Identification

Title

Evaluating soil biogeochemistry parameterizations in Earth system models with observations

Abstract

Soils contain large reservoirs of terrestrial carbon (C), yet soil C dynamics simulated in Earth systems models show little agreement with each other or with observational data sets. This uncertainty underscores the need to develop a framework to more thoroughly evaluate model parameterizations, structures, and projections. Toward this end we used an analytical solution to calculate approximate equilibrium soil C pools for the Community Land Model version 4 (CLM4cn) and Daily Century (DAYCENT) soil biogeochemistry models. Neither model generated sufficient soil C pools when forced with litterfall inputs from CLM4cn; however, global totals and spatial correlations of soil C pools for both models improved when calculated with litterfall inputs derived from observational data. DAYCENT required additional modifications to simulate soil C pools in deeper soils (0-100 cm). Our best simulations produced global soil C pools totaling 746 and 978 Pg C for CLM4cn and DAYCENT parameterizations, respectively, compared to observational estimates of 1259 Pg C. In spite of their differences in complexity and equilibrium soil C pools, predictions of soil C losses with warming temperatures through 2100 were strikingly similar for both models. Ultimately, CLM4cn and DAYCENT come from the same class of models that represent the turnover of soil C as a first-order decay process. While this approach may have utility in calculating steady state soil C pools, the applicability of this model configuration in transient simulations remains poorly evaluated.

Resource type

document

Resource locator

Unique resource identifier

code

http://n2t.net/ark:/85065/d77p90b3

codeSpace

Dataset language

eng

Spatial reference system

code identifying the spatial reference system

Classification of spatial data and services

Topic category

geoscientificInformation

Keywords

Keyword set

keyword value

Text

originating controlled vocabulary

title

Resource Type

reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

Geographic location

West bounding longitude

East bounding longitude

North bounding latitude

South bounding latitude

Temporal reference

Temporal extent

Begin position

End position

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2014-03-01T00:00:00Z

Frequency of update

Quality and validity

Lineage

Conformity

Data format

name of format

version of format

Constraints related to access and use

Constraint set

Use constraints

Limitations on public access

None

Responsible organisations

Responsible party

contact position

OpenSky Support

organisation name

UCAR/NCAR - Library

full postal address

PO Box 3000

Boulder

80307-3000

email address

opensky@ucar.edu

web address

http://opensky.ucar.edu/

name: homepage

responsible party role

pointOfContact

Metadata on metadata

Metadata point of contact