The continental shelf of the south-western Atlantic Ocean

MARCOVECCHIO, J.E.; FREIJE, R.H.; DEPETRIS, P.J.

Carbon and Nutrient Fluxes in Continental Margins: A Global Synthesis

Springer

Lugar: Heidelberg; Año: 2010; p. 248 - 265

The continental shelf of the South-Western Atlantic Ocean (SWAO), which includes the area between 33 and 55◦S adjacent to the southeast South American continent (Fig. 5.4.1), is a wide, open shelf highly impacted by two major western boundary currents: the Malvinas (Falkland) Current and the Brazil Curde Oceanograf´ýa) has kindly contributed figures included in this work. Prof. Kon-Kee Liu (Institute of Hydrologic and Oceanic Sciences, National Central University) provided Sea- WiFS images of the SWAO area.◦S adjacent to the southeast South American continent (Fig. 5.4.1), is a wide, open shelf highly impacted by two major western boundary currents: the Malvinas (Falkland) Current and the Brazil Curde Oceanograf´ýa) has kindly contributed figures included in this work. Prof. Kon-Kee Liu (Institute of Hydrologic and Oceanic Sciences, National Central University) provided Sea- WiFS images of the SWAO area.de Oceanograf´ýa) has kindly contributed figures included in this work. Prof. Kon-Kee Liu (Institute of Hydrologic and Oceanic Sciences, National Central University) provided Sea- WiFS images of the SWAO area.Prof. Kon-Kee Liu (Institute of Hydrologic and Oceanic Sciences, National Central University) provided Sea- WiFS images of the SWAO area. rent. Strong winds blowing off the continent are also important in the nearshore region. The SWAO is a very important oceanographic region with significant exchange of materials between ocean and continent passing through coastal and estuarine systems. This continental shelf has an extreme variability not only due to the responsiveness to the passage of weather systems but also because river runoff, the meandering boundary currents and synoptic mesoscale eddies from the open ocean impinge on the continental margin entraining waters from the coastal ocean (Piccolo, 1998). Little is known about the circulation, dynamics, physical and biogeochemical processes, because of the varied time and space scales over which processes occur (Piccolo, 1998). UNCORRECTED PROOF 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 250 J.E. Marcovecchio et al. The goal of this review is to provide an updated knowledge on the nutrient distributions within the SWAO continental shelf, as well as their transport and transformation, and the nutrient input from land sources. The environmental characteristics of the region (e.g. geomorphology, sedimentology, hydrography) are summarized. In addition, a description of the nutrient and chemical environment, as well as data on primary productivity and carbon transfer within the area are included. Finally, the riverine transfer of carbon and nutrients to the S.W.Atlantic is also considered.