Space-temporal variability of chlorophyll-a concentration and sea surface temperature estimated from satellite in the Brazilian Southeast Continental Margin / Variabilidade espaço-temporal da concentração de clorofila-a e temperatura da superfície do mar estimadas por satélite na Margem Continental Sudeste Brasileira

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2008

RESUMO

The objective of this work was to analyze the space-temporal variability of the chlorophyll-a concentration (Chl) and the sea surface temperature (SST) in the Brazilian Southeast Continental Margin (BSCM), between jan/1998 and dec/2006. Images from SeaWiFS e AVHRR were used for the extraction of the Chl and SST data respectively. Besides, Southeast Oscillation Index (SOI) time series for the same period were used. Weekly temporal series (average of 8 days) of Chl and SST were generated at fifth points located on the 100, 500 and 1000 m isobaths, in front of Cabo de São Tomé, Cabo Frio, Ubatuba, Cananéia and Cabo de Santa Marta. The methodology applied was based on temporal series analysis through wavelet transform (WT) and cross correlation. Furthermore, Hovmoller diagrams (space-time) and maps of averages and anomalies of Chl and SST for summer and winter seasons were generated. Summarizing, the annual cycle was the strongest signal observed in the parameters series on the study points. WT analysis of Chl and SST normalized anomalies showed that the main period of interannual variability were 2,4 years in accordance with previous studies of SOI time series, suggesting a possible correlation with the El Niño- Southern Oscillation (ENSO) event. Results indicate that in northern part of the study area the annual SST cycle is dominated by the seasonal progression of the surface heat flux balance. In the southern part and during the winter time, the SST seems to change as a joint effect of surface vertical heat flux balance and horizontal advection of cold waters, implicating that the SST difference between the south and north parts during the winter reached ~5 oC. As a consequence of the occurrence of the Chl maximum values on the wintertime, the correlation between the temporal series of SST and Chl were negative. While in the southern part of the domain variations of Chl and SST are in antiphase at lag zero, in the northern part the variations of these two parameters occur at lags as large as 24 days. This indicates that the processes linking SST to Chl in the south are different from the north. In the south, Chl increasing seems to be dominated by lateral wintertime intrusion of cold and rich subantarctic waters with a nutrient load. In the north, on top of the wintertime seasonal maximum of Chl there is a superposition of spring and summertime Chl peaks clearly associated with wind forced coastal upwelling, besides it is possible that shelf break upwelling induced by Brazil Current (BC) eddies contribute to the phytoplankton growth mainly in the mid to outer shelf.

ASSUNTO(S)

temperatura da superfície do mar remote sensors brazilian southeast continental margin variabilidade margem continental sudeste brasileira sensores remotos sea surface temperature concentração de clorofila-a chlorophull-a concentration space temporal variability

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