Seasonal and Spatial Variability of Primary Production in the Mozambique Channel

Avelino Ângelo Adolfo Langa

doi:doi:10.11648/j.wros.20211003.14

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Seasonal and Spatial Variability of Primary Production in the Mozambique Channel

Avelino Ângelo Adolfo Langa

Published in Journal of Water Resources and Ocean Science (Volume 10, Issue 3)

Received: 12 May 2021 Accepted: 16 June 2021 Published: 26 June 2021

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Abstract

The surface circulation in the Mozambique Channel changes from the northern part, where the system is under dominance of the monsoons, to the central and southern parts, where mesoscale eddies are more frequent. Despite these differences in the physics between the three regions, satellite-based primary production shows that the whole region is characterized by similar seasonal variability of primary production, in which winter is the most productive season. A coupled physical-biogeochemical model configuration applied for the Mozambique Channel is used to investigate how wind stress and heat fluxes modulate seasonally and spatially the distribution of new and primary production in the region. Higher new production integrated over the euphotic layer depth in winter accounts for about 50% of the total primary production in the Mozambique Channel, indicating the seasonality of primary production is driven by new nutrients upwelled from bellow the euphotic zone. During the other seasons of the year the depth-integrated primary production is low, which is the period when the system depends on remineralization of the organic matter to sustain phytoplankton growth at the subsurface. Stronger wind stress is the dominant surface forcing in the northern part of the Mozambique Channel, which is responsible for vertical advection and entrainment of nitrate from below the euphotic zone that sustain the primary production during winter, while intense negative net heat flux is the dominant forcing in the central/southern parts. However, it is important to note that mesoscale eddies also enhance primary productivity in the region with a focus on the winter period.

Published in	Journal of Water Resources and Ocean Science (Volume 10, Issue 3)
DOI	10.11648/j.wros.20211003.14
Page(s)	51-57
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Wind Stress, Heat Fluxes, New Production, Primary Production, Mozambique Channel

References

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Avelino Ângelo Adolfo Langa. (2021). Seasonal and Spatial Variability of Primary Production in the Mozambique Channel. Journal of Water Resources and Ocean Science, 10(3), 51-57. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.wros.20211003.14

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Avelino Ângelo Adolfo Langa. Seasonal and Spatial Variability of Primary Production in the Mozambique Channel. J. Water Resour. Ocean Sci. 2021, 10(3), 51-57. doi: 10.11648/j.wros.20211003.14

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AMA Style

Avelino Ângelo Adolfo Langa. Seasonal and Spatial Variability of Primary Production in the Mozambique Channel. J Water Resour Ocean Sci. 2021;10(3):51-57. doi: 10.11648/j.wros.20211003.14

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@article{10.11648/j.wros.20211003.14,
  author = {Avelino Ângelo Adolfo Langa},
  title = {Seasonal and Spatial Variability of Primary Production in the Mozambique Channel},
  journal = {Journal of Water Resources and Ocean Science},
  volume = {10},
  number = {3},
  pages = {51-57},
  doi = {10.11648/j.wros.20211003.14},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.wros.20211003.14},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.wros.20211003.14},
  abstract = {The surface circulation in the Mozambique Channel changes from the northern part, where the system is under dominance of the monsoons, to the central and southern parts, where mesoscale eddies are more frequent. Despite these differences in the physics between the three regions, satellite-based primary production shows that the whole region is characterized by similar seasonal variability of primary production, in which winter is the most productive season. A coupled physical-biogeochemical model configuration applied for the Mozambique Channel is used to investigate how wind stress and heat fluxes modulate seasonally and spatially the distribution of new and primary production in the region. Higher new production integrated over the euphotic layer depth in winter accounts for about 50% of the total primary production in the Mozambique Channel, indicating the seasonality of primary production is driven by new nutrients upwelled from bellow the euphotic zone. During the other seasons of the year the depth-integrated primary production is low, which is the period when the system depends on remineralization of the organic matter to sustain phytoplankton growth at the subsurface. Stronger wind stress is the dominant surface forcing in the northern part of the Mozambique Channel, which is responsible for vertical advection and entrainment of nitrate from below the euphotic zone that sustain the primary production during winter, while intense negative net heat flux is the dominant forcing in the central/southern parts. However, it is important to note that mesoscale eddies also enhance primary productivity in the region with a focus on the winter period.},
 year = {2021}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Seasonal and Spatial Variability of Primary Production in the Mozambique Channel
AU  - Avelino Ângelo Adolfo Langa
Y1  - 2021/06/26
PY  - 2021
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.wros.20211003.14
DO  - 10.11648/j.wros.20211003.14
T2  - Journal of Water Resources and Ocean Science
JF  - Journal of Water Resources and Ocean Science
JO  - Journal of Water Resources and Ocean Science
SP  - 51
EP  - 57
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2328-7993
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.wros.20211003.14
AB  - The surface circulation in the Mozambique Channel changes from the northern part, where the system is under dominance of the monsoons, to the central and southern parts, where mesoscale eddies are more frequent. Despite these differences in the physics between the three regions, satellite-based primary production shows that the whole region is characterized by similar seasonal variability of primary production, in which winter is the most productive season. A coupled physical-biogeochemical model configuration applied for the Mozambique Channel is used to investigate how wind stress and heat fluxes modulate seasonally and spatially the distribution of new and primary production in the region. Higher new production integrated over the euphotic layer depth in winter accounts for about 50% of the total primary production in the Mozambique Channel, indicating the seasonality of primary production is driven by new nutrients upwelled from bellow the euphotic zone. During the other seasons of the year the depth-integrated primary production is low, which is the period when the system depends on remineralization of the organic matter to sustain phytoplankton growth at the subsurface. Stronger wind stress is the dominant surface forcing in the northern part of the Mozambique Channel, which is responsible for vertical advection and entrainment of nitrate from below the euphotic zone that sustain the primary production during winter, while intense negative net heat flux is the dominant forcing in the central/southern parts. However, it is important to note that mesoscale eddies also enhance primary productivity in the region with a focus on the winter period.
VL  - 10
IS  - 3
ER  -

