We developed a new global model to predict biogeochemical cycling of mercury in the ocean. We describe and evaluate the model, and discuss mercury levels, distribution, and budgets based on a simulation with a total time span of 260 years. The model is based on a fully coupled atmosphere-ocean chemical transport model, and considers methylated mercury production in the water column, followed by biotransfer to lower-order marine organisms including spatial and temporal variations in partitioning properties. Model validation shows that we can simulate total dissolved mercury (Hg^T) concentrations in the surface ocean with model data differences at a maximum of one order of magnitude. The simulated oceanic Hg^T content is currently (2010) 1.6–16.9 times larger than previously modeled estimates. The estimated overall turnover time of oceanic Hg^T determined by our model is 320 years, which is shorter than suggested by previous modeling studies.

我们开发了一种新的全球模型来预测海洋中汞的生物地球化学循环。我们描述和评估模型，并基于总时间跨度为260年的模拟讨论汞含量，分布和预算。该模型基于完全耦合的大气-海洋化学迁移模型，并考虑了水柱中甲基化汞的产生，然后生物转移至低级海洋生物，包括分配特性的时空变化。模型验证表明，我们可以利用最大不超过一个数量级的模型数据差异来模拟海洋中的总溶解汞（Hg ^T）浓度。模拟海洋汞^T当前（2010年）的内容比以前建模的估计值大1.6–16.9倍。由我们的模型确定的估计的海洋Hg ^T的总周转时间为320年，比以前的模型研究所建议的要短。