SEDIMENT DISCHARGE AT THE MADEIRA RIVER HIDROELECTRIC COMPLEX - RATING CURVES AND ESTIMATES

Código

XXV-SBRH0819

Autores

Leonardo Zandonadi Moura, Sérgio Koide, Jean-Michel Martinez, Henrique Llacer Roig, ALEXANDRE KEPLER SOARES

Tema

15 - Gestão, Monitoramento e Engenharia de Sedimentos

Resumo

Understanding the impacts of the Madeira River hydroelectric complex on the sediment dynamics of the Amazon basin is a pressing issue, with ecological and infrastructure implications. In this work, a compilation of sedimentological data from various sources is used to evaluate if a change in the employed methodology to summarize flow ? sediment load relations is on order. Classical sediment rating curves present load as a univariate function of flow, which may not be enough to represent the dynamics of a complex basin such as the Madeira?s, where the Beni River tributary responds for most of the contribution, and the Mamoré River is less significant. Marginal model fit improvements are achieved by making compound rating curves with both discharges as explanatory variables. Even though R² metrics do not reveal a very strong gain, the dynamics that predictions take when using compound ratings is more in line with perceptions from previous works and ancillary evidence.