Journal article
Geomorphological and sedimentary evidence for late Pleistocene to Holocene hydrological change along the Río Mamoré, Bolivian Amazon
A Plotzki, JH May, F Preusser, H Veit
Journal of South American Earth Sciences | PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD | Published : 2013
Abstract
Aerial photography and satellite imagery reveal manifold geomorphological evidence of a dynamic evolution of past and present rivers in the Bolivian Amazon. Comparison of oxbow lake and meander scar dimensions along an inactive meander belt of the Río Mamoré (Llanos de Moxos, north-eastern Bolivia) and its modern counterpart suggests significant regional paleohydrological variability. We used these features as geomorphological and sedimentary archives to enhance our understanding of longer-term variations of the fluvial system. Late Pleistocene to Holocene hydrological changes of the Río Mamoré are inferred from: (i) the analysis of satellite imagery, (ii) discharge estimates from meander mo..
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Awarded by Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung
Funding Acknowledgements
This research was funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF 200021-1222). The authors would like to thank Bernhard Vogt, Andreas Schellenberger and Umberto Lombardo for intensive field assistance. We are appreciative to Daniela Fischer and Remo Hofmann who provided essential laboratory work. Sally Lowick kindly provided support in the OSL laboratory (Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern). Discharge data from the HYBAM-Observatory (IRD-SENAMHI joint research project in Bolivia) by courtesy of Gerard Cochonneau and Jean-Loup Guyot (Institut de Recherche pour le Developpement, France). Comments of two anonymous reviewers greatly improved the quality of this manuscript. Adrian Meyer contributed helpful information to this study with his pilot project on "Reconstruction and modelling fluvial parameters of the Paleo-Mamore". We are grateful to the farm owners and caretakers - in particular Carlos Rocca and co-workers - in Bolivia for allowance to drill on their properties and for their help.