Publications des scientifiques de l'IRD

Graco M. I., Purca S., Dewitte Boris, Castro C. G., Moron O., Ledesma J., Flores G., Gutierrez D. (2017). The OMZ and nutrient features as a signature of interannual and low-frequency variability in the Peruvian upwelling system. Biogeosciences, 14 (20), p. 4601-4617. ISSN 1726-4170.

Titre du document
The OMZ and nutrient features as a signature of interannual and low-frequency variability in the Peruvian upwelling system
Année de publication
2017
Type de document
Article référencé dans le Web of Science WOS:000413181600001
Auteurs
Graco M. I., Purca S., Dewitte Boris, Castro C. G., Moron O., Ledesma J., Flores G., Gutierrez D.
Source
Biogeosciences, 2017, 14 (20), p. 4601-4617 ISSN 1726-4170
Over the last decades, the Humboldt Current upwelling ecosystem, particularly the northern component off the coast of Peru, has drawn the interest of the scientific community because of its unique characteristics: it is the upwelling system with the biggest catch productivity despite the fact it is embedded in a shallow and intense oxygen minimum zone (OMZ). It is also an area of intense nitrogen loss and anammox activity and experiences large interannual variability associated with the equatorial remote forcing. In this context, we examined the oceanographic and biogeochemical variability associated with the OMZ off central Peru from a monthly time series (1996-2011) recorded off the coast of Callao (12 degrees 02'S, 77 degrees 29'W). The data reveal a rich spectrum of variability in the OMZ that includes frequencies ranging from seasonal to interannual scales. Due to the efficient oceanic teleconnection off Peru, the observed variability is interpreted in the light of an estimate of the equatorial Kelvin wave contribution to sea level anomalies considering the peculiarities of its vertical structure (i.e., the first two baroclinic modes). The span of the data set allows us to contrast two OMZ regimes. The "strong" regime is associated with the strong 1997-1998 equatorial Pacific El Nino, during which the OMZ adjusted to Kelvin-wave-induced downwelling conditions that switched off the upwelling and drastically reduced nutrient availability. The "weak" regime corresponds to the post-2000 period associated with the occurrence of moderate central Pacific El Nino events and enhanced equatorial Kelvin wave activity, in which mean upwelling conditions are maintained. It is shown that the characteristics of the coupling between physics and biogeochemistry is distinct between the two regimes with the weak regime being associated with a larger explained variance in biogeochemical properties not linearly related to the ENSO oceanic teleconnection. The data also reveal a long-term trend from 1999 corresponding to a deepening of the oxygen-deficient waters and warming. The implications of our results for understanding the OMZ dynamics off Peru are discussed.
Plan de classement
Limnologie physique / Océanographie physique [032] ; Ecologie, systèmes aquatiques [036]
Description Géographique
PEROU ; PACIFIQUE ; HUMBOLDT COURANT ; ZONE EQUATORIALE ; ZONE TROPICALE
Localisation
Fonds IRD [F B010071283]
Identifiant IRD
fdi:010071283
Contact