scholarly journals Nutrient cycling in the Baltic Sea – results from a 30-year physical-biogeochemical reanalysis

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ye Liu ◽  
H. E. Markus Meier ◽  
Kari Eilola
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Ocean Model ◽  
Optimal Interpolation ◽  
Nutrient Concentrations ◽  
Biogeochemical Model ◽  
Phosphorus Transport ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Gulf Of Riga ◽  
Baltic Proper ◽  
The Baltic

Abstract. The long-term oxygen and nutrient cycles in the Baltic Sea are reconstructed using the Swedish Coastal and Ocean Biogeochemical model (SCOBI) coupled to the Rossby Centre Ocean model (RCO). Two simulations covering the period 1970–1999 are carried out with and without data assimilation, respectively. Here, the "weakly coupled" scheme with the Ensemble Optimal Interpolation (EnOI) method is adopted to assimilate the observed profiles in the reanalysis system. The simulation results show considerable improvements in both oxygen and nutrient concentrations in the reanalysis relative to the free run. Further, the results suggest that the assimilation of biogeochemical observations has a significant effect on the simulation of the oxygen dependent dynamics of biogeochemical cycles. From the reanalysis, nutrient transports between subbasins, between the coastal zone and the open sea, and across latitudinal and longitudinal cross sections, are calculated. Further, bottom areas of nutrient import or export are examined. Our results emphasize the important role of the Baltic proper for the entire Baltic Sea, with large net exports of nutrients into the surrounding subbasins (except the phosphorus transport into the Gulf of Riga and the nitrogen transports into the Gulf of Riga and Danish Straits). In agreement with previous studies, we found that the Bothnian Sea imports large amounts of phosphorus from the Baltic proper that are buried in this subbasin. For the calculation of subbasin budgets, it is crucial where the lateral borders of the subbasins are located, because net transports may change sign with the location of the border. Although the overall transport patterns resemble the results of previous studies, our calculated estimates differ in detail considerably.

scholarly journals Nutrient transports in the Baltic Sea – results from a 30-year physical–biogeochemical reanalysis

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (8) ◽  
pp. 2113-2131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ye Liu ◽  
H. E. Markus Meier ◽  
Kari Eilola
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Cross Sections ◽  
Ocean Model ◽  
Optimal Interpolation ◽  
Nutrient Concentrations ◽  
Biogeochemical Model ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Gulf Of Riga ◽  
Baltic Proper ◽  
The Baltic

Abstract. Long-term oxygen and nutrient transports in the Baltic Sea are reconstructed using the Swedish Coastal and Ocean Biogeochemical model (SCOBI) coupled to the Rossby Centre Ocean model (RCO). Two simulations with and without data assimilation covering the period 1970–1999 are carried out. Here, the weakly coupled scheme with the Ensemble Optimal Interpolation (EnOI) method is adopted to assimilate observed profiles in the reanalysis system. The reanalysis shows considerable improvement in the simulation of both oxygen and nutrient concentrations relative to the free run. Further, the results suggest that the assimilation of biogeochemical observations has a significant effect on the simulation of the oxygen-dependent dynamics of biogeochemical cycles. From the reanalysis, nutrient transports between sub-basins, between the coastal zone and the open sea, and across latitudinal and longitudinal cross sections are calculated. Further, the spatial distributions of regions with nutrient import or export are examined. Our results emphasize the important role of the Baltic proper for the entire Baltic Sea, with large net transport (export minus import) of nutrients from the Baltic proper into the surrounding sub-basins (except the net phosphorus import from the Gulf of Riga and the net nitrogen import from the Gulf of Riga and Danish Straits). In agreement with previous studies, we found that the Bothnian Sea imports large amounts of phosphorus from the Baltic proper that are retained in this sub-basin. For the calculation of sub-basin budgets, the location of the lateral borders of the sub-basins is crucial, because net transports may change sign with the location of the border. Although the overall transport patterns resemble the results of previous studies, our calculated estimates differ in detail considerably.

scholarly journals Quantifying the contribution of shipping NO<sub><i>x</i></sub> emissions to the marine nitrogen inventory – a case study for the western Baltic Sea

