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Composition and Flux of Dissolved and Particulate Carbon and Nitrogen in the Lower Tocantins River

Journal Article · · Journal of Geophysical Research. Biogeosciences
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/2022jg006846· OSTI ID:1995962
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [6];  [2]
  1. Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia, Belém (Brazil)
  2. Univ. of Sao Paulo (Brazil)
  3. Secretaria Estadual de Meio Ambiente, Belém (Brazil)
  4. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States). School of Oceanography
  5. Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Belém (Brazil)
  6. Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States). School of Oceanography
+ Show Author Affiliations
The Tocantins River contributes ~5 % of the total flux of water to the Amazon River plume in the Atlantic Ocean. Here, we evaluate monthly variability in the composition and abundance of carbon, nitrogen, and suspended sediment in the lower reaches of the Tocantins River from 2014-2016. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations generally increased during periods of high discharge and are ~1.5 times lower than average concentrations at the mouth of the Amazon River. Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) similarly increased during periods of high discharge. Total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) and individual nitrogen species followed a similar temporal pattern, increasing during high water. $$\text{NO}^-_3$$ predominated the dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) pool, followed by $$\text{NH}_4^+$$, and $$\text{NO}_2^-$$ , characteristic of environments with a relatively low anthropogenic impact. Dissolved fractions represented 92 % of the total carbon exported and 78 % of the total nitrogen exported. The suspended particulate sediment flux was 2.72 x 106 t yr-1 , with fine suspended sediment (FSS) dominating (71.3 %). Concentrations of carbon relative to nitrogen indicate a primarily terrigenous source of organic matter and CO2 derived from in situ respiration of this material during the rainy season and a primarily algal/bacterial source of organic matter during the dry season. Considering past estimates of dissolved carbon and nitrogen fluxes from the Amazon River to the Atlantic Ocean, the Tocantins River contributes 3 and 3.7 % to total fluxes to the Amazon River plume region, respectively. While this contribution is relatively small, it may be influenced by future changes to the basin’s land use and hydrology.
Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); US National Science Foundation; São Paulo Research Foundation
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
1995962
Report Number(s):
PNNL-SA-166500
Journal Information:
Journal of Geophysical Research. Biogeosciences, Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research. Biogeosciences Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 128; ISSN 2169-8953
Publisher:
American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Amazon
aquatic
biogeochemistry
carbon
dissolved organic carbon
hydrobiogeochemistry
inorganic
nitrogen
orgnaic matter
river
terrestrial aquatic interface