INVESTIGADORES
LIBEROFF Ana Laura
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