Ocean Science ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-134
Author(s):  
Daniel Neumann ◽  
Matthias Karl ◽  
Hagen Radtke ◽  
Volker Matthias ◽  
René Friedland ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atmospheric Deposition ◽  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Total Nitrogen ◽  
Ocean Model ◽  
Biogeochemical Model ◽  
Nutrient Loads ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Nitrogen Concentrations ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. The western Baltic Sea is impacted by various anthropogenic activities and stressed by high riverine and atmospheric nutrient loads. Atmospheric deposition accounts for up to a third of the nitrogen input into the Baltic Sea and contributes to eutrophication. Amongst other emission sources, the shipping sector is a relevant contributor to the atmospheric concentrations of nitrogen oxides (NOX) in marine regions. Thus, it also contributes to atmospheric deposition of bioavailable oxidized nitrogen into the Baltic Sea. In this study, the contribution of shipping emissions to the nitrogen budget in the western Baltic Sea is evaluated with the coupled three-dimensional physical biogeochemical model MOM–ERGOM (Modular Ocean Model–Ecological ReGional Ocean Model) in order to assess the relevance of shipping emissions for eutrophication. The atmospheric input of bioavailable nitrogen impacts eutrophication differently depending on the time and place of input. The shipping sector contributes up to 5 % to the total nitrogen concentrations in the water. The impact of shipping-related nitrogen is highest in the offshore regions distant from the coast in early summer, but its contribution is considerably reduced during blooms of cyanobacteria in late summer because the cyanobacteria fix molecular nitrogen. Although absolute shipping-related total nitrogen concentrations are high in some coastal regions, the relative contribution of the shipping sector is low in the vicinity of the coast because of high riverine nutrient loads.

scholarly journals Interannual and Seasonal Temperature and Salinity Variations in the Gulf of Riga and Corresponding Saline Water Inflow From the Baltic Proper

2001 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Urmas Raudsepp
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
River Flow ◽  
Saline Water ◽  
Seasonal Temperature ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Increasing Trend ◽  
Gulf Of Riga ◽  
Baltic Proper ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
Salinity Variations

Salinity and temperature data from the Gulf of Riga, a semi-enclosed sub-basin of the Baltic Sea, were analyzed with a focus on interannual and seasonal variability. The data were compiled from measurements taken from 1973 to 1995, a period which includes the stagnation period in the Baltic Sea. Interannual and seasonal variations in the net inflow of saline water from the Baltic Proper were estimated from volume and salt conservation equations for the period 1973-90. The basic decreasing trend, superimposed interannual variations in salinity, and interannual and seasonal temperature variations in the Gulf of Riga coincided with corresponding changes above the halocline in the Baltic Proper. Seasonal salinity variations were notable in the Gulf of Riga as compared to the Baltic Proper, where variations were negligible. Estimated annual mean inflow varied between 2,000 and 5,000 m3/s (average 3,200 m3/s), with a notable increasing trend. A simultaneous increasing trend was extracted from annual mean river flow data. Short-term fluctuations (over 4-6 years) of annual mean inflow ran opposite to the fluctuations of the magnitude of river flow. The average salinity in the Gulf of Riga increased during strong inflow and weak river flow and decreased when inflow was weak and river flow was strong. Variations in the inflow of water salinity had a minor effect on salinity variations in the Gulf of Riga. Seasonal inflow was strongest in spring and autumn and weak in winter.

scholarly journals Modeling cyanobacteria life cycle dynamics and historical nitrogen fixation in the Baltic Proper

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (23) ◽  
pp. 6213-6227
Author(s):  
Jenny Hieronymus ◽  
Kari Eilola ◽  
Malin Olofsson ◽  
Inga Hense ◽  
H. E. Markus Meier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Fixation ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Inorganic Phosphorus ◽  
Biogeochemical Model ◽  
Model Combination ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Explicit Consideration ◽  
Baltic Proper ◽  
The Baltic

Abstract. Dense blooms of filamentous diazotrophic cyanobacteria are formed every summer in the Baltic Sea. These autotrophic organisms may bypass nitrogen limitation by performing nitrogen fixation, which also governs surrounding organisms by increasing bioavailable nitrogen. The magnitude of the nitrogen fixation is important to estimate from a management perspective since this might counteract eutrophication reduction measures. Here, a cyanobacteria life cycle model has been implemented for the first time in a high-resolution 3D coupled physical and biogeochemical model of the Baltic Sea, spanning the years 1850–2008. The explicit consideration of life cycle dynamics and transitions significantly improves the representation of the cyanobacterial phenological patterns compared to earlier 3D modeling efforts. Now, the rapid increase and decrease in cyanobacteria in the Baltic Sea are well captured, and the seasonal timing is in concert with observations. The current improvement also had a large effect on the nitrogen fixation load and is now in agreement with estimates based on in situ measurements. By performing four phosphorus sensitivity runs, we demonstrate the importance of both organic and inorganic phosphorus availability for historical cyanobacterial biomass estimates. The model combination can be used to continuously predict internal nitrogen loads via nitrogen fixation in Baltic Sea ecosystem management, which is of extra importance in a future ocean with changed conditions for the filamentous cyanobacteria.

