research will address critical unresolved scientific issues in physical and biogeochemical coastal ocean processes. The cycles of oxygen and carbon in coastal waters are globally significant, and locally determine conditions of hypoxia and ocean acidification, but neither is well understood. High-resolution circulation modeling has progressed sufficiently to provide a useful context in which to explore these biogeochemical dynamics. At the same time, physical circulation models are far from perfect, and the coupled physical-biogeochemical simulations proposed here will provide a framework in which to explore the combined system uncertainties that arise from poorly known or represented physical parameters and processes, and to identify the areas in which improvements to the representation of the physical circulation will be essential to future advances in understanding the coupled system. The proposed research will specifically focus on modeling the conditions of the Oregon shelf during the upwelling seasons of 2001, 2006 and 2009, for which high-quality biogeochemical and physical data are available, and which have demonstrated extreme low oxygen, high CO2 conditions. For 2001, the physical circulation has been well modeled in previous work, providing a starting point for the coupled modeling. For 2006 and 2009, the physical circulation modeling will be novel, providing a new comparison with physical data and an opportunity to explore basic inter-annual variability in the shelf circulation. A novel, simplified biogeochemical module containing one nutrient, two particle classes, and dissolved oxygen has been formulated and will be implemented in the circulation model. Simulations will include idealized explorations of the behavior of the biogeochemical module and the coupled system, and realistic cases based on best-estimate physical circulation simulations for 2001, 2006 and 2009. In all of these simulations, the choice of the highly simplified biogeochemical module is intended to facilitate the multiple simulations and parameter-value choices, in order to explore sensitivities and characterize regimes.Broader impact: This project addresses fundamental scientific issues involving both the high-human-impact coastal zone and the role of coastal processes in the global biogeochemical balances associated with climate change. As part of his training, a postdoctoral investigator will develop a broad background spanning both physical and chemical coastal oceanography, and be prepared to formulate and address cutting-edge science questions in the critical area of coastal physical-biogeochemical interactions. The proposal will also provide partial support to a second female postdoctoral investigator, through collaboration with UW/JISAO that will develop and encourage inter-institutional as well as interdisciplinary research collaboration. Results of the proposed research will be disseminated through publications in peer-reviewed research journals and presentations at national and international scientific meetings, and through continuation and extension of existing outreach and general education activities. The proposed research is relevant to the coastal component of the NSF Ocean Observatories Initiative.