Hydrology and sediment transport in the Amazon basin, from the Andes to the Ocean Jean Loup GUYOT(1), Nore AREVALO(2), Elisa ARMIJOS(3), Marie Paule BONNET(1), Luc BOURREL(4), Héctor CALLE(5), Stéphane CALMANT(6), Jorge CARRANZA(7), Gérard COCHONNEAU(1), Alain CRAVE(8), Eurides DE OLIVEIRA(9), Jhan Carlo ESPINOZA(2), Raúl ESPINOZA(10), Naziano FILIZOLA(3), Pascal FRAIZY(11), Oscar FUERTES(5), Nicolas GRILLOT(11), Christian IZA(12), David LABAT(4), Christelle LAGANE(4), Alain LARAQUE(4), Waldo LAVADO(7), Jean Michel MARTINEZ(1), Edileuza MELO(3), Jean Sébastien MOQUET(4), Patricia MOREIRA-TURCQ(4), Luis NORIEGA(5), Rodrigo POMBOSA(12), Josyane RONCHAIL(13), William SANTINI(8), Frédérique SEYLER(14), Patrick SEYLER(4), Francis SONDAG(1), Jaime TAMAYO(15), Philippe VAUCHEL(8)
1. IRD/GET Brasília, 2. UNALM Lima, 3. UFAM Manaus, 4. IRD/GET Toulouse, 5. SENAMHI La Paz, 6. IRD/LEGOS Toulouse, 7. SENAMHI Lima, 8. IRG/GET Lima, 9. ANA Brasília, 10. UnB Brasília, 11. IRD/GET Manaus, 12. INAMHI Quito, 13. UDD/LOCEAN Paris, 14. IRD/ESPACE Montpellier, 15. IDEAM Leticia
UMR GET Toulouse, Brasília, Manaus, Lima UMR LEGOS Toulouse UMR HSM Montpellier, Fort de France UMR ESPACE DEV Montpellier, Brasília US IMAGO La Paz, Cayenne DEAL Cayenne ANA Brasília CPRM Rio de Janeiro, Manaus UnB Brasília UFAM Manaus UFF Niterói UFRJ Rio de Janeiro UFRGS Porto Alegre
SENAMHI La Paz UMSA La Paz SENAMHI Lima UNALM Lima INAMHI Quito UNC Palmira IDEAM Bogota, Leticia UCV Caracas UNEG Puerto Ordaz UMNg Brazzaville SCEVN Brazzaville CICOS Kinshasa
The Amazon basin: the largest of the world 7 countries Andes Foreland basins Fitzcarrald arch Brazilian shield Guyanese shield Amazon floodplain
38 HYBAM stations
But what are the exact limits of the Amazon drainage basin ? Based on -> National topographic map numerisation -> SRTM -3 -> Verified limit in the Marajó island Amazon drainage area : 5 956 000 km²
Callède et al. , 2010 Revue des Sciences de l’Eau, 23(3)
But what is the exact Amazon River discharge ?
1st method : -> Q(OBI)+Q(ITA)+Q(ALT)+Q(X) -> Q(X) = water balance from residual basins Q Amazon = 205 000 m3/s Callède et al. , 2010 Revue des Sciences de l’Eau, 23(3)
OBI
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But what is the exact Amazon River discharge ?
