40 likes | 44 Views
Hg Modeling Options. RMP CFWG September 14, 2007. RMP Mercury Management Questions. Where is mercury entering the food web? Which sources, processes, and pathways contribute disproportionately to food web accumulation?
E N D
Hg Modeling Options RMP CFWG September 14, 2007
RMP Mercury Management Questions • Where is mercury entering the food web? • Which sources, processes, and pathways contribute disproportionately to food web accumulation? • Can we do anything about these high-leverage processes, sources, and pathways? • What effects can be expected from management actions? • Will total mercury reductions result in reduced food web accumulation?
Conceptual Model • CEP Hg CM • Break out MeHg alone? • Simple 1 box budget to ID and track largest data gaps • Test uncertainties and importance of particular sources/factors • First step in prioritizing future work
Quantitative Mechanistic Models • Typical box models • track transport in/out relatively well • In situ process more crudely (temporally/spatially) • Possible for total Hg, but useful? • Total Hg <> bio Hg • Current multibox may already stretch limits of spatially explicit inputs • Not possible for MeHg? • Might work on very large temporal/spatial scale with gross/average assumptions • “Mechanistic” likely needs C/N/S tracking on top of Hg balance and de/methylation kinetics