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Influence of Hydrological Regime of an Andean River on Salinity, Temperature and Oxygen in a Patagonia Fjord, Chile

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Influence of Hydrological Regime of an Andean River on Salinity, Temperature and Oxygen in a Patagonia Fjord, Chile New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research ISSN: 0028-8330 (Print) 1175-8805 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tnzm20 Influence of hydrological regime of an Andean river on salinity, temperature and oxygen in a Patagonia fjord, Chile J León-Muñoz, R Marcé & JL Iriarte To cite this article: J León-Muñoz, R Marcé & JL Iriarte (2013) Influence of hydrological regime of an Andean river on salinity, temperature and oxygen in a Patagonia fjord, Chile, New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 47:4, 515-528, DOI: 10.1080/00288330.2013.802700 To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/00288330.2013.802700 Published online: 06 Aug 2013. Submit your article to this journal Article views: 143 View related articles Citing articles: 4 View citing articles Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=tnzm20 Download by: [68.99.108.100] Date: 21 December 2017, At: 08:16 New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2013 Vol. 47, No. 4, 515Á528, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00288330.2013.802700 RESEARCH ARTICLE Influence of hydrological regime of an Andean river on salinity, temperature and oxygen in a Patagonia fjord, Chile J Leo´n-Mun˜oza,b, R Marce´c and JL Iriarted* aDepartamento de Economı´a Ambiental, Ministerio del Medio Ambiente, Santiago, Chile; bFundacio´n Centro de los Bosques Nativos FORECOS, Valdivia, Chile; cCatalan Institute for Water Research, Girona, Spain; dInstituto de Acuicultura, Universidad Austral de Chile, Puerto Montt. Centro de Investigacio´n en Ecosistemas de la Patagonia (CIEP), Coyhaique, Centro COPAS-Sur Austral, Universidad de Concepcio´n, Concepcio´n, Chile (Received 21 November 2012; accepted 16 April 2013) Patagonian fjord ecosystems might experience new scenarios due to climate variability (decreasing annual precipitation and glacier melting) in the short term. Herein, we studied the seasonal variability of the Puelo River regime (North Patagonia, 1944Á2007, mean streamflow: 650 m3/s) and analyses its influence on surface salinity, temperature and dissolved oxygen in the well-stratified Reloncavı´Fjord (41.58S). Our results show a decreasing trend in the Puelo River streamflow since the late 1970s that is frequently associated with regimes lacking a defined interannual pattern. During the study period, years with prolonged periods of low streamflows in autumn and winter were common. On a scale of hydrological years, the influence of the Puelo River on the surface layer of the Reloncavı´Fjord varied strongly in function of both the river’s streamflow level and regimes. Years with markedly mixed regimes (rainfall/snowmelt), high autumn and spring streamflows (Q1000 m3/s) resulted in significantly cooler, fresher conditions in the fjord. These temporal patterns, in turn, determined high, constant saturations (100%) and concentrations (10 mg/l) of surface dissolved oxygen. By contrast, the discharge pattern of 2007 led to stable, low streamflows in autumn and winter (Q250 m3/s) that did not influence temperature or salinity. A significant association was found between the temporal variability of the salinity (increasing from 6 to 28 psu) and low dissolved oxygen saturation (B50%) and concentration (B5 mg/l), largely dominated by wind events. Keywords: hydrological regime; Puelo streamflows; wind influence; hypoxic events; Patagonian fjord Introduction 1995; Morey et al. 2009) and the transfer of Downloaded by [68.99.108.100] at 08:16 21 December 2017 Along high-latitude marine coasts, freshwater energy to higher trophic levels such as local inputs and sources vary in importance according fisheries (Le Pape et al. 2003; Lloret et al. 2004; to their spatial scales. In open coastal areas, Frame & Lessard 2009). The southern region of direct precipitation over the water surface pro- the eastern South Pacific, specifically Patagonia, vides the most important contribution, whereas has several relevant features: (1) a complex in semi-closed systems, this comes from the interaction between the atmosphere, land and largest tributary rivers (Mattha¨us & Schinke ocean (strong poleward winds, the poleward 1999). Rivers with high streamflows (Q) that Cape Horn Current) (Strub et al. 1998); (2) empty into coastal and estuarine zones signifi- heavy input of freshwater and terrestrial organic cantly influence circulation patterns (Liu et al. matter from rivers, melting ice and rainfall 2007), biogeochemical processes (Malej et al. (Pickard 1971, 1973); (3) vertical stratification *Corresponding author. Email: [email protected] # 2013 The Royal Society of New Zealand 516 J Leo´n-Mun˜oz et al. due to freshwater input (Da´vila et al. 2002; the fjord’s main tributary (Q650 m3/s) and Calvete & Sobarzo 2011); and (4) an enhanced heavily influences its oceanographic character- terrigenous sediment supply (Silva et al. 2011). istics (Baste´n & Clement 1999; Valle-Levinson The Patagonian region is a complex intercon- et al. 2007; Gonza´lez et al. 2010); and (3) the nected set of austral fjords and channels*one of Puelo River streamflow has shown a decreasing the largest interior seas on the planet*and its interannual trend that is representative of the oceanographic characteristics are significantly as- streamflow regimes of other southern rivers that sociated with high freshwater contributions from empty along the north and central Patagonian direct precipitation (33.5103 m3/s) and continen- coast (41Á488S; Lara et al. 2008). Finally, the tal run-off (27.8103 m3/s) (Schmitt 1995;Da´vila Reloncavı´Fjord is also intensely used for salmon et al. 2002). The high input of freshwater from farming an activity that has presented an in- tributary rivers generates important variations in creased fish mortality during some of the last salinity that characterise the distinct water masses autumn periods caused by higher salinity levels present in this channel and fjord region (Pickard and lower dissolved oxygen concentrations in the 1973), resulting in a stratified water column (two to surface layer (Baste´n & Clement 1999). three layers; Ca´ceres et al. 2002; Valle-Levinson Herein, we hypothesise that the interannual et al. 2002) with strong spatial salinity gradients in decrease in the Puelo River streamflow deter- the surface fraction (B30 m; Acha et al. 2004; mines: (1) that the freshwater contributions to Gonza´lez et al. 2010). Reloncavı´Fjord present intra-annual input The oceanographic research carried out in patterns different from the mixed regime and these semi-closed systems has typically assumed (2) that in anomalous periods of low streamflow, that the influence of tributary rivers is associated the temporal variability (on hourly and daily with markedly mixed hydrological regimes in scales) of the surface layer of the fjord is largely which pluvial and snowmelt peaks are determined influenced by external factors (e.g. wind) and by the strong influence of the Andes Mountains not by the main tributary river. The main (screen effect, meltwater contribution) and the objectives of the present study were (1) to combinations of geomorphologic (exposure, establish the effect of the interannual decline shape) and biogeographic (land cover and land of the Puelo River streamflow on the river’s use) attributes of the drainage basins (Niemeyer hydrological regime, and (2) to analyse, under & Cereceda 1984). However, time-series and contrasting hydrological conditions, the influ- dendrochronological studies have shown that, ence of the Puelo River streamflow on the regionally (35Á468S), over the last few decades, surface salinity, temperature and dissolved oxy- precipitation and tributary river streamflows gen of the Reloncavı´Fjord. Our results could have tended to decrease and show high inter- have important implications regarding ongoing Downloaded by [68.99.108.100] at 08:16 21 December 2017 annual variability (Lara et al. 2005, 2008). At changes in freshwater inputs to fjord ecosystems present, the repercussions of this temporal trend of southern Chile caused by climate change and on the freshwater streamflow regimes and, how these alterations affect the physical stability therefore, on the oceanographic processes and of the near surface water column, nutrient their consequences for the North Patagonian advection to the surface and ultimately the fjords and channels (41Á468S) remain unknown. magnitude and fate of the primary productivity The present study analyses the influence of of fjord ecosystems in southern Patagonia. the Puelo River hydrological regime on the Reloncavı´Fjord (418S) over two time scales. Materials and methods The Puelo RiverÁReloncavı´Fjord system was chosen for the following reasons: (1) the Relon- Study area cavı´Fjord is the gateway to the North Patago- This fjord is approximately 55 km long and 3 km nian fjords and channels; (2) the Puelo River is wide, with maximum depths of 450 m at the Hydrological regime on a North Patagonian fjord 517 mouth and 100 m at the head (Fig. 1). It has a towards the head of the fjord (Valle-Levinson three-layer circulation pattern in which the sur- et al. 2007). In this area, the marine ecosystem face (less dense, B20 m) and deepest (80 m) corresponds to a positive estuarine system, with layers tend to move toward the mouth, whereas high salinity (31 psu) and high nutrient loads the intermediate layer (B20 to 80 m) moves entering the fjord area below a surface layer of Downloaded by [68.99.108.100] at 08:16 21 December 2017 Figure 1 Reloncavı´Fjord in the context of southern Chile; the light grey area shows the Puelo River drainage basin. The circles indicate the sites used to measure streamflow, wind direction and speed in the Puelo River, and surface temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen in the fjord. 518 J Leo´n-Mun˜oz et al. fresher (2Á25 psu) estuarine water. In terms of in spring (Niemeyer & Cereceda 1984)(Fig. 2). dissolved oxygen concentrations, the fjord has The temporal streamflow pattern from the Puelo haline stratification and high biological activity Riverissignificantlyrelated(r20.9, PB0.05) to resulting in a marked oxycline (7Á4 mg/l) at 10 m the other two main tributary rivers that empty into (head) and at 20 m (mouth).
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