G. Radach et al., MODELING WATER COLUMN PROCESSES IN THE NORTH-SEA, Philosophical transactions-Royal Society of London. Physical sciences and engineering, 343(1669), 1993, pp. 509-517
In the North Sea advective transports are not negligible. Nevertheless
, physical properties like sea surface temperature (SST) can be hindca
sted with sufficient precision by vertical process water column models
. Annual cycles Of SST in the southern, central, and northern North Se
a can be simulated using physical upper layer models with relatively s
mall RMs errors. For the Fladenground Experiment (FLEX'76) in the nort
hern North Sea the RMS error is less 0.3-degrees-C for the 2 months of
the experiment. This justifies the initial use, at least, of vertical
process water column models in simulations for investigating transfer
processes in the planktonic ecosystem. Experiments have shown that th
e simulated entrainment velocities at the bottom of the mixed layer du
ring summer are critically dependent on the resolution of the forcing
variables. The effects of this resolution on the annual phytoplankton
dynamics will be discussed. Phytoplankton dynamics are strongly influe
nced by those of the zooplankton, and vice versa. Several field invest
igations have shown that, seemingly, phytoplankton cannot sustain the
observed stock of zooplankton in the northern North Sea: there exists
a gap between the abundance of phytoplankton and the need for it to ma
intain the zooplankton. Revisiting FLEX'76, the simulations with water
column models of increasing complexity concerning detritus suggest th
at pelagic detritus can fill the gap in food availability for the zoop
lankton. If it is assumed that the zooplankton feeds also on detritus,
the zooplankton experiences no food shortage.