Traceability of performance between two ocean biogeochemistry models of differing complexity

A diverse range of candidate ocean biogeochemistry models exists for addressing scientific questions of societal importance in an Earth system context. Limitations imposed by computer resources favour the use of simpler models. However, there are recognized benefits of supporting different levels of complexity, not least because the appropriate level of complexity for a given application is an open research question. An important aim is to ensure that when simplifications are made there is a traceable link between models so that the implications are understood. A pilot study in traceability of model performance is presented in which the ability of a simple surrogate model, based on HadOCC, to emulate the behaviour of the intermediate complexity MEDUSA model is investigated. Adjustable HadOCC parameter values are optimized to fit MEDUSA output for an array of sites representing a range of oceanic conditions.