Kriest, Iris and Oschlies, Andreas (2011) Numerical effects on organic-matter sedimentation and remineralization in biogeochemical ocean models. Ocean Modelling, 39 (3-4). pp. 275-283. DOI 10.1016/j.ocemod.2011.05.001.

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Abstract

We investigate the effects of different vertical grid resolutions and algorithms for the calculation of particle
sinking on the sedimentation and remineralization of particulate organic matter. Simulations carried
out with an idealized 1D model of detritus sinking show that a coarse vertical resolution, such as used in
many global biogeochemical models, tends to enhance the particle flux through numerical mixing within
the vertical boxes, and thereby simulates deeper remineralization, compared to a model with a fine vertical
resolution. This effect can be ameliorated by assuming a distribution of detritus within the individual
grid boxes that corresponds to the prescribed sinking and remineralization parameters. Experiments
of the different flux algorithms, carried out with 3D global biogeochemical models of different vertical
grid resolution reveal impacts on simulated biogeochemical tracer distributions that are similar to those
obtained by substantial variations in biogeochemical model parameters. Our results indicate that numerical
schemes have to be considered when comparing biogeochemical parameter values of different models
and also when porting biogeochemical models among different circulation models.

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