Physical drivers of oxygen depletion in the Central and Eastern Baltic Sea

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taavi Liblik ◽  
Stella-Theresa Stoicescu ◽  
Jaan Laanemets ◽  
Oliver Samlas ◽  
Kai Salm ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Deep Layer ◽  
Oxygen Depletion ◽  
Estuarine Circulation ◽  
Gulf Of Finland ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Gulf Of Riga ◽  
Baltic Proper ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
The Gulf Of Finland

&lt;p&gt;Eutrophication and consequent increase in biomass production and sedimentation of organic material cause oxygen depletion of the deep layers and an increase in hypoxic bottom areas in the Baltic Sea.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Baltic Sea &amp;#8211; a semi-enclosed brackish sea &amp;#8211; has restricted water exchange with the North Sea. High fresh water runoff and sporadic inflows of saline water through the Danish Straits maintain stratification. Seasonal thermocline and quasi-permanent halocline, their vertical location, shape and strength are sensitive to atmospheric forcing and influence the oxygen depletion in the near-bottom layer. Physical processes altering deoxygenation in the three sub-basins of the Baltic Sea (Baltic Proper, Gulf of Finland and Gulf of Riga) are under scope of the present overview. Permanent halocline is present in the deep Baltic Proper, while in the Gulf of Finland, it occasionally vanishes during winter. Complete mixing occurs in each winter in the shallow Gulf of Riga separated from the Baltic Proper by the sill. We show that the bathymetry, combined with physical drivers, causes distinct spatial and temporal patterns of oxygen depletion in the basins. The results presented here are a summary of in-situ measurement campaigns conducted by the research vessel, underwater glider, autonomous vertical profiler and bottom moorings in 2011&amp;#8211;2020.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Large barotropic inflows from the North Sea temporarily ventilate the deep layer of the Central Baltic Proper, but rather intensify hypoxia in the Northern Baltic Proper and the Gulf of Finland. Wind-driven estuarine circulation alterations shape the hypoxic area and volume in the Gulf of Finland considerably. Seaward winds support estuarine circulation and the advection of hypoxic saltier water of the Northern Baltic Proper into the gulf deep layer. The landward wind can reverse estuarine circulation, the collapse of stratification and mixing of the whole water column in winter (when the seasonal thermocline is absent), thus, temporarily improving oxygen conditions in the deep layer of the gulf. Intrusion of cold saltier water of the Baltic Proper over the sill into the Gulf of Riga deep layer strengthens water column stratification and supports hypoxia formation in summer. Such a water exchange regime is related to the northerly wind forced upwelling along the eastern coast of the Baltic Proper. The role of submesoscale processes on vertical mixing and deep layer ventilation is still unclear, and the data of high-resolution in situ measurements in the Baltic Sea is limited yet. Preliminary results from the dedicated underwater glider surveys conducted at the coastal slope of Eastern Baltic Proper in 2019-2020 will be presented.&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals Distribution of benthic diatoms in the littoral zone of the Gulf of Riga, the Baltic Sea

2000 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 373-385 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Vilbaste ◽  
K. Sundbäck ◽  
C. Nilsson ◽  
J. Truu
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Littoral Zone ◽  
Benthic Diatoms ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Gulf Of Riga ◽  
The Baltic

scholarly journals Assessment of a physical-biogeochemical coupled model system for operational service in the Baltic Sea

Ocean Science ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 683-701 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. Wan ◽  
J. She ◽  
M. Maar ◽  
L. Jonasson ◽  
J. Baasch-Larsen
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Inorganic Nitrogen ◽  
Biogeochemical Model ◽  
Observation Data ◽  
Model Assessment ◽  
Model Errors ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Statistical Measures ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
Operational Service

Abstract. Thanks to the abundant observation data, we are able to deploy the traditional point-to-point comparison and statistical measures in combination with a comprehensive model validation scheme to assess the skills of the biogeochemical model ERGOM in providing an operational service for the Baltic Sea. The model assessment concludes that the operational products can resolve the main observed seasonal features for phytoplankton biomass, dissolved inorganic nitrogen, dissolved inorganic phosphorus and dissolved oxygen in euphotic layers as well as their vertical profiles. This assessment reflects that the model errors of the operational system at the current stage are mainly caused by insufficient light penetration, excessive organic particle export downward, insufficient regional adaptation and some from improper initialization. This study highlights the importance of applying multiple schemes in order to assess model skills rigidly and identify main causes for major model errors.

scholarly journals An Evaluation and Implementation of the Regional Coupled Ice-Ocean Model of the Baltic Sea

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaromir Jakacki ◽  
Sebastian Meler
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Coupled Model ◽  
Horizontal Resolution ◽  
Ocean Model ◽  
System Model ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Community Earth System Model ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
Ice Model

Abstract. A three dimensional, regional coupled ice-ocean model based on the open-source Community Earth System Model has been developed and implemented for the Baltic Sea. The model consists of 66 vertical levels and has a horizontal resolution of approx. 2.3 km. The paper focuses on sea ice component results but the main changes have been introduced in the ocean part of the coupled model. The hydrodynamic part, being one of the most important components, has been also presented and validated. The ice model results were validated against the radar and satellite data, and the method of validation based on probability was introduced. In the last two decades satellite and model results show an increase in the ice extent over the whole Baltic Sea, which is an evidence of a negative trend in air temperature in recent decades and increasing of winter discharge from the catchment area.

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