Variabilidade da fugacidade do CO2 (FCO2) na interface Oceano-atmosfera no Atlântico Equatorial

Abstract

The variability of the fugacity of CO2 (fCO2) was examined spatially and temporally by underway measurements in the continental shelf and in the open ocean. Two oceanographic cruises, Corenav III (aproximately 38,5°O-35,5°O), carried out in october 2012 and, Cruzeiro do Sul (aproximately 43°O-37°O), carried out in september 2014 and, in the open ocean (7°S-1°S) during several voyages of ships of opportunity from 2008 e 2012. Besides the fugacity of CO2, sea surface temperature and salinity data were collected for the merchant ships. For the oceanographic cruises, surface data were collected for the following parameters: dissolved oxygen, total alkalinity, total inorganic carbono, chlorophyll a, nutrients, temperature and salinity. The seasonal and interannual variability in the equatorial region was evaluated (1°S-7°S) for 2008 to 2012. The thermodynamic fators exerted major control in the fCO2 varialibity in this area. The data collected during the coastal oceanographic cruises also showed a strong control of the physical and chemical parameters instead of the biological factors, since the nutrients and chlorophyll a analysis confirmed the satellite data which show a high oligotrophic condition in the study area. Probably, the biological activities have very little impact in the fCO2 variability in this part of the Equatorial Atlantic. The coastal region showed more spatial variability then the open ocean, whereas there is a great temporal variability ocurring in the open ocean. The fCO2 seams to be more controlled by the salinity variations in the open ocean and by the temperature variations in the coastal region. This study presented the first results for fCO2 for the continental shelf off Ceará, with the efforts to build, in Brazil, an equipment for underway CO2 measurements in the air-sea interface and with the organization of oceanographic cruises in order to better underestand the fCO2 variability in this region and finally get to develop a relation between the fCO2 and its controlling factors.