Alkalinity and dissolved inorganic carbon exports from tropical and subtropical river catchments discharging to the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) transport by rivers is an important control on the pH and carbonate chemistry of the coastal ocean. Here, we combine DIC and total alkalinity (TAlk) concentrations from four tropical rivers of the Great Barrier Reef region in Australia with daily river discharge to quantify annual river loads and export rates. DIC in the four rivers ranged from 284 to 2,639 μmol kg −1 and TAlk ranged from 220 to 2,612 μmol kg −1...