Large-scale Modeling of Primary Production and Related Dimethylsulfide (DMS) Production in the Sea Ice

EnvironmentClara Deal and Meibing Jin, International Arctic Research Center (IARC), University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, USAScott Elliott, Elizabeth Hunke, Mathew Maltrud, and Nicole Jeffery, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA

Background

• EPSCoR-State/National Laboratory Partnership Grant

• ice ecosystem model implemented in CICE configured with 20m slab

• model run for year 1992

• assess large-scale spatial and seasonal variability

Simulated Annual Primary Production within Sea Ice (g C m-2)

Broader impacts• modeling biogeochemical cycling in sea ice, e.g. Hg, bio-particles• inclusion of sea ice microbial loop and trace gas exchange, e.g. CO2• structure and function of polar marine food web• ice-ice algae-albedo feedback

Latitude-averaged ice algal biomass (mg Chl m-2)

DMS Production in the Sea Ice EnvironmentObservations of DMS(P) in sea ice environment

• sulfur compounds accumulate in bottom ice where ice algal biomass is highest (Uzuka 2003)

• ice edge strongest, most consistent predictor of high seawater DMSP (Matrai et al. 2007)

• DMSP enriched in lead microlayers (Matrai et al. 2008) Broader impacts

• seawater and ice DMS emissions to the atmosphere• growth of aerosols that play a role in cloud formation and properties

See Poster for:DMS Concentration within Sea IceSeawater DMSP Concentrations

Preliminary model results: DMSP Concentration within Sea Ice (micromol DMSP m-2) 1992 5 05