Impact of phytoplankton, CDOM, and suspended sediments on the vertical attenuation of light, changing heat content and circulation on a continental shelf: A modelling study of the Great Barrier Reef

Abstract

Solar radiation propagating through the water column is scattered and absorbed by optically active constituents in the ocean, in particular phytoplankton, coloured-dissolved organic matter (CDOM), suspended inorganic particulate matter (SPIM) and detritus. These wavelength-dependent processes affect the vertical distribution of heating in the water column and its stratification. The continental shelf north-east of Australia, containing the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), is characterised by highly seasonal and intermittent freshwater inputs leading to large sediment and nutrient discharges that strongly impact the water optical properties. While this complex mixture of optically active constituents is known to affect water clarity and the euphotic zone depth in the river plumes, its impact on the ocean circulation and thermal balance is still unclear at the scale of the GBR. In this study, we use a hydrodynamic-optical-biogeochemical ocean model to investigate the feedback between heat absorption by phytoplankton, CDOM and suspended sediments and ocean dynamics in the GBR region. The results show that the attenuation of the vertical heat flux due to phytoplankton, CDOM and SPIM concentrations is stronger on the continental shelf and dominated by the absorption and scattering from suspended sediments. The presence of absorbing constituents in the water column drives a temperature increase at the surface and a decrease below the mixed layer with stronger stratification and greater heat losses to the atmosphere. Inshore, the ocean heat content increases by up to 1% due to optically active constituents. Offshore, absorption by optically active constituents near the surface is compensated by less absorption underneath the mixed layer resulting in a decrease in the ocean heat content of the top 500 m. We find that considering a spatially- and temporally-variable vertical attenuation of heat due to multiple optically-active components improves hydrodynamic model skill. This study highlights the importance of the impact of water clarity and its spatial variability on hydrodynamic processes.