Ocean Carbon-Cycle
Model Intercomparison Project

OCMIP Phase 1 (1995-1997)


Objectives
Motivation
Planning Meeting
Simulations
Information for Participants
Reports
Abbreviations

Objectives of OCMIP-1

To begin to validate and compare existing 3-D global ocean carbon-cycle models.

Motivation

The need to improve ocean carbon-cycle models and to incorporate them, eventually, into complex earth system models motivated members of the IGBP/GAIM Task Force to begin discussing a comparison project at least as early as 1994.

OCMIP Planning Meeting (1995)

Subsequently GAIM sponsored a discussion and planning meeting, held in Hamburg on January 20, 1995. Present were four research groups that use global 3-D ocean models to study the ocean's carbon cycle. All agreed to participate in the first phase of the OCMIP comparison. Groups and their representatives were (Note: Expanded names and addresses for these laboratories are found at the end of this document -- see Abbreviations)

At this meeting, participants first developed a list of priority tracer simulations that would be desirable to include within the framework of this comparison. Protocols were discussed in order to make simulations and analyses as comparable as possible. Subsequently, all agreed that it was worth the effort to develop an on-line library of surface fields and algorithms, as necessary to compute standard surface boundary conditions for these simulations. Such a library would clearly improve internal consistency, allow for sensitivity tests, and encourage new participants to join in later on. Subsequently, participants discussed logistical constraints: (1) who will do what when and (2) possible funding support.

Simulations

  1. Natural CO2: The pre-industrial, steady-state ocean carbon cycle
  2. Anthropogenic CO2
  3. Natural C-14
  4. Anthropogenic C-14 (Bomb + Suess effects)

Information for Participants of OCMIP-1 (now completed)

Final Report

Abbreviations

AOS - Program in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Princeton University P.O. Box CN710, Princeton, NJ 08544-0710 USA)

CFR - Centre des Faibles Radioactivites, Laboratoire Mixte CNRS-CEA L'Orme, Bat. 709/LMCE, CE Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, FRANCE (Note: CFR and LMCE are now known as LSCE)

ECMWF - European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecast

GAIM - Global Analysis, Interpretation, and Modeling Task Force

GFDL - Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, NOAA, P.O. Box 308, Princeton, NJ 08542, USA)

Hadley - Hadley Center, Meteorol. Office, London Rd., Bracknell, Berkshire RG12 2SY, ENGLAND

IGBP - International Geosphere-Biosphere Program

IPSL - Institute Pierre Simon Laplace, a consortium of French laboratories, including CFR and LMCE (both now known as LSCE) and LODyC, amongst others

LMCE - Laboratoire de Modelisation du Climat et de l'Environnement, CEA/DSM, L'Orme, Bat. 709, CE Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, FRANCE (Note: CFR and LMCE are now known as LSCE)

LODyC - Laboratoire d'Oceanographie Dynamique et de Climatologie, Universite Pierre et Marie Curie,Paris, FRANCE

MPIM - Max Planck Institut fur Meteorologie, Bundesstrasse 55, D-2000 Hamburg 13, GERMANY

OCMIP - Ocean Carbon-Cycle Model Intercomparison Project