Evaluation of biogeochemical model simulations using World Ocean Atlas and satellite observations in the Arabian Sea

Abstract

Model simulations of the Ocean General Circulation Model (OGCM; MOM4p1), coupled with a state-of-the-art biogeochemical model TOPAZ (Tracers of Phytoplankton with Allometric Zooplankton), which includes multi-nutrient limitations including iron limitation, are used to study the seasonal variations of mixed-layer properties and their influence on nutrients and chlorophyll in the Arabian Sea. The spatial variation of nitrate during the Northeast Monsoon (NEM) and Southwest Monsoon (SWM), in the northern and western parts of the Arabian Sea and coast of Somalia, are very well captured by the model and compare well with observations. Modelled chlorophyll and primary productivity are validated with satellite-derived maps for the Arabian Sea.

Acknowledgements

We wish to express our sincere thanks to various data providers (World Ocean Atlas (WOA-01), SeaWiFS project, and Primary productivity). We also wish to thank the developers of Ferret for graphic outputs. We are grateful to the Scientist-in-charge, CMMACS for encouragement and the High Performing Computational systems group, CMMACS for computational support.