Mixing, spatial resolution and argon saturation in a suite of coupled general ocean circulation biogeochemical models off Mauritania

Abstract

Numerical coupled ocean circulation biogeochemical modules are routinely employed in Earth system models that provide projections into our warming future to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Previous studies have shown that a major source of uncertainties in the biogeochemical ocean component is vertical, or rather diapycnal, ocean mixing. The representation of diapycnal mixing in models is affected by several factors, including the (poorly constrained) parameter choices of the background diffusivity, the choice of the underlying advection numerics and the spatial discretization. This study adds to the discussion by exploring these effects in a suite of regional coupled ocean circulation biogeochemical model configurations. The configurations comprise the Atlantic Ocean off Mauritania - a region renowned for its complex ocean circulation driven by seasonal wind patterns, coastal upwelling and peculiar mode water eddies featuring toxically low levels of dissolved oxygen. Based on simulated argon saturation as a proxy for effective mixing, we conclude that the resolution effect beyond mesoscale on diapycnal mixing is comparable to other infamous spurious effects, such as the choice of advection numerics or a change in the background diffusivity of less than 60%.