Abstract
Small estuaries often remain neglected while characterizing air-water CO2 flux dynamics. This study reports the seasonal, spatial, and multi-annual variability of carbon biogeochemistry, emphasizing air-water CO2 flux from a small tropical mangrove-dominated estuary (Dhamra Estuary) of the Bay of Bengal, based on the 9-year-long sampling survey (2013 to 2021). The sampling covered twelve pre-fixed locations of this estuary. A suite of biogeochemical parameters was kept within the purview of this study to deliniate the interrelationship between CO2 fluxes and potential factors that can regulate/govern pCO2(aq) dynamics. Air water CO2 exchange rates were calculated using five globally accepted empirical gas transfer velocity equations and varied in a range of - 832.5 to 7904 μmol m-2 h-1. The estuary was a sink for CO2 in monsoon season, having the highest average flux rates of - 380.9 ± 125.5 μmol m-2 h-1, whereas a source in pre-monsoon (38.29 ± 913.1 μmol m-2 h-1) and post-monsoon (91.81 ± 1009.8 μmol m-2 h-1). The significant factors governing pCO2 were pH, salinity, total alkalinity and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). This long-term seasonal study emphasizes the need to include small regional estuaries for more accurate estimates of global CO2 flux to upscale the global carbon budget and its controlling mechanism.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call