Improving coastal ocean pH estimates through assimilation of glider observations and hybrid statistical methods

Mattern, Jann Paul; Takeshita, Yuichiro; Rocha, Carlos; Edwards, Christopher A.

doi:10.5194/bg-23-2621-2026

Articles | Volume 23, issue 8

https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-2621-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-2621-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 23, issue 8

Research article

|

20 Apr 2026

Research article |

| 20 Apr 2026

Improving coastal ocean pH estimates through assimilation of glider observations and hybrid statistical methods

Jann Paul Mattern, Yuichiro Takeshita, Carlos Rocha, and Christopher A. Edwards

Data sets

Ifremer Global Ocean - Sea Surface Temperature Multi-sensor L3 Observations replaced by the ODYSSEA Global Ocean - Sea Surface Temperature Multi-sensor L3 Observations E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information (CMEMS) https://doi.org/10.48670/moi-00164

Global Ocean Gridded L 4 Sea Surface Heights And Derived Variables Reprocessed, Marine Data Store (MDS) E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information (CMEMS) https://doi.org/10.48670/moi-00148

Short summary

We improve coastal ocean carbonate system estimates by assimilating glider pH and alkalinity data into a regional biogeochemical model. Joint assimilation with physical observations successfully improves pH estimates while maintaining physical estimates. A hybrid approach combining dynamical models with statistical methods produces accurate pH estimates without requiring biogeochemical models, offering an alternative solution for ocean acidification monitoring.