Submitted as: model experiment description paper17 Nov 2020
Submitted as: model experiment description paper | 17 Nov 2020
Review status: this preprint is currently under review for the journal GMD.
Ice Algae Model Intercomparison Project phase 2 (IAMIP2)
Hakase Hayashida1,2,Meibing Jin3,4,5,Nadja S. Steiner6,7,Neil C. Swart7,Eiji Watanabe8,Russell Fiedler9,Andrew McC. Hogg2,10,Andrew E. Kiss2,10,Richard J. Matear2,9,and Peter G. Strutton1,2Hakase Hayashida et al.Hakase Hayashida1,2,Meibing Jin3,4,5,Nadja S. Steiner6,7,Neil C. Swart7,Eiji Watanabe8,Russell Fiedler9,Andrew McC. Hogg2,10,Andrew E. Kiss2,10,Richard J. Matear2,9,and Peter G. Strutton1,2
Received: 13 Sep 2020 – Accepted for review: 17 Nov 2020 – Discussion started: 17 Nov 2020
Abstract. Ice algae play a fundamental role in shaping polar marine ecosystems and biogeochemistry. This role can be investigated by field observations, however the influence of ice algae at the regional and global scales remains unclear due to limited spatial and temporal coverage of observations, and because ice algae are typically not included in current Earth System Models. To address this knowledge gap, we introduce a new model intercomparison project (MIP), referred to here as the Ice Algae Model Intercomparison Project phase 2 (IAMIP2). IAMIP2 is built upon the experience from its previous phase, and expands its scope to global coverage (both Arctic and Antarctic) and centennial timescales (spanning the mid-twentieth century to the end of the twenty-first century). Participating models are three-dimensional regional and global coupled sea ice–ocean models that incorporate sea-ice ecosystem components. These models are driven by the same initial conditions and atmospheric forcing datasets by incorporating and expanding the protocols of the Ocean Model Intercomparison Project, an endorsed MIP of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 6 (CMIP6). Doing so provides more robust estimates of model bias and uncertainty, and consequently advances the science of polar marine ecosystems and biogeochemistry. A diagnostic protocol is designed to enhance the reusability of the model data products of IAMIP2. Lastly, the limitations and strengths of IAMIP2 are discussed in the context of prospective research outcomes.
Ice algae are tiny plants like phytoplankton but they grow within sea ice. In polar regions, both phytoplankton and ice algae are the foundation of marine ecosystems and play an important role in taking up carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. However, state-of-the-art climate models typically do not include ice algae, and therefore their role in the climate system remains unclear. This project aims to address this knowledge gap by coordinating a set of experiments using sea ice-ocean models.
Ice algae are tiny plants like phytoplankton but they grow within sea ice. In polar regions,...