Hydrograph Separation of the Amazon River: A Methodological Study

The hydrograph separation of the Amazon river was performed using three different methodologies. Were applied isotopic, filter-separation, and mixing methods to estimate the contributions of the surface runoff (event water) and baseflow (pre-event water) components to the total river flow, during the 1973–1974 hydrological years. The importance of the baseflow contribution, mainly during the peak discharge, suggesting that the groundwater plays a much more active and important role in the storm dynamics, was verified. Similar results were obtained for all the methods used, and the applicability of each one was discussed in detail. For the Amazon river basin, the average contribution of the baseflow was 56% of the total river flow, at peak discharge. The average surface runoff contribution, which represents the water capable of mechanical erosion in drainage basins, expressed in terms of the surface runoff coefficient (Kr), was 31.9%, while the mean contribution of the baseflow, expressed by the baseflow coefficient (Kb), was 68.1%.