The influence of different turbulence schemes on modelling primary production in a 1D coupled physical–biological model

A one-dimensional (1D) coupled physical–microbiological model has been applied to a site in the central North Sea. The impact of the choice of the turbulence closure scheme on the modelling the primary production has been investigated. The model was run with four different parameterisations of vertical mixing of heat, momentum and dissolved and suspended matters, using M2 tidal forcing and the hourly mean meteorological forcing of 1989 to reproduce the annual thermal structure and primary production. The four mixing parameterisations are: Level 2 turbulence closure scheme [Mellor, G.L., Yamada, T., 1974. A hierarchy of turbulence closure models for planetary boundary layers. J. Atmos. Sci. 31, 1791–1806; Mellor, G.L., Yamada, T., 1982. Development of a turbulence closure model for geophysical Fluid problems. Rev. Geophys. Space Phys. 20 (4) 851–875] using an explicit numerical scheme [Sharples, J., Tett, P., 1994. Modelling the effect of physical variability on the midwater chlorophyll maximum. J. Mar. Res. 52, 219–238]; a version of the Level 2.5 turbulence closure scheme [Galperin, B., Kantha, L.H., Hassid, S., Rosati, A., 1988. A quasi-equilibrium turbulent energy model for geophysical flows. J. Atmos. Sci. 45, 55–62; Ruddick, K.G., Deleersnijder, E., Luyten, P.J., Ozer, J., 1995. Haline stratification in the rhine/meuse freshwater plume: a 3D model sensitivity analysis. Cont. Shelf Res. 15 (13) 1597–1630] simplified to use an algebraic mixing length by Sharples and Simpson [Sharples, J., Simpson, J.H., 1995. Semidiurnal and longer period stability cycles in the Liverpool Bay region of freshwater influence. Cont. Shelf Res. 15, 295–313], also solved explicitly; the same simplified L2.5 scheme with an implicit numerical solution and modified vertical discretisation scheme [Annan, J.D., 1999. Numerical methods for the solution of the turbulence energy equations in the shelf seas. Int. J. Numer. Methods Fluids 29, 193–206]; and another version of the same scheme (but using a different algebraic mixing length) as described by Xing and Davies [Xing, J., Davies, A.M., 1996a. Application of turbulence energy models to the computation of tidal currents and mixing intensities in the shelf edge regions. J. Phys. Oceanogr. 26, 417–447; Xing, J., Davies, A.M., 1996b. Application of a range of turbulence models to the computation of tidal currents and mixing intensities in shelf edge regions. Cont. Shelf. Res. 16, 517–547; Xing, J., Davies, A.M., 1998. Application o