Publications des scientifiques de l'IRD

Alsdorf D., Beighley E., Laraque Alain, Lee H., Tshimanga R., O'Loughlin F., Mahé Gil, Dinga B., Moukandi G., Spencer R. G. M. (2016). Opportunities for hydrologic research in the Congo Basin. Reviews of Geophysics, 54 (2), p. 378-409. ISSN 8755-1209.

Titre du document
Opportunities for hydrologic research in the Congo Basin
Année de publication
2016
Type de document
Article référencé dans le Web of Science WOS:000385716900004
Auteurs
Alsdorf D., Beighley E., Laraque Alain, Lee H., Tshimanga R., O'Loughlin F., Mahé Gil, Dinga B., Moukandi G., Spencer R. G. M.
Source
Reviews of Geophysics, 2016, 54 (2), p. 378-409 ISSN 8755-1209
We review the published results on the Congo Basin hydrology and summarize the historic and ongoing research. Annual rainfall is similar to 1900 mm/yr along an east- west trend across the basin, decreasing northward and southward to similar to 1100 mm/yr. Historic studies using lysimeters, pans, and models suggest that the annual potential evapotranspiration varies little across the basin at 1100 to 1200 mm/yr. Over the past century, river discharge data have been collected at hundreds of stream gauges with historic and recent data at 96 locations now publicly available. Congo River discharge at Kinshasa-Brazzaville experienced an increase of 21% during the 1960-1970 decade in comparison to most other decades. Satellite altimetry measurements of high and low flows show that water levels in the "Cuvette Centrale" wetland are 0.5m to 3.0m higher in elevation than the immediately adjacent Congo River levels. Wetland water depths are shallow at about a meter and there does not appear to be many sizable channels across the "Cuvette"; thus, wetland flows are diffusive. Cuvette waters alone are estimated to emit about 0.5 Pg CH4 and CO2 equivalents/yr, an amount that is significant compared to global carbon evasions. Using these results, we suggest seven hypotheses that focus on the source of the Cuvette waters and how these leave the wetland, on the river discharge generated by historic rainfall, on the connection between climate change and the rainfall-runoff generated by the migrating "tropical rainbelt," on deforestation and hydroelectric power generation, and on the amount of carbon emitted from Congo waters.
Plan de classement
Hydrologie [062]
Description Géographique
REPUBLIQUE DEMOCRATIQUE DU CONGO ; CONGO ; CENTRAFRIQUE ; SOUDAN ; OUGANDA ; RWANDA ; BURUNDI ; TANZANIE ; ZAMBIE ; ANGOLA ; CONGO BASSIN
Localisation
Fonds IRD [F B010068265]
Identifiant IRD
fdi:010068265
Contact