Pairing Quantitative and Qualitative Analyses during Flooding Event in Mamiá Lake (Amazon River)

Abstract

Aims and Place: The variable transparency, temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, pH, total suspended solids (TSS), turbidity and ion balance (Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl-, HCO3- + CO32- and SO42-) were measured in surface waters of the Amazon River and Mamiá Lake during the hydrological cycle 2008 – 2009 in order to understand the influence of fluvial-lacustrine connectivity in lentic systems of the Amazon floodplain. Methodology: International standards methods of collection, transportation, preservation and analysis were used in this research and the results were statistically analyzed (Cluster and PCA) to verify the existence of seasonality, interference of the flood pulse and similarities between the sampling sites. Results and Conclusion: A standard mixing and movement of water was identified for the Amazon River and its channel of connection, while the lake remained stratified throughout the study period. Statistical analysis confirmed seasonality in fluvial-lacustrine system, especially during periods of flooding (F) and ebb (E), when there was a significant change in the waters chemical composition of the lake and channel. Principal Components Analysis (PCA) identified the parameters conductivity, TSS and turbidity as indicator variables of the existence of flood pulse from the Amazon River to the Mamiá Lake.