Variation in SCM Supply Effects as Reflected by Coupling Relationship with Pycnocline

The subsurface chlorophyll maximum (SCM) is widely observed in the ocean and is often associated with phytoplankton biomass, where aggregated phytoplankton leads to increased chlorophyll concentrations in the water column. Pycnocline facilitates biomass accumulation by trapping nutrients and providing favorable physical conditions. However, comprehensive studies remain lacking regarding the coupling mechanism between pycnocline and SCM and the extent to which this relationship affects SCM dynamics through biomass accumulation. To investigate the seasonal coupling between the pycnocline and SCM, we established a linear regression model and quantified their relationship using a coupling coefficient, which describes the seasonal transition of SCM in terms of biomass accumulation. The results were validated using BGC-Argo data. Our findings reveal that SCM and the pycnocline consistently exhibit periodic coupling patterns within seasonal cycles, and in the Indian Ocean and the northwestern Pacific, SCM is predominantly biomass-driven during seasons with strong pycnocline coupling (the coupling coefficient ranges between 0.5 and 0.7). In contrast, this coupling weakens significantly in oligotrophic regions (the coupling coefficient remained below 0.3 in more than half of the months studied), where SCM no longer exhibits a clear overlap with peaks in particulate backscattering (BBP).