THE AMAZON MAIN SOURCE AREA IN THE CORDILLERA CHILA, PERU (New hydrographic, geomorphologic and glaciologic analyses)

THE AMAZON MAIN SOURCEAREA IN THE CORDILLERACHILA, PERU(New hydrographic, geomorphologic andglaciologic analyses)

Bohumir Jansky

Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science

Department of Physical Geography andGeoecology

The motive for 3 czech expeditions:1693 - Czech Jesuit Samuel Fritz - localising theAmazon River headwaters territory in the glaciallake Lauricocha, Cordillera de Huayhuashmountains of the western Peruvian Andes1707 – created first map of the Amazon River(printed in Quito)

History

Lauricocha lake – source of the Marañon river

Rio Marañon

Rio Ucayali

Rio Amazonas

History of Ideas and Hypotheses concerning the AmazonRiver Headwaters Territory

Author

Year

Source

S.J. Santos García

1935

Laguna Vilafro

Michel Perrin

1953

Cerro Huagra

plk. Gerardo Diánderas

1953

Cerro Huagra – Rio Monigote

Helen a Frank Schreider

1968

Laguna Vilafro

Nicholas Asheshov

1969

Nevado Minaspata

Carlos Peñaherrera

del Águila

1969

Nevado Mismi – Rio Carhuasanta

Loren Mc Intyre

1971

Nevado Choquecorao

Walter Bonatti

1978

Rio Huarajo

Jean Michel Cousteau

1982

Nevado Choquecorao

Jacek Palkiewicz,

Zaniel I. Novoa Goicochea

1997

Nevado Quehuisha – Rio Apacheta

Bohumír Janský (Expedition Hatun Mayu 1999)

1999

Nevado Mismi – Rio Carhuasanta

Bohumír Janský (tschechisch – peruanischeExpedition Hatun Mayu 2000

2000

Nevado Mismi – 4 Quellenflüsse: Carhuasanta,Ccaccansa, Apacheta und Sillanque

Author

Year

Source

S.J. Santos García

1935

Laguna Vilafro

Michel Perrin

1953

Cerro Huagra

plk. Gerardo Diánderas

1953

Cerro Huagra – Rio Monigote

Helen a Frank Schreider

1968

Laguna Vilafro

Nicholas Asheshov

1969

Nevado Minaspata

Carlos Peñaherrera

del Águila

1969

Nevado Mismi – Rio Carhuasanta

Loren Mc Intyre

1971

Nevado Choquecorao

Walter Bonatti

1978

Rio Huarajo

Jean Michel Cousteau

1982

Nevado Choquecorao

Jacek Palkiewicz,

Zaniel I. Novoa Goicochea

1997

Nevado Quehuisha – Rio Apacheta

Bohumír Janský (Expedition Hatun Mayu 1999)

1999

Nevado Mismi – Rio Carhuasanta

Bohumír Janský (Czech – Peruvian ExpeditionHatun Mayu 2000

2000

Nevado Mismi – 4 mountain courses:Carhuasanta, Ccaccansa, Apacheta andSillanque

Airport of Arequipa (2600 m). Volcan Misti (5821 m).

Nevado Ampato (6 311 m) and Sabancaya

Canyon of the River Colca

Transversal profile of the Cordillera Chila

and Canyon Colca

Confluence of Carhuasanta

and Apacheta (4713 m)

Village Cailloma – 50 km from headwaters territory

Headwaters territory

of Amazon River (Apurímac) in Cordillera de Chila

The main valley of Lloqueta

Basic camp – 4712 m

Where is located the main source

of Amazon river ?

The northern hillside of the Cordillera Chilamassif and the confluence of four mountaincourses - Carhuasanta, Apacheta,

Ccaccansa and Sillanque

- originating the Río Lloqueta, should beregarded a headwaters territory of theAmazon River.

Headwaters territory

of Amazon river (in 2000)

3D model of the headwaterterritory of the Amazon river

km 0

Laguna „Bohemia“ – left source ofthe Carhuasanta river

Laguna Bohemia – left source of the Carhuasanta river

Right headwaters stream ofthe Carhuasanta river

Glaciation in 2000

The glaciation was restricted to the highest parts ofmountain ranges in the eastern part of the CordilleraChila. There are four glaciers in the catchment area ofthe Carhuasanta and Apacheta rivers that extend overa surface of 1.54 km² out of total 57.15 km². Thesnowline altitude varies from 5250 to 5300 m.

Over the 20th century, the glaciers of an observedarea have undergone rapid retreats: glaciersexperienced a 60 % decrease in surface area since1955.

Glaciers disappeared from 2000 to 2007completely and fields of perennial snow persisted inthe highest areas only

Glacier retreat

since 1955 to 1999

The watershed between Pacific and Atlantic Oceans

Nudo Coropuna

Geomorphology

Distribution of soils in the Amazon River headstream area

Carhuasanta river andNevado Mismi (5628 m)

New research project - funded bythe Czech Science Foundation

“Natural Hazards of the AmazonRiver Sources Territory Causedby the Global Climatic Changes”

STUDY AREA

The Peruvian Western Andes(Cordillera Occidental) –altitudes higher than 5000 m

→ The watershed between Pacificand Atlantic Oceans

1.Cordillera Huayhuash (10° S.)

2.Cordillera Chila (15° S.)

– distance N-S about 1000 km.

Comparing of two areas:

•Marañon River headstream area (humid) - mountain steppepáramos

2. Ucayali – Apurímac (Amazon) headstream area (arid)

– mountain steppe puna

Western hillsides:

Costa – zone along the Pacific coast (aridity growth to the south) → desertarea and vegetation of type lomas in fog layer garúa.

- periodical effect El Niño (El Niño – Southern Oscillation): temperatureincrease → heavy rain → natural disaster (increase of glacier melting,

debris flows - huaycos, outburst of glacial lakes, floods, landslides).

Specially strong El Niño in 1982/83 a 1997/98

Oriental hillsides and the tableland: humidify – under the influence of tradewind from Atlantic ocean

Partnership in Peru:

National Hydrometerological Institute SENAMHI (Servicio Nacional deMeterología e Hidrología)

Headwaters territory of the Amazon River

The climatic station at the Amazon’s source, located at 5075 m above sealevel - it is the highest located station in Peru. In background Nevado Mismi(5628 m a.s.l.).

Air temperature, soil temperature and solar radiation at the Amazon’s source.The climatic station of the Charles University in Prague (5075 m a.m.s.l.

Period 30.7. - 6.8. 2008.

air temperature

soil temperature (0.1 m)

radiation

Average daily and monthly discharges in the Lloqueta River (headwatersterritory of the Amazon River) and line of trend of monthly discharges.

Headwaters territory of the Marañon River

Proglacial Cangrajanca lake

Dangerous Cangrajanca lake with periodical outburst. The lake basin is filledfrom the Yerupaja glacier.

Yerupaja glacier retreat (1957 – 2008)

Total retreat: 230-350 m, annual retreat: 4 – 7 m.

The relief changesin the valley ofCarhuacocha riverafter lanslide from8.3. 2009

Lake outflow

Proglacial lake

The new dammedlake

Central moraine

Conclusions

•The monitoring has confirmed a falling trend in the flowrate, following the retreat of area glaciers.

•At present, the Cordillera Chila mountain range no longerhas any glaciers. The last of them melted between 2000 and2007.

•The Cordillera Huayhuash mountains show a relatively slowretreaAverage daily and monthly discharges in the LloquetaRiver (headwaters territory of the Amazon River) and line oftrend of monthly discharges.

•t of valley glaciers in comparison with the neighboringCordillera Blanca range → since 1957, glaciers haveretreated at an average annual rate of 4 to 7 m, summary by230 to 350 m.

•Systematic measurements of soil temperatures have shownan absence of long-term frozen soils in locations up to 5150m above sea level.

•The lower boundary of the zone of mountain permafrost is,therefore, located higher than the literature indicates for thisarea.