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Oceanographic Activities of
INCLINE
Edmo Campos Oceanographic Intitute – University of São Paulo Brazil
LABMON - GEOCLIM
Collaborators: Paulo Nobre (INPE/Brazil); Janice Trotte (MCTI/Brazil); Carlos França,
Francisco Vicentini Neto, Luiz Nonnato (IOUSP/Brazil); Leonardo Barreira (IEAPM/Brazil) and
Rick Cole (RDSEA/U.S.)
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Sub-Project: Observations and Numerical Modeling Studies for the
Understanding of Impacts of Climatic Change in the South Atlantic on the
Physics, Biology and Biogeochemistry off Southern and Southeastern
Brazilian Coastal Zone
Scientific Rationale:
The coastal region off Brazil is part of the western limits of the South Atlantic
Subtropical Gyre and, consequently, impacted by the global ocean circulation.
Changes in the large scale circulation resulting from changes in Earth’s climate
have significant impacts on the oceanic region adjacent to the Brazilian shores.
Changes in physical properties result in alterations of the local climate, with
impacts on the hydrological cycle and on the fluvial discharge regimes along the
coastal regions.
Alterations in the coastal hydrodynamics and the upwelling systems impact the
biological pump and the biogeochemical cycles on the continental shelf.
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The South Atlantic
exports heat to the
North Atlantic at a rate
of approximately 1.3
Petawatts (1.3 x 1015 W)
The inter-hemispheric heat and
mass exchange in the Atlantic is
a key element in the global
Meridional Overturning
Circulation (MOC).
The South Atlantic role in Global Climate
Small anomalies in this
process may lead to
abrupt climate changes.
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The Green
Amazon
The Blue Amazon
Regional Relevance
The ocean circulation impacts
directly the entire Brazilian EEZ,
known in Brazil as the the “Blue
Amazon”
Cortesia: A. Piola
Ocean-Atmosphere interactions in
the Tropical and Subtropical South
Atlantic play important role in
regional climate.
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Regional Relevance
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Regional Relevance 2004
Other “Catarinas”?
SST
SSH
0.40
C
0.1
SSS
Catarina, the 1st Hurricane in the
South Atlantic – Mar 2004
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NATURE, vol 497, 9 May 2013
The AMOC is being monitored on three arrays
across the Atlantic:
OSNAP, surface-to-bottom monitoring array
between Canada and Scotland, proposed to US
and British funding agencies.
RAPID-MOCHA, from the Florida to Africa
across 26.5N, which has been in place since
2004
SAMOC, a multinational effort in
the South Atlantic from Brazil to
South Africa, along 34.5oS.
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P, Brandt/Kiel
SAMOC is an International effort to create and maintain a
climate observing system in the South Atlantic
Participants:
• Brazil
• Argentina
• South Africa
• United States
• France
• Germany
• Russia
• England
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The Brazilian Component of the SAMOC Program
Together with institutions in Argentina and the Unites States,
since 2011 Brazil is contributing to SAMOC, by setting up a
monitoring system in the western end of the SAMBA line
Funding: US$ 1,430,000.00
Principal Investigator: Edmo Campos
Eastern end
of the array
is being
monitored by
South Africa
and France.
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Two other programs, the Atlas-B and MOVAR
complements SAMOC and PIRATA
Movar
Atlas-B
SAMOC Basin-wide Array (SAMBA)
Activities supported by
Brazilian Navy ships
and the University of
Sao Paulo’s R/V
Alpha-Crucis
N/Oc Alpha-Crucis
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The Atlas-B A Brazilian-made Atlas Buoy
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The Atlas-B is monitoring the region where occurred the 1st
Hurricane in the South Atlantic: The Catarina (March 2004)
MicroCAT
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Constructing and mooring the
Atlas-B
The “Guariroba” is the 1st deep-
ocean buoy entirely integrated
and moored by a Brazilian team.
Custo total de
duas boias:
R$ 1.3 milhões
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15
Guariroba data will be available
in real-time through the GTS
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The Atlas-B is a Pilot Project of the PIRATA Program
MOVAR
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An article on the technical
aspects of the construction
and mooring of the Atlas-B
Buoy has made the cover of
the September Issue of the
Marine Technology Reporter
The Atlas-B on the
international scenario