Changes in Water Color Related to Mining in Rivers of Southwestern Amazon Observed by Satellite
Keywords:
Amazonian waters, illegal mining, ColorAbstract
Given the importance of water resources, their monitoring is essential. Considering the size of Brazilian river basins, especially the Amazonian ones, the use of remote sensing tools becomes feasible, allowing for the monitoring of surface water quality, particularly color characteristics and total solids. The components present in the water alter its reflectance according to their characteristics, enabling the study and tracking of water quality. The main objective of this work was to identify changes in the water color of rivers in the Southwestern Amazon, within the sub-basins of the Ji-Paraná, Canumã, and Amaná rivers, mapping evidence of interactions and the impacts of mining and gold panning. This was achieved through reflectance angles and dominant wavelengths, understanding the formation of water color in the basins and the influence of mining and human activities. A statistical analysis of the average values of dominant wavelengths and suspended material data provided by ANA was conducted to verify whether the variations were significant between 1994 and 2021. Through statistical analyses, significant changes were demonstrated for higher average dominant wavelengths in most sections of the Ji-Paraná and Amaná basins, while for the Canumã River, the changes were mostly toward shorter wavelengths.
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