Laraque Alain, Lopez J. L., Yepez S., Georgescu P. (2019). Water and sediment budget of Casiquiare channel linking Orinoco and Amazon catchments, Venezuela. In :
Descroix Luc (ed.), Mahé Gil (ed.), Laraque Alain (ed.), Ribolzi Olivier (ed.), Lacombe G. (ed.). Multiscale impacts of anthropogenic and climate changes on tropical and mediterranean hydrology. Water, 11 (10), p. art. 2068 [17 p.].
Titre du document
Water and sediment budget of Casiquiare channel linking Orinoco and Amazon catchments, Venezuela
Laraque Alain, Lopez J. L., Yepez S., Georgescu P.
In
Descroix Luc (ed.), Mahé Gil (ed.), Laraque Alain (ed.), Ribolzi Olivier (ed.), Lacombe G. (ed.) Multiscale impacts of anthropogenic and climate changes on tropical and mediterranean hydrology
Source
Water, 2019,
11 (10), p. art. 2068 [17 p.]
The Casiquiare River is a natural channel that connects two of the greatest rivers in the world, the Orinoco and the Amazon in the South American continent. The aim of this paper is to present a review and synthesis of the hydrological and sedimentological knowledge of the Casiquiare River, including the first hydro-sedimentary balance of the Casiquiare fluvial system conducted 9-12 September 2000 at the bifurcation and mouth during the expedition 'Humboldt-Amazonia 2000'. Bathymetric flow discharge and physico-chemical measurements were made at the inlet and outlet of the Casiquiare Channel. The main conclusions of this study indicate that Casiquiare is taking a significant proportion of flow (20% to 30%) from the Upper Orinoco basin to the Amazon basin. Throughout its 356 km-course, this chameleon channel undergoes significant morphological, hydrological, and bio-geochemical variations between the inlet and outlet, whose most visible witnesses are the increase in its width (3 to 4 times), flow (7 to 9 times), and its change in water color (white to black water), under the influence of tributaries coming from vast forest plains.
