Reproducibility of chlorophyll-a concentration in the Japan Sea by three-dimensional lower trophic ecosystem model

Takayama, Katsumi*; Watanabe, Tatsuro*; Kawamura, Hideyuki  

Variation of chlorophyll-a is analyzed with three-dimensional lower trophic ecosystem model in this study. The lower trophic ecosystem model is driven by daily temperature, current velocity, and vertical diffusion coefficient and monthly solar radiation. Satellite data on chlorophyll-a concentration by MODIS/AQUA and chlorophyll-a concentration observed at PM line by Japan Meteorological Agency are used to validate model results. It is found that spatial average of correlation coefficient of chlorophyll-a concentration between model and observation is 0.403 and the correlation coefficient is comparatively low in the southwestern Japan Sea. The lower trophic ecosystem model qualitatively reproduced year-by-year variation of chlorophyll-a concentration as well as seasonal variation.