Fluvial Export Variability Of Limiting Nutrient Fluxes To The Indian Ocean From Kelani, Kalu and Gin Rivers Of Sri Lanka
Abstract
Inorganic `reactive' nutrients hold the highest importance in understanding the role of limiting nutrients in the ocean since they facilitate marine biological productivity and carbon sequestration that would eventually pave the way to regulate the biogeochemical climate feedbacks. Significant inorganic fractions are expected to be exported episodically to the ocean from fluvial fluxes though this is poorly understood. Thus, no considerable amounts of published work regarding the fluxes from Sri Lankan freshwater streams have ever been recorded. A study was carried out to quantify the contribution of Kelani, Kalu and Gin Rivers, three major rivers in the wet zone of Sri Lanka, in exporting major limiting nutrient fluxes to the Indian Ocean; to understand the significance of their variability patterns with rainfall and understand differences in their inputs. The study was conducted during the summer monsoonal period from late August to early November at two-three week intervals where water samples were collected for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, orthophosphate, silica, sulfate and iron analysis by Colorimetric Spectroscopy. Discharge and rainfall data were retrieved from the Department of Irrigation and Department of Meteorology, Sri Lanka respectively. According to Two Way ANOVA, none of the individual fluxes showed significant differences (p>0.1) both in their temporal and spatial variability suggesting that studied rivers respond similarly in fluvial transportation owing to the similar rainfall intensities observed during the study period in the wet zone. Linear Regression Analysis indicates that only PO43- (p<0.01), SO42- (p<0.01) and NO2-(p<0.01 for Kelani and Kalu; 0.0.1Key words; nutrients, fluvial, fluxes, Redfield ratios
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2016
- Bibcode:
- 2016AGUFM.H13D1390R
- Keywords:
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- 1630 Impacts of global change;
- GLOBAL CHANGEDE: 1813 Eco-hydrology;
- HYDROLOGYDE: 1834 Human impacts;
- HYDROLOGYDE: 1871 Surface water quality;
- HYDROLOGY