Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3795
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3795
29 Aug 2025
 | 29 Aug 2025

Simultaneous versus sequential estimation of biogeochemical and physical parameters in coupled marine ecosystem models

Skyler Kern, Mary E. McGuinn, Katherine M. Smith, Nadia Pinardi, Kyle E. Niemeyer, Nicole S. Lovenduski, and Peter E. Hamlington

Abstract. As computational resources have increased in availability and capability, so has the complexity of the models used to represent biogeochemical (BGC) processes in ocean simulations. To effectively calibrate the increasingly large number of uncertain parameters in these models, efficient parameter estimation methods are needed to ensure that the models can accurately represent the BGC processes under investigation. In this study, we address this challenge using a multistage automatic parameter estimation methodology that sequentially applies global sampling and local optimization to calibrate both the BGC model parameters and the parameters associated with the mathematical representation of physical ocean dynamics. We quantitatively compare the accuracy of sequential and simultaneous parameter estimations of moderately complex BGC and physical models at locations corresponding to the Bermuda Atlantic time series and the Hawaii Ocean time series. The results show that the best overall agreement with the observational data is obtained when the BGC and physical model parameters are estimated simultaneously, rather than sequentially. In particular, simultaneous estimation results in significantly improved predictions of oxygen and particulate organic nitrogen. Moreover, the agreement is improved in general when the physical model is included in the estimation, as opposed to calibrating the BGC model alone. This study also serves as a demonstration of a meta-algorithm for performing parameter estimation in high-dimensional models with local optimization approaches.

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Journal article(s) based on this preprint

29 Jun 2026
Simultaneous versus sequential estimation of biogeochemical and physical parameters in coupled marine ecosystem models
Skyler Kern, Mary E. McGuinn, Katherine M. Smith, Nadia Pinardi, Kyle E. Niemeyer, Nicole S. Lovenduski, and Peter E. Hamlington
Geosci. Model Dev., 19, 5601–5622, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-19-5601-2026,https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-19-5601-2026, 2026
Short summary
Skyler Kern, Mary E. McGuinn, Katherine M. Smith, Nadia Pinardi, Kyle E. Niemeyer, Nicole S. Lovenduski, and Peter E. Hamlington

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2025-3795', Anonymous Referee #1, 30 Sep 2025
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Skyler Kern, 05 Jan 2026
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2025-3795', Anonymous Referee #2, 04 Nov 2025
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Skyler Kern, 05 Jan 2026

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2025-3795', Anonymous Referee #1, 30 Sep 2025
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Skyler Kern, 05 Jan 2026
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2025-3795', Anonymous Referee #2, 04 Nov 2025
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Skyler Kern, 05 Jan 2026

Peer review completion

AR – Author's response | RR – Referee report | ED – Editor decision | EF – Editorial file upload
AR by Skyler Kern on behalf of the Authors (05 Jan 2026)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Referee Nomination & Report Request started (21 Jan 2026) by Pearse Buchanan
RR by Anonymous Referee #1 (02 Feb 2026)
ED: Reconsider after major revisions (15 Feb 2026) by Pearse Buchanan
AR by Skyler Kern on behalf of the Authors (19 May 2026)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Publish as is (20 May 2026) by Pearse Buchanan
AR by Skyler Kern on behalf of the Authors (24 May 2026)

Post-review adjustments

AA – Author's adjustment | EA – Editor approval
AA by Skyler Kern on behalf of the Authors (25 Jun 2026)   Author's adjustment   Manuscript
EA: Adjustments approved (25 Jun 2026) by Pearse Buchanan

Journal article(s) based on this preprint

29 Jun 2026
Simultaneous versus sequential estimation of biogeochemical and physical parameters in coupled marine ecosystem models
Skyler Kern, Mary E. McGuinn, Katherine M. Smith, Nadia Pinardi, Kyle E. Niemeyer, Nicole S. Lovenduski, and Peter E. Hamlington
Geosci. Model Dev., 19, 5601–5622, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-19-5601-2026,https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-19-5601-2026, 2026
Short summary
Skyler Kern, Mary E. McGuinn, Katherine M. Smith, Nadia Pinardi, Kyle E. Niemeyer, Nicole S. Lovenduski, and Peter E. Hamlington

Data sets

BFM17+POM1D Optimization Data and Plotting Scripts S. Kern et al. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16696156

Model code and software

skylerjk/BFM17_POM1D: 17 State Variable Biogeochemical Flux Model with the 1D Princeton Ocean Model S. Kern et al. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16702246

skylerjk/BFM17-Opt: Coupling BFM17+POM1D to DAKOTA for Simultaneous Optimization S. Kern et al. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16700702

Skyler Kern, Mary E. McGuinn, Katherine M. Smith, Nadia Pinardi, Kyle E. Niemeyer, Nicole S. Lovenduski, and Peter E. Hamlington

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Short summary
The parameters that control a model's behavior determine its ability to represent a system. In this work, multiple cases test how to estimate the parameters of a model with components corresponding to both the physics and the chemical and biological processes (i.e. the biogeochemistry) of the ocean. While demonstrating how to approach this problem type, the results show estimating both sets of parameters simultaneously is better than estimating the physics then the biogeochemistry separately.
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