Region faces severe drought this August; Brazilian Geological Survey warns of the possibility of worsening
The Amazon River basin is facing a severe drought scenario this August, with alarming levels that fell again this Friday (August 23, 2024). SGB (Geological Service of Brazil) warned that there are regions likely to reach the lowest level ever observed.
According to the institution, there is a 65% chance that the Solimões River will reach its lowest level ever observed in Tabatinga (AM), below the -86 cm mark from 2010. This Friday (August 23), a level of 4 centimeters was recorded in the watercourse at the Tabatinga station, whose behavior influences other points as it is the headwaters of the basin.
The station recorded a level of 2 cm at the beginning of the week, on August 18 and 19, according to data from the Amazon River Basin Hydrological Alert System. This is already the 3rd lowest mark in the historical series – behind only the levels of -75 cm (2023) and -86 cm (2010).
“We already have an extreme drought in this region of Alto Solimões. In Médio Solimões up to Manaus (AM), the levels that cause disruption have not yet been reached, but the tendency is for this to happen,” said geoscience researcher Andre Martinelli, manager of Hydrology and Territorial Management at Sureg-MA (Regional Superintendence of Manaus).
This week, more intense drops of around 20 cm per day have already been observed in the Rio Negro, in Manaus (AM), as a result of what is happening in Tabatinga (AM). The Rio Negro, in Manaus (AM), has a 16% chance of falling below its historic low of 12.70 m.
The researcher highlights that extreme droughts reflect a change in the pattern of hydrological regimes observed over the last 20 years.
“We have been experiencing, increasingly frequently, these extreme hydrological events, both flooding and ebbing. This is closely related to climate change.”he stated.
MADEIRA RIVER
The Madeira River level reached 1.95 meters this Friday (23.Aug) at Porto Velho station, according to the SipamHydro (Integrated Hydrometeorological Monitoring and Alert System). This is the lowest level ever recorded for this time of year since data began to be collected in 1967.
At the end of July, the situation was the same: 2.45 meters, the lowest mark for the period. On October 6, 2023, according to the SGB, the lowest level in history was recorded: 1.10 m.
For the month of August, the historical average is approximately 5.3 meters, that is, the current situation is more than 3 meters below the level considered normal.
#Amazon #River #Basin #Reach #Record #Levels