SURVEY OF SMP ACCOMPLISHMENTS ========================================================================= BACKGROUND: At the summer PI meeting in July 2002, John Dunne conducted an informal survey of meeting participants, asking 3 questions about JGOFS' role in biogeochemical modeling: Q1: What has been the major contribution of JGOFS to ocean biogeochemical modeling? Q2: What has been the major change in thought since the SMP Implementation Plan? Q3: What is the most pressing uncertainty in biogeochemical modeling? John's presentation of the survey results were revealing (his ppt presentation is available at: ) Meeting participants encouraged us to embellish this survey and to take it to a wider audience. Below is a brief survey asking for your input. Your inputs will help guide the final years of SMP; will identify incomplete scientific elements for future programs; and by identifying both good and bad elements of the process, will help design future SMP-like programs. Please be candid - your name will not be revealed unless you explicitly provide permission. Most of you are already familiar with the US JGOFS Synthesis & Modeling Program. The main goal of the program is to: To synthesize knowledge gained from U.S. JGOFS and related studies into a set of models that reflect current understanding of the ocean carbon cycle and its associated uncertainties, with three main program elements: Global and regional mass balances Mechanistic controls of local carbon balances Extrapolation, monitoring, and prediction More information on the above goal and program elements are available at: ========================================================================= SURVEY: PLEASE RESPOND TO THE QUESTIONS BELOW. Type in your response of comments, or put an 'X' next to the choices provided Your Name (optional): How many SMP projects have you been involved with (both past and presently funded projects)? --------------- Select 1 with an X ------------------------- 0 1 2 3 or more Highest affiliation with SMP: --------------- Select 1 with an X ------------------------- Principal Investigator Collaborator Non-SMP JGOFS Researcher Post-doc Student OTHER (please list in comments) Comments: Primary Research Area: --------------- Select 1 with an X ------------------------- global survey data synthesis time-series and process study synthesis local and process modeling regional and global modeling remote sensing OTHER (please list in comments) Comments: 1a. Do you think future large-scale ocean programs should include a synthesis & modeling phase? NOTE: The U.S. JGOFS Synthesis & Modeling Project is the last phase of U.S. JGOFS, and is a new (and somewhat experimental) approach to supplement the large-scale field programs with dedicated efforts to analyze results with both synthesis and modeling efforts. --------------- Select 1 with an X ------------------------- Yes, at about the scale of the U.S. JGOFS SMP Yes, but at a larger scale Yes, but at a smaller scale No - these efforts are best done as individual projects NO OPINION Comments: 1b. How would you rank the level of interaction between modelers and observationalists within US JGOFS SMP? (0=none; 1=little; 2=moderate; 3=high) --------------- Select 1 with an X ------------------------- 0 none 1 little 2 moderate 3 high NO OPINION Comments: 1c. Relative to the field program, would you prefer the timing of future synthesis and modeling efforts be: --------------- Select 1 with an X ------------------------- on-going throughout the program at the end of a field program (like the SMP) earlier modeling to help design field efforts NO OPINION Comments: 1d. What aspects of the SMP program did you find most useful? --------------- Select 1-2 with an X ----------------------- multi-PI interdisciplinary projects summer PI meetings focused workshops SMP web-based information nothing OTHER (please list in comments) NO OPINION Comments: 2a. What overall grade does SMP deserve in fulfilling the following goal? Global and regional mass balances: synthesis of improved estimates of natural and anthropogenic carbon inventories and of fluxes of carbon and related biologically active chemical substances. --------------- Select 1 with an X ------------------------- A B C D F NO OPINION 2b. What has been the main contribution of the SMP toward advancing the goal in 2a? --------------- Select 1 with an X ------------------------- synthesis of CO2-survey data synthesis of other global data sets synthesis of US JGOFS Process Study data OTHER (please list in comments) NO OPINION Comments: 3a. What overall grade does SMP deserve in fulfilling the following goal? Mechanistic controls of local carbon balances: identification/modeling of the principal processes that control within-ocean and ocean-atmosphere partitioning of carbon and related biologically active chemical substances. --------------- Select 1 with an X ------------------------- A B C D F NO OPINION 3b. What have been the main area(s) of advancement by SMP toward achieving the goal in 3a? --------------- Select up to 3 with an X ------------------- physical transport of ocean carbon high resolution physical modeling model predictive ability Ocean Carbon Model Intercomparison Project (OCMIP) comprehensive inverse solutions coupling of carbon cycling between ocean and atmosphere Fe-cycling N-fixation multi-nutrient limitation non-Redfield elemental stoichiometry formulation of size relationships in ecosystem structure controls on recycling efficiency export processes remineralization processes OTHER (please list in comments) NO OPINION Comments: 4a. What overall grade does SMP deserve in fulfilling the following goal? Extrapolation, monitoring, and prediction, which includes: - scaling from small spatial scales to regional/global scales - scaling from small temporal scales to seasonal, annual and interannual time scales - improving monitoring and predictive ability of oceanic carbon cycle processes (including feedback to climate system) --------------- Select 1 with an X ------------------------- A B C D F NO OPINION 4b. Future monitoring of ocean processes would benefit most from: --------------- Select 1 with an X ------------------------- more field observations overall concentrated field efforts in select geographic areas improvements in remote sensing capabilities improvements in modeling skill OTHER (please list in comments) NO OPINION Comments: 4c. Future ability to extrapolate to larger scales and/or predict future carbon partitioning would benefit most from: --------------- Select 1-2 with an X ----------------------- more field observations improvements in modeling skill improvements in observationalist/modeler interactions improvements in remote sensing capabilities improvements in understanding natural variability improvements in regional models OTHER (please list in comments) NO OPINION Comments: 5. Which TOPICS have seen the most change in thought since the SMP Implementation Plan? --------------- Select up to 3 with an X ------------------- ocean physics air-sea gas exchange satellite-based flux estimates primary production net community production community structure microbial processes multi-nutrient limitation elemental stoichiometry nutrient dynamics N2 fixation/denitrification phytoplankton functional groups CaCO3 & SiO2 cycling iron cycling grazing and other food web dynamics particle formation and transport mineral ballasting remineralization role of dissolved organic carbon role of particulate organic carbon flux parameterization within models representation of biogeochemical tracers in physical models inverse modeling applications incorporating new data types into models (biomolecular, satellites) large-scale data constraints (pCO2, iron, nutrients) OTHER (please list in comments) NO OPINION Comments: 6. Which STOCKS/FLUXES deserve priority in future ocean biogeochemistry studies? --------------- Select up to 3 with an X ------------------- CO2-system variables dissolved organic carbon particulate organic carbon organic substances other than DOC/POC (e.g. vitamins) nitrogen, phosphorus, and/or Redfield ratios CaCO3 SiO2 iron trace metals other than iron air-sea gas flux transport flux primary production export flux subsurface remineralization sediment fluxes OTHER (please list in comments) NO OPINION Comments: 7. Which GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS deserve priority in future ocean biogeochemistry studies? --------------- Select up to 3 with an X ------------------- North Atlantic South Atlantic North Pacific South Pacific Indian Ocean Antarctic Arctic equatorial Regions high latitude Regions major gyres coastal zones and/or upwelling regions OTHER (please list in comments) NO OPINION Comments: 8. Which OCEAN REALM deserves priority in future ocean biogeochemical studies? --------------- Select 1 with an X ------------------------- euphotic zone mesopelagic deepwater sediments OTHER (please list in comments) NO OPINION Comments: 9. What are the most pressing UNCERTAINTIES in ocean biogeochemistry? --------------- Select up to 3 with an X ------------------- physical/ecosystem sensitivity to climate change community structure, competition grazing, predatory-prey interactions, other food web dynamics role of phytoplankton functional groups role of microbial processes controls on variability in elemental ratios multi-nutrient limitation and nutrient dynamics bioavailability of iron controls on air-sea gas exchange mechanisms of nitrogen fixation decoupling between primary production and export production controls on DOC-POC partitioning controls on CaCO3 cycle controls on SiO2 cycle particle formation and transport role of mineral ballasting controls on twilight zone remineralization role of the Southern Ocean role of ocean margins estimating fluxes from satellite data incorporation of new data types into models (biomolecular, satellites) overcoming large-scale data constraints (pCO2, iron, nutrients) level of complexity necessary in ocean biogeochemical modeling parameterizing fluxes within models representation of biogeochemical tracers in physical models OTHER (please list in comments) NO OPINION Comments: ADDITIONAL COMMENTS (on your experiences/thoughts on the SMP): DO YOU WISH YOUR NAME TO BE WITHHELD FROM THE SURVEY? Note that your response will be sent by email to Joanie Kleypas, but your responses will not be revealed to anyone unless you explicitly provide permission to do so. --------------- Select 1 with an X ------------------------- YES NO Thank you VERY MUCH for your response, please email to kleypas@ucar.edu