Heating rate within the upper ocean in relation to its bio-optical state

Abstract

Solar radiation absorption and local heating within the upper layers of the open ocean are strongly influenced by the abundance of phytoplankton as depicted by the chlorophyll concentration. According to whether this concentration is high or low, the heat deposition occurs within a layer that may vary in thickness from less than 10 m to more than 100 m. A simple parameterization, accounting for this dependence, is developed. It allows the vertical profiles of heating rate to be predicted from the phytoplanktonic pigment concentration, as it can (and will) be remotely detected from space, by using ocean color sensors. -from Authors