Title
Rainfall control on amazon sediment flux: Synthesis from 20 years of monitoring
Date Issued
14 May 2020
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Crave A.
Filizola N.
Ayes I.
Fonseca P.
Fraizy P.
Vauchel P.
Camenen B.
Martiınez J.M.
Dos Santos A.
Santini W.
Cochonneau G.
Publisher(s)
Institute of Physics
Abstract
The biodiversity and productivity of the Amazon floodplain depend on nutrients and organic matter transported with suspended sediments. Nevertheless, there are still fundamental unknowns about how hydrological and rainfall variability influence sediment flux in the Amazon River. To address this gap, we analyzed 3069 sediment samples collected every 10 days during 1995–2014 at five gauging stations located in the main rivers. We have two distinct fractions of suspended sediments, fine (clay and silt) and coarse (sand), which followed contrasting seasonal and long-term patterns. By taking these dynamics into account, it was estimated, for first time, in the Amazon plain, that the suspended sediment flux separately measured approximately 60% fine and 40% coarse sediment. We find that the fine suspended sediments flux is linked to rainfall and higher coarse suspended sediment flux is related with discharge. Additionally this work presents the time lag between rainfall and discharge, which is related to the upstream area of the gauging. This result is an important contribution to knowledge of biological and geomorphological issues in Amazon basin.
Volume
2
Issue
5
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Meteorología y ciencias atmosféricas
Investigación climática
Subjects
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85100811978
Source
Environmental Research Communications
Sponsor(s)
The authors thank Thomas Dunne and the anonymous reviewers for their comments and observations, which helped us to improved this work. We also thank the Observation Service for the Geodynamical, Hydrological and Biogeochemical Control of Erosion/Alteration and Material Transport in the Amazon Basin (SO-HYBAM) and the National Water Agency (ANA), the Geological Survey of Brazil (CPRM), and the IHESA project for support during field campaigns. We also thank Bosco Alfenas and Chuck Goll. We thank the National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA), the University of the State of Amazons (UEA), and the Climate and Environmental Program (CLIAMB), especially Dr Luis Cândido and Dr Rita Valeria Andreoli. We also thank the PNICP-Peru through the ‘No397-PNICP-PIAP-2014’ contract.
Sources of information:
Directorio de Producción Científica
Scopus