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Avelino Ângelo Adolfo Langa

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APA Style

Avelino Ângelo Adolfo Langa. (2021). Seasonal and Spatial Variability of Primary Production in the Mozambique Channel. Journal of Water Resources and Ocean Science, 10(3), 51-57. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.wros.20211003.14

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ACS Style

Avelino Ângelo Adolfo Langa. Seasonal and Spatial Variability of Primary Production in the Mozambique Channel. J. Water Resour. Ocean Sci. 2021, 10(3), 51-57. doi: 10.11648/j.wros.20211003.14

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AMA Style

Avelino Ângelo Adolfo Langa. Seasonal and Spatial Variability of Primary Production in the Mozambique Channel. J Water Resour Ocean Sci. 2021;10(3):51-57. doi: 10.11648/j.wros.20211003.14

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@article{10.11648/j.wros.20211003.14,
  author = {Avelino Ângelo Adolfo Langa},
  title = {Seasonal and Spatial Variability of Primary Production in the Mozambique Channel},
  journal = {Journal of Water Resources and Ocean Science},
  volume = {10},
  number = {3},
  pages = {51-57},
  doi = {10.11648/j.wros.20211003.14},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.wros.20211003.14},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.wros.20211003.14},
  abstract = {The surface circulation in the Mozambique Channel changes from the northern part, where the system is under dominance of the monsoons, to the central and southern parts, where mesoscale eddies are more frequent. Despite these differences in the physics between the three regions, satellite-based primary production shows that the whole region is characterized by similar seasonal variability of primary production, in which winter is the most productive season. A coupled physical-biogeochemical model configuration applied for the Mozambique Channel is used to investigate how wind stress and heat fluxes modulate seasonally and spatially the distribution of new and primary production in the region. Higher new production integrated over the euphotic layer depth in winter accounts for about 50% of the total primary production in the Mozambique Channel, indicating the seasonality of primary production is driven by new nutrients upwelled from bellow the euphotic zone. During the other seasons of the year the depth-integrated primary production is low, which is the period when the system depends on remineralization of the organic matter to sustain phytoplankton growth at the subsurface. Stronger wind stress is the dominant surface forcing in the northern part of the Mozambique Channel, which is responsible for vertical advection and entrainment of nitrate from below the euphotic zone that sustain the primary production during winter, while intense negative net heat flux is the dominant forcing in the central/southern parts. However, it is important to note that mesoscale eddies also enhance primary productivity in the region with a focus on the winter period.},
 year = {2021}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Seasonal and Spatial Variability of Primary Production in the Mozambique Channel
AU  - Avelino Ângelo Adolfo Langa
Y1  - 2021/06/26
PY  - 2021
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.wros.20211003.14
DO  - 10.11648/j.wros.20211003.14
T2  - Journal of Water Resources and Ocean Science
JF  - Journal of Water Resources and Ocean Science
JO  - Journal of Water Resources and Ocean Science
SP  - 51
EP  - 57
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2328-7993
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.wros.20211003.14
AB  - The surface circulation in the Mozambique Channel changes from the northern part, where the system is under dominance of the monsoons, to the central and southern parts, where mesoscale eddies are more frequent. Despite these differences in the physics between the three regions, satellite-based primary production shows that the whole region is characterized by similar seasonal variability of primary production, in which winter is the most productive season. A coupled physical-biogeochemical model configuration applied for the Mozambique Channel is used to investigate how wind stress and heat fluxes modulate seasonally and spatially the distribution of new and primary production in the region. Higher new production integrated over the euphotic layer depth in winter accounts for about 50% of the total primary production in the Mozambique Channel, indicating the seasonality of primary production is driven by new nutrients upwelled from bellow the euphotic zone. During the other seasons of the year the depth-integrated primary production is low, which is the period when the system depends on remineralization of the organic matter to sustain phytoplankton growth at the subsurface. Stronger wind stress is the dominant surface forcing in the northern part of the Mozambique Channel, which is responsible for vertical advection and entrainment of nitrate from below the euphotic zone that sustain the primary production during winter, while intense negative net heat flux is the dominant forcing in the central/southern parts. However, it is important to note that mesoscale eddies also enhance primary productivity in the region with a focus on the winter period.
VL  - 10
IS  - 3
ER  -

Copy | Download