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Emission of carbon dioxide from a Tropical Estuarine System, Goa, India
Author(s) -
Sarma V. V. S. S.,
Kumar M. Dileep,
Manerikar M.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2000gl006114
Subject(s) - estuary , carbon dioxide , monsoon , environmental science , oceanography , atmosphere (unit) , carbon dioxide in earth's atmosphere , carbonic acid , atmospheric sciences , dissolved organic carbon , environmental chemistry , hydrology (agriculture) , chemistry , geology , ecology , biology , geography , meteorology , geotechnical engineering
Carbon dioxide species were studied in Mandovi‐Zuari system, a tropical estuarine complex influenced by strong monsoonal run‐off, with implications to build up and air‐water exchange of CO 2 . Total carbon dioxide (TCO 2 ) behaved conservatively during the estuarine mixing. Partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO 2 ), evaluated from TCO 2 and pH couple, and carbonic acid dissociation constants, exhibited supersaturation with respect to atmospheric CO 2 round the year. The pCO 2 attained maximal levels over 2000 µatm in waters of early estuarine mixing. Average pCO 2 in estuarine system were 1045 and 1153 µatm (three times to that in atmosphere) in non‐ southwest (SW) and SW monsoon seasons, respectively. An experimental study revealed that soil‐water interaction could be an important controller of pCO 2 abundance in these estuarine waters. The calculated water‐to‐air average fluxes were 67 and 11 mmol m −2 d −1 , respectively, in SW monsoon due to higher wind speeds and non‐SW monsoons. This study strongly suggests that pH regulation by soil‐water interaction is important, besides biological processes, in river and estuarine systems.