Bidos, Brazil: The Amazon River. To determine how La Nia events impact the river's carbon export, researchers examined data from this location. Credit to Chris LinderNew research by Florida State University shows that La Nia can bring unusually warm water and abnormal pressure to the Pacific Ocean. This causes an increase in carbon export from Amazon River.The Amazon River is estimated to export 10% of the world's riverine-dissolved organic carbon into oceans in a typical year. Global Biogeochemical Cycles published the study. It shows that the La Nia 2011-2012 event added 2.77 teragrams (DOC) to the annual outflow from Amazon River. This is equivalent to the amount of Mississippi River dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in a typical year.Martin Kurek (a doctoral student), was the paper's main author.Researchers found that there was a six month delay between the increased rainfall in Amazonian headwaters due to La Nia events and the increase in the DOC export at a sampling station at bidos (Brazil) The increased rainfall associated with the La Nia event resulted in a greater percentage of that DOC coming from terrestrial sources. This highlights the flushing of land materials.The most important intermediary in global carbon cycle is dissolved organic carbon. Because of the importance carbon plays in Earth's life, it is crucial to understand this cycle. The Amazon River's organic matter is an example of this. It provides food for microorganisms and carbon dioxide for the atmosphere. This has implications for the planet’s climate.Global Biogeochemical Cycles also published a companion manuscript that collected baseline measurements of carbon, nutrients, and trace elements. This allows researchers to estimate annual flux and study seasonality in the largest river in the world.Rob Spencer, associate professor at FSU's Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science, samples in the Amazon River, near bidos, Brazil. Credit: Chris LinderThis work is similar to a doctor taking blood samples from a patient to determine their health. Researchers can then identify anomalies such as La Nia that are causing unusual conditions.Rob Spencer, associate professor of biogeochemistry, is head of the laboratory that conducts the research. "We use a similar approach to a doctor but in this instance, our patient's the Amazon River Basin. We are taking water samples and not blood samples." This allows us to evaluate the Amazon's health and see the impacts of human-driven factors like logging, conversion to agriculture, and climate change. Setting a baseline is an important part of understanding this. It is important to understand your patient's health. In this study, we established the baseline and recorded the effects of La Nia events.La Nia and other severe precipitation events are expected to become more common due to climate change. Spencer and his team see this as a reminder of the importance for scientists to continue collecting data in order to better understand what's going on within the Amazon Basin and what it means for the Atlantic Ocean.Spencer stated that "I believe many people are interested how the Earth works" and its changing. One of the most important things to understand about how the planet is changing is the speed at which the Amazon River, the largest river on Earth is changing.The first study was co-authored by researchers from Northeastern University and ETH Zurich. Partially supported by the Harbourton Foundation and National Science Foundation, the work was also partially funded.The baseline measurements study was co-authored by researchers from Harvard University, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Woodwell Climate Research Center. T. W. Drake, a former FSU doctoral student, was the main author.Continue reading Unchecked climate changes will lead to severe drying of Amazon forestsFurther information: Martin R. Kurek et., Drivers of Organic Molecular Signatures In The Amazon River, Global Biogeochemical Cycles (2021). Martin R. Kurek et. al., Drivers of Organic Molecular Signatures In the Amazon River, (2021). DOI: 10.1029/2021GB006938 Travis W. Drake and co., The Pulse Of Amazon: Fluxes Of Dissolved Organic carbon, Nutrients and Ions From Global Biogeochemical cycles (2021). DOI: 10.1029/2020GB006895 Information: Global Biogeochemical Cycles
