SST and Primary Production Variability in the Northwest African Upwelling Area - Relationship to Climate Change

Sea surface temperature (SST) shows large spatial and temporal variability in most of the world’s ocean. In the Northwest African upwelling area SST is directly linked to the physical process of coastal upwelling, and the measurement of SST is therefore often used as an indicator for coastal upwelling. With the use of regular satellite measurements of SST since 1982, this paper show some of the characteristic patterns of coastal upwelling and their variability in time and space. Furthermore, the use of time series analysis of SST at selected stations identifies possible trends and anomalies of SST and their possible relationship to large scale climatic changes The process of coastal upwelling is more than a change in the surface temperature. The nutrients that are brought into the upper layer of the ocean by upwelling give rise to a chain reaction of bio-geochemical processes which are difficult to monitor. One of the most characteristic changes is the modification of the primary production rendering coastal upwelling areas some of the most productive areas of the world’s oceans. Using a suitable model in combination with satellite, oceanographic and meteorological data it is actually possible to produce estimates of primary production. The technique is briefly reviewed, and characteristic patters of primary production are shown and discussed.

NYKJAER Leo;  DJAVIDNIA Samuel;  HOEPFFNER Nicolas; 

2008-01-18

Inter-Islamic Science and Technology Network on Oceanography

JRC35055

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC35055,