Some chemical aspects of the marine environment off the Amazon and Pará rivers, Brazil

Magliocca, Argeo

doi:10.1590/S0373-55241971000100005

Abstracts

This paper describes the salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen and inorganic phosphate distributions for the Brazil northern coast, with special reference to the marine environment off the Amazon and Pará rivers. The change in direction of the coast with the consequent change in the axis of the Guiana Current together with the large amount of suspended matter contributed by river waters, create peculiar conditions on the continental shelf. These conditions are also influenced by the wind and rain system. Out from the continental shelf Tropical Atlantic oceanic conditions are prevalent. In contrast to the very low fertility of the Guiana Current the coastal waters, directly influenced by the rivers, show a supersatu ration of dissolved oxygen. The nutrients absorbed by suspended matter are partly liberated when the rivers mix with the oceanic water. However, the low light penetration restricts the oxygen production to only few meters.

1 - A penetração da água doce dos rios Amazonas e Pará, extende-se na direção NE atingindo a borda da plataforma continental, onde são retidas pela corrente da - Guiana tomando a direção dessa corrente, isto é, NW. 2 - A temperatura das águas menos salinas (<35‰) esta entre 27ºC - 27,5ºC, inferior à temperatura da massa d'água originária da costa nordeste do Brasil (>27,5ºC). 3 - Os altos valores de oxigênio dissolvido (5,23 ml/l) são encontrados próximos à costa em águas com 15‰ de salinidade e 27,4ºC de temperatura, nos primeiros 5 m. Os valôres de oxigênio dissolvido decrescem na medida em que as águas dos rios se misturam com as águas oceânicas. 4 - A água dos rios Amazonas e Pará transportam grandes quantidades de matéria em suspensão pronta a fornecer fósforo ao atingir o estuário. Pela sedimentação e consequente redução de turbidês, o fosfato liberado é prontamente consumido. 5 - Além da plataforma continental e fora da influência dos rios as condições prevalecentes são as mesmas para o Atlântico Equatorial.

Some chemical aspects of the marine environment off the Amazon and Pará rivers, Brazil

Argeo Magliocca

Instituto Oceanográfico da Universidade de São Paulo

SYNOPSIS

This paper describes the salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen and inorganic phosphate distributions for the Brazil northern coast, with special reference to the marine environment off the Amazon and Pará rivers.

The change in direction of the coast with the consequent change in the axis of the Guiana Current together with the large amount of suspended matter contributed by river waters, create peculiar conditions on the continental shelf. These conditions are also influenced by the wind and rain system. Out from the continental shelf Tropical Atlantic oceanic conditions are prevalent.

In contrast to the very low fertility of the Guiana Current the coastal waters, directly influenced by the rivers, show a supersatu ration of dissolved oxygen. The nutrients absorbed by suspended matter are partly liberated when the rivers mix with the oceanic water. However, the low light penetration restricts the oxygen production to only few meters.

RESUMO

1 - A penetração da água doce dos rios Amazonas e Pará, extende-se na direção NE atingindo a borda da plataforma continental, onde são retidas pela corrente da - Guiana tomando a direção dessa corrente, isto é, NW.

2 - A temperatura das águas menos salinas (<35) esta entre 27ºC - 27,5ºC, inferior à temperatura da massa d'água originária da costa nordeste do Brasil (>27,5ºC).

3 - Os altos valores de oxigênio dissolvido (5,23 ml/l) são encontrados próximos à costa em águas com 15 de salinidade e 27,4ºC de temperatura, nos primeiros 5 m. Os valôres de oxigênio dissolvido decrescem na medida em que as águas dos rios se misturam com as águas oceânicas.

4 - A água dos rios Amazonas e Pará transportam grandes quantidades de matéria em suspensão pronta a fornecer fósforo ao atingir o estuário. Pela sedimentação e consequente redução de turbidês, o fosfato liberado é prontamente consumido.

5 - Além da plataforma continental e fora da influência dos rios as condições prevalecentes são as mesmas para o Atlântico Equatorial.

Full text available only in PDF format.

Texto completo disponível apenas em PDF.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The author wishes to acknowledge Mr. Norman J. Rock for his critical reading and kind revision.

(Received 3/20/1971)

ARMSTRONG, F. A. J. 1965. Phosphorus. In: RILEY, J.P. & SKIRROW, G., ed. Chemical oceanography. London, Acad. Press, vol. 1, p. 323-364.
GESSNER, F. 1962. Observações sobre o regime do fosfato no rio Amazonas. Bolm Mus. para. "Emilio Goeldi, nş 1, p. 74-83.
LUEDEMANN, E. F. 1967. Preliminary results of drift-bottle releases and recoveries in the western Tropical Atlantic. Bolm Inst. oceanogr., vol. 16, p. 13-22.
NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC DATA CENTER. 1964. Data report, EQUALANT I. Washington, Department of Commerce, Coast and Geodetic Survey, 2 vol. (Publ. G-3, NODC general series).
MURANO, M. 1963. Survey report of the Brazilian fishing grounds. Japan, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Fishing Agency, p. 351-364. (In Japanese).
NEWMANN, G. & PIERSON, W. J. 1966. Principles of physical oceanography. New Jersey, Prentice Hall, xii + 545 p.
RICHARDS, F. A. & CORWIN, N. 1956. Some oceanographic applications of recent determinations of the solubility of oxygen in sea water. Coll. Repr. Woods Hole oceanogr. Instn, Contr. nş 852.
SEIWELL, H. R. 1937. The minimum oxygen concentration in the western basin of the North Atlantic. Pap. phy.Oceanogr. Met., vol. 5, nş 3, 24p.
SILVA, P. de C. M. da 1958-59. Reconhecimento oceanográfico do estuário do Amazonas. Anais hidrogr., vol. 17, p. 53-82.
SVERDRUP, H.V., JOHNSON, W. & FLEMING, R. H. 1942. The oceans: their physics, chemistry and general biology. New Jersey, Prentice-Hall, 1087p.
TEIXEIRA, C. & TUNDISI, J. 1967. Primary production and phytoplankton in equatorial waters. Bull. mar. Sc., vol. 17, nş 4, p. 884-891.
TRUESDALE, G. A. & GAMESON, A. L. H. 1957. The solubility of oxygen in saline water. J. Cons, perm. int. Explor. Mer, vol. 22, nş 2, p. 163-166.
WATTENBERG, H. 1938. Die Verteilung des Sauerstoffs und des Phosphats im Atlantis-chen Ozean. Wiss. Ergebn. dt. atlant. Exped. "Meteor", 1925 - 27, vol. 9.

Publication Dates

Publication in this collection
12 June 2012
Date of issue
1971

History

Received
20 Mar 1971

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

[1] ARMSTRONG, F. A. J. 1965. Phosphorus. In: RILEY, J.P. & SKIRROW, G., ed. Chemical oceanography. London, Acad. Press, vol. 1, p. 323-364.

[2] GESSNER, F. 1962. Observações sobre o regime do fosfato no rio Amazonas. Bolm Mus. para. "Emilio Goeldi, nş 1, p. 74-83.

[3] LUEDEMANN, E. F. 1967. Preliminary results of drift-bottle releases and recoveries in the western Tropical Atlantic. Bolm Inst. oceanogr., vol. 16, p. 13-22.

[4] NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC DATA CENTER. 1964. Data report, EQUALANT I. Washington, Department of Commerce, Coast and Geodetic Survey, 2 vol. (Publ. G-3, NODC general series).

[5] MURANO, M. 1963. Survey report of the Brazilian fishing grounds. Japan, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Fishing Agency, p. 351-364. (In Japanese).

[6] NEWMANN, G. & PIERSON, W. J. 1966. Principles of physical oceanography. New Jersey, Prentice Hall, xii + 545 p.

[7] RICHARDS, F. A. & CORWIN, N. 1956. Some oceanographic applications of recent determinations of the solubility of oxygen in sea water. Coll. Repr. Woods Hole oceanogr. Instn, Contr. nş 852.

[8] SEIWELL, H. R. 1937. The minimum oxygen concentration in the western basin of the North Atlantic. Pap. phy.Oceanogr. Met., vol. 5, nş 3, 24p.

[9] SILVA, P. de C. M. da 1958-59. Reconhecimento oceanográfico do estuário do Amazonas. Anais hidrogr., vol. 17, p. 53-82.

[10] SVERDRUP, H.V., JOHNSON, W. & FLEMING, R. H. 1942. The oceans: their physics, chemistry and general biology. New Jersey, Prentice-Hall, 1087p.

[11] TEIXEIRA, C. & TUNDISI, J. 1967. Primary production and phytoplankton in equatorial waters. Bull. mar. Sc., vol. 17, nş 4, p. 884-891.

[12] TRUESDALE, G. A. & GAMESON, A. L. H. 1957. The solubility of oxygen in saline water. J. Cons, perm. int. Explor. Mer, vol. 22, nş 2, p. 163-166.

[13] WATTENBERG, H. 1938. Die Verteilung des Sauerstoffs und des Phosphats im Atlantis-chen Ozean. Wiss. Ergebn. dt. atlant. Exped. "Meteor", 1925 - 27, vol. 9.