2022-09-092022-09-092007-10-26PONTES, Paulo Henrique Parente. Identificação e caracterização das massas d´água da Plataforma Continental do Maranhão, durante os períodos seco (Novembro, 1997) e chuvoso (Junho 1999). Orientador: Maamar El-Robrini. 2007. 134 f. Dissertação (Mestrado em Geologia) - Programa de Pós-Graduação em Geologia e Geoquímica. Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, 2007. Disponível em: http://repositorio.ufpa.br:8080/jspui/handle/2011/14699. Acesso em:.https://repositorio.ufpa.br/handle/2011/14699The Maranhão Continental Shelf (MCS) between the mouths of Gurupi and Parnaíba rivers is 203 km wide on the occidental coast and 72 km from Tubarão Bay toward southeast. The Maranhão coast is distinct: there are Maranhenses Reentrances in the Northwest; the dunes coast in the eastern side, being separated by the Golfão Maranhense, where the Mearim river, whose discharge is about 770 m3/s, discharges its fresh water. Other small rivers like Gurupi, Maracaçumé, Turiaçu, Itapecuru and Parnaíba discharge fresh water on the shore. The parameters of temperature, salinity and density were used to identify and characterize the water masses during dry season (november, 1997) and rainy season (june, 1999) in order to study seasonal variability of the local water masses. Images of Sea SurfaceTemperature (SST) obtained from Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) from NOAA satellites were used to observe its variation and verify some oceanographic features. The time series of monthly averages of images from AVHRR Pathfinder of SST with 4 km resolution (from 1985 to 2001), obtained from Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE), was used to study the temporal and spatial SST variability through the calculation of climatological mean and its monthly SST changes in three points of the MCS to see if there are substantial changes in the features of the MCS waters during El-Niño/La-Niña seasons, since those phenomena can provoke (or not) great changes in the superficial water masses and in the local circulation. During the dry season (1997), it was observed that only Tropical Water, which is a water mass occurred, proving that at this season the continental water does not act on the MCS. However, during rainy season (1999) there were Coastal Water, Mixture Water, Tropical Water and South Atlantic Central Water. The Coastal Water is a water mass that comes from the rivers that discharge in the MCS. Mixture Water is a mixture of oceanic and continental water. So the presence of these two masses in the MCS proves that continental water occurred in the field of study during that period. The MCS water masses have the following physical characteristics: (i) Tropical Water: salinity over 36, temperature between 26,6° and 28,7°C and density between 23 kg/m³ and 23,8 kg/m³, which during the dry season occurs since the surface until more than 60 m of depth, while during rainy season it only occurs 40 km from the coast, from the surface until deeper 60 m; (ii) Coastal Water: salinity under 33, temperature between 28° and 29,4°C and density between 19 kg/m³ and 21,4 kg/m³, it occurs along 10km from the coast being also found from the surface until 28 m; (iii) Mixture Water: has salinity values between 33 and 36, temperature between 25,8º and 28,75ºC and density between 21,8 kg/m3 and 23,8 kg/m3 , and can be observed until 60 km from the coast along surface until 60 m; (iv) South Atlantic Central Water has salinity between 35,6 and 36, temperature under 18ºC and density between 23,9 kg/m3 and 25,8 kg/m3 that can be found 31 km from the coast and over 50 m depth. In the MCS, the AVHRR/NOAA images has shown low variation the SST field over the MCS. In November, 1997 maximum SST variation was 2,5ºC (minimum of 27°C and maximum of 29,5ºC) almost the same data obtained in situ where the maximum of SST was 28,6°C and minimum of 27,1°C. In the images of june, 1999, the oscillation of this parameter was between 27° and 29°C, similar to the data obtained during the ocean cruse of the same year that were of 27,4°C (minimum) and 29,2ºC (maximum). The graphics of SST anomaly in three different geographical sites of the MCS show a slight SST anomaly oscillation during the 1997/98 El-Niño event. The SST anomaly is higher in the MCS during 1998, which is between this work’s oceanographic expeditions. Therefore there was no significant influence of this phenomenon on the water masses of the MCS temperature characteristics during the data acquisition period. The occurrence of different water masses in the MCS region is related mainly to the seasonality on the area of study, which presents larger estuarine influence during the rainy season and little or no influence during the dry period, as can be confirmed through the predominance of oceanic waters (Tropical Waters) during the dry period and the presence of coastal waters and mixture water in the rainy season, determining clearer water stratification.Acesso AbertoTemperaturaSalinidadeDensidadeMassa d´águaSazonalidadePlataforma Continental do MaranhãoDissertaçãoCNPQ::CIENCIAS EXATAS E DA TERRA::GEOCIENCIAS::GEOLOGIAGEOLOGIA MARINHA E COSTEIRAGEOLOGIA