2nd method : -> Estuary discharge gauging -> Estreitos discharge gauging -> Correlation with Óbidos Q Amazon = 206 000 m3/s Callède et al. , 2010 Revue des Sciences de l’Eau, 23(3)
OBI
Main difficulties for the Amazon hydrologist ? 1. Water level monitoring : large amplitude (up to 18 m in the Central Amazon floodplain)
Main difficulties for the Amazon hydrologist ? 2. Missing and invalid data (data logger and observer problems)
Main difficulties for the Amazon hydrologist ? 2. Missing data and invalid data -> solution = satellite altimetry Da Silva J., 2010, Remote Sensing of Environment, 114(10) Getirana et al., 2010, Hydrological Processes, 24(2) Da Silva et al., 2012, Int. Journal of Remote Sensing, 33(11)
Main difficulties for the Amazon hydrologist ? 3. Gauging very large and depth rivers …
OBI BOR
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Main difficulties for the Amazon hydrologist ? 3. … with high water velocity during flood periods
OBI
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OBI BOR
Main difficulties for the Amazon hydrologist ? 3. Gauging very large rivers with high water velocity during flood periods -> solution = ADCP gauging on the whole HYBAM network
Main difficulties for the Amazon hydrologist ? 4. Non univocal rating curves due to backwater effects -> solution = correct rating curve using water level of downstream station
FVA
Main difficulties for the Amazon hydrologist ? 5. The rating curve problem of Óbidos : sea-tide effects
2010 low water
2011 high water
OBI
Main difficulties for the Amazon hydrologist ? 5. The rating curve problem of Óbidos : non univocal during large floods
2009 flood
OBI
Main difficulties for the Amazon hydrologist ? 5. The rating curve problem of Óbidos : non univocal during large floods -> solution = correct rating curve using water slope with a downstream station (Manning Strickler), today possible with GPS measures of water gages
OBI
Main difficulties for the Amazon hydrologist ? 6. Sampling strategy for suspended sediment in large Amazonian rivers
HYBAM Strategy -> 10 day surface sampling in the middle of the river -> 1 month surface sampling for geochemical studies
-> 2 to 4 times per year complete section sampling
Main difficulties for the Amazon hydrologist ? 6. Sampling strategy for suspended sediment -> 10 day surface sampling in the middle of the river
Guyot et al. , 2005, Laraque et al., 2005, IAHS 291
OBI
Main difficulties for the Amazon hydrologist ? 6. Sampling strategy for suspended sediment in large Amazonian rivers -> use of MODIS data to estimate Surface Suspended Sediment
Martinez et al. , 2009, Catena, 79(3) Espinoza R. et al., 2012, Journal of Hydrology, 444-445
Main difficulties for the Amazon hydrologist ? 6. Sampling strategy for suspended sediment in large Amazonian rivers
HYBAM Strategy -> 2 to 4 times per year complete section sampling
TAM
Main difficulties for the Amazon hydrologist ? 6. Sampling strategy for suspended sediment in large Amazonian rivers -> use turbidity data to estimate Suspended Sediment profiles [MES.] (mg/L) 0
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Main difficulties for the Amazon hydrologist ? 7. Estimation of bottom sediment transport -> ADCP bottom tracking correction with GPS
TAM
Main difficulties for the Amazon hydrologist ? 7. Estimation of bottom sediment transport -> ADCP bottom tracking correction with GPS
TAM
Some results. 1. Hydrological regimes
TAM BOR
SRE
Some results 2. Runoff distribution Mean Amazon River discharge = 206 000 m3/s Be careful with the discharge data you are using !
Some results 3. Hydrological trends
Callède et al. , 2004, Hydrological Sciences Journal, 49(1) Ronchail et al., 2006, IAHS 308 Espinoza J.C. et al., 2012, Environmental Research Letters, 7
Confirmed by the two major events of the century : -> 2009, 2012 flood -> 2010 extreme low level
OBI
Some results 3. Hydrological trends
Espinoza et al. , 2009, Journal of Hydrology, 375(3-4)
Some results. 4. Suspended sediment regimes
Guyot et al. , 2007, IAHS 314 Armijos, 2010
TAM BOR
SRE
Some results. 5. Erosion rates distribution Based on > 10 000 samples same methodology in the whole basin Andean erosion rates from 500 to 2500 t/km2.yr Shield erosion rates from 5 to 30 t/km2.yr Sedimentation observed in foreland basins and in the Central Amazon floodplain Erosion occurs also on the Napo and Pastaza foreland Basins, as on the Fitzcarrald arch Andean sediment production estimated at 1200-1500 Mt/yr Óbidos sediment yield estimated at 850 Mt/yr, traducing about 40% of sedimentation
Some results. 5. Weathering rates distribution in the Andes Based on > 1500 geochemical samples over the whole basin Andean weathering rates from 20 to 250 t/km2.yr (Moquet, 2011)
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Some results. 5. Erosion and weathering yields in the Andes of the Amazon basin Based (Moquet, 2011)
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