Evaluation of ocean carbon cycle models with data-based metrics

K. Matsumoto, Jorge Louis Sarmiento, R. M. Key, O. Aumont, J. L. Bullister, K. Caldeira, J. M. Campin, S. C. Doney, H. Drange, J. C. Dutay, M. Follows, Y. Gao, A. Gnanadesikan, N. Gruber, A. Ishida, F. Joos, K. Lindsay, E. Maier-Reimer, J. C. Marshall, R. J. MatearP. Monfray, A. Mouchet, R. Najjar, G. K. Plattner, R. Schlitzer, R. Slater, P. S. Swathi, I. J. Totterdell, M. F. Weirig, Y. Yamanaka, A. Yool, J. C. Orr

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

155 Scopus citations

Abstract

New radiocarbon and chlorofluorocarbon-11 data from the World Ocean Circulation Experiment are used to assess a suite of 19 ocean carbon cycle models. We use the distributions and inventories of these tracers as quantitative metrics of model skill and find that only about a quarter of the suite is consistent with the new data-based metrics. This should serve as a warning bell to the larger community that not all is well with current generation of ocean carbon cycle models. At the same time, this highlights the danger in simply using the available models to represent the state-of-the-art modeling without considering the credibility of each model.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)L07303 1-4
JournalGeophysical Research Letters
Volume31
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 16 2004

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Geophysics
  • General Earth and Planetary Sciences

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