Estudo comparativo de parâmetros meteo-oceanográficos sobre Oceano Atlântico Equatorial e a costa da região Nordeste do Brasil

Abstract

The Brazilian Northeast is considered a semi-arid region with low precipitation and humidity rates which leads, as consequence, to very distinct rain and a dry seasons. These characteristics are linked to the dynamic and the thermodynamic patterns of the Atlantic Ocean portion adjacent to Brazil’s northeast coastline. The wind, the air temperature and the precipitation patterns allow us to better understand how the Atlantic Ocean impacts on Brazil’s northeast, since most part of this region’s population live on coastal areas. In order to prove this, in situ data were collected by meteorological and meteo-oceanographic autonomous stations and meteo-oceanographic buoys located along the coast of Brazil’s northeast region (in the cities of Fortaleza, Natal, Joao Pessoa and Recife), and in the adjacent Equatorial Atlantic Ocean, respectively. The time series generated presented periods with different intensities of precipitation, temperature, relative air humidity and wind, according to the stations position and the time of the year. The temperature showed an inverse correlation with the precipitation and a direct correlation with the Sea Surface Temperature (SST). Although the correlation between the anomalies of SSF and the precipitation levels on Brazil’s northeast coast did not present a considerable coefficient of correlation (R2 < 0.5), the level of significance was, overall, considered high (p < 0.05). The management of water resources is an important element to human development, thus studying the variation of precipitation patterns and some of the factors that influence on this variation, such as the Sea Surface Temperature (SST), the wind, and the air temperature, could assist on the decision for public policies to better manage these resources.