Physical and chemical aspects of transient stages of the upwelling at southwest of Cabo Frio (Lat. 23ºS - Long. 42ºW)

Abstract

An upwelling event was observed during February 1971 in the coastal region between Cabo Frio and Saquarema Point. Isolated upwelled water observed on a first survey, with a temperature of 17ºC, oxygen concentration of 4.2 ml/liter and inorganic phosphate concentration of 0.6 µg-at/liter, cleanly indicating its subsurface origin, was replaced, after a period of four to seven days, by coastal water with a temperature of 22ºC, oxygen concentration of 5.0 ml/liter and inorganic phosphate concentration of less than 0.3 µg-at,/liter. The evidence indicates that this replacement took place due to an eastward coastal current with a maximum velocity of nearly 5.0 nautical miles per day. The subsurface distribution of the chemical and physical properties indicates that the upwelling occurred mostly in the narrowest portion of the continental shelf.