Annual
Hydrological Balance
Four maps of Brazil in color showing
general amounts of rainfall, depth of discharge, and evapotranspiration.
The fourth map shows distace from river mouth by colorbands, and shows
the sites where data was collected to create the other three maps. In addition,
the river network is shown in more detail on this map.
General
landform and biophysical data
Four more Brazil maps, this time showing information
such as altitude, types of soils, well depth, and distance to streams.
This last map in is particularly interesting when considering how runoff
from a particular area might effect the Amazon basin as a whole. In areas
where it is more than 10km to a stream, soil pollutants are less likely
to get into the water system and be transported that way.
Soil
Chemistry
Four charts the land group in particular may want to
check out. I posted them here because I found that in studying sediment
transportation and erosion patterns knowing what is being transported can
be important. If the pH of the soil in an area is extreme, it will have
an effect on the water it is washed into, and therefore the life forms
in that area. These charts show in addition to pH levels in teh soil, phosphorus
levels, organic matter levels, and effective cation exchange capacity.
River
Chemistry and Stage Sampling
This shows in greater detail where sampling was done.
Clarifies what is considered "mainstream Amazon" versus "tributaries."
Pictures from NASA sites as listed below each photo.
Skylab
flies over the Amazon River
This is an example of one of many observation tools in
use by scientists today. (Although this particular station is no
longer in orbit, similar projects are currently taking place).
Mouth
of the Amazon River, Brazil, South America
Satalite photo of the sediment plume expanding into the
Atlantic ocean (yes it is upside down).
Convergence
of the Rio Solimoes and the Rio Negro to form the Amazon River
The grey patch to the righ tof image center is teh town
of Manaus. The pale color of the Rio Solimoes shows the glacial silt and
sand it caries from the Peruvian Andes. The Rio Negro is dark because is
has little sediment. The clarity is caused by its origin in hard basment
rock that is not easily eroded. Notice how they flow side by side for some
time before the waters are fully mixed.
Other pictures.
SIVAM
This shows one of the many uses of the remote monitoring
devices they plan to use. In this case, thermal imaging is used to find
the location of subterraneous water. The photo on the left is a normal
photographic image, and the one of the right is the thermal image.