The oceans play a fundamental role in the global carbon cycle, providing a sink for atmospheric carbon. Key to this role is the vertical transport of organic carbon from the surface to the deep ocean. This transport is a product of a diverse range of physical and biogeochemical processes that determine the formation and fate of this material, and in particular how much carbon is sequestered in the deep ocean. Models can be used to both diagnose biogeochemical processes and predict how the various processes will change in the future. Global biogeochemical models use simplified representations of food webs and processes but are converging on values for the export of organic carbon from the surface ocean. Other models concentrate on understanding specific processes and can be used to develop parameterizations for global models. Model development is continuing by adding representations and parameterizations of higher trophic levels and mesopelagic processes, and these are expected to improve model performance.

中文翻译：

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模拟全球海洋中有机碳的垂直通量

海洋在全球碳循环中发挥着重要作用，为大气碳提供了汇。这一作用的关键是有机碳从表面到深海的垂直运输。这种运输是多种物理和生物地球化学过程的产物，这些过程决定了这种材料的形成和命运，特别是在深海中封存了多少碳。模型既可用于诊断生物地球化学过程，又可预测各种过程未来将如何变化。全球生物地球化学模型使用食物网和过程的简化表示，但正在趋同于从表层海洋出口有机碳的值。其他模型专注于理解特定过程，可用于开发全局模型的参数化。模型开发正在继续，添加更高营养级和中层过程的表示和参数化，预计这些将提高模型性能。