Abstract ID: 26

Environmental Fators Influencing GHG Release by Tropical Amazon Reservoir

Large scale studies analyzing surface emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) in several habitat types of dead and inundated forests in Amazon reservoirs are scarce. This occurs, principally, because the extensions of artificial lakes are large and thus a complete study necessitates remote sensing. The low resolution radar images come to us as a solution of this necessity, because the facilities for acquiring the signal are free and because of the special characteristics of the images. The objective of this study was to analyze several environmental factors supporting and controlling GHG release in Balbina reservoir. Balbina is the largest reservoir in Amazon it was formed in 1987 by damming Uatumã River. Two JERS -1(SAR) mosaics, one for low and other for high water level in Solimões/Amazonas Basin, were used as reference in this analysis. Changes in digital number of corregistrate pixels were analyzed in dynamical processes of inundation areas. Several environmental parameters (habitat type, depth, superficial and bottom temperature, superficial and bottom dissolved oxygen, water transparency, wind velocity, rainfall, air temperature and water level) that could be affecting GHG release by the reservoir were analyzed. However, no significant relationship was found between the parameters and the release of gases. The absence of any relationship must be connected with elevated GHG concentrations at the bottom and very little annual water level variability in Balbina lake (controlled by hydraulic engineers). Balbina reservoir total annual emissions of CO2 and CO2 equivalents of CH4 upstream dam are, approximately, 2,550 and 260 Gg CO2 - C, respectively. In ecological studies, including water systems, details of habitats knowledge is a fundamental and initial goal.

Session:  Carbon - The role of seasonality in carbon and water balance.

Presentation Type:  Poster