Articles | Volume 21, issue 6
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-2873-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-2873-2025
Research article
 | 
11 Nov 2025
Research article |  | 11 Nov 2025

Impact of internal tides on chlorophyll a distribution and primary production off the Amazon shelf from glider measurements and satellite observations

Amine M'hamdi, Ariane Koch-Larrouy, Alex Costa da Silva, Isabelle Dadou, Carina Regina de Macedo, Anthony Bosse, Vincent Vantrepotte, Habib Micaël Aguedjou, Trung-Kien Tran, Pierre Testor, Laurent Mortier, Arnaud Bertrand, Pedro Augusto Mendes de Castro Melo, James Lee, Marcelo Rollnic, and Moacyr Araujo

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This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Biogeosciences (BG).
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Cited articles

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Assene, F., Koch-Larrouy, A., Dadou, I., Tchilibou, M., Morvan, G., Chanut, J., Costa da Silva, A., Vantrepotte, V., Allain, D., and Tran, T.-K.: Internal tides off the Amazon shelf – Part 1: The importance of the structuring of ocean temperature during two contrasted seasons, Ocean Sci., 20, 43–67, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-20-43-2024, 2024. 
Bai, X., Lamb, K. G., and da Silva, J. C. B.: Small-scale topographic effects on the generation of alongshelf propagating internal solitary waves on the Amazon Shelf, Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 126, e2021JC017252. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JC017252, 2021. 
Baines, P. G.: On internal tide generation models, Deep-Sea Res. Part A, Oceanogr. Res. Pap., 29, 307–338, https://doi.org/10.1016/0198-0149(82)90098-X, 1982. 
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Short summary
In the ocean off the Amazon shelf, internal waves caused by tides move water layers up and down and mix them. Using an underwater glider and satellites, we found internal tides redistribute chlorophyll from the deep chlorophyll maximum upward to the surface and downward to depth. Turbulent chlorophyll fluxes supply about 38 % of surface chlorophyll, and total chlorophyll increases by 14–29 % during strong tides, potentially affecting the marine food web.
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