Coupled Modeling and Observation of Land-Ocean-Atmospheric Fluxes and Exchanges in the Mississippi River Watershed and Gulf of Mexico in Support of Carbon Monitoring

Steven Lohrenz, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, slohrenz@umassd.edu (Presenter)
Wei-Jun Cai, University of Delaware, wcai@udel.edu
Hanqin Tian, Auburn University, tianhan@auburn.edu
Ruoying He, North Carolina State University, rhe@ncsu.edu
Stephan Howden, University of Southern Mississippi, stephan.howden@usm.edu

This research has employed a combination of models and remotely-sensed and in situ observations to develop georeferenced products and associated uncertainties for land-ocean exchange of carbon, air-sea exchanges of carbon dioxide, and coastal to open ocean exchanges of carbon. Such information is critically needed to better constrain the contribution of coastal margins to carbon sources and sinks and improve capabilities to attribute sources and sinks to different regions as well as reducing uncertainties in estimates. A major aspect of this project has involved establishing and populating geospatial portals for sharing and analysis of carbon data sets and products. The primary region of study is the Mississippi River watershed and northern Gulf of Mexico. However, the model domain also includes the continental margins of Florida and the South Atlantic Bight. The work is closely aligned with objectives of the NASA Carbon Monitoring System scoping effort and of the North American Carbon Program and will support National Climate Assessment activities. The effort also contributes to NASA Coastal Carbon Synthesis effort and international efforts to develop a North American carbon budget (CarboNA). The unique nature of our approach, coupling models of terrestrial and ocean ecosystem dynamics and associated carbon processes, will allow for assessment of how societal and human-related land cover and land use changes, as well as climate change, affect terrestrial carbon sources and sinks, export of materials to coastal margins, and associated carbon processes in the continental margins. Results will also benefit efforts to describe and predict how land cover and land use changes impact coastal water quality, including possible effects of coastal eutrophication, hypoxia, and ocean acidification.

Associated Project(s): 

• Lohrenz (CMS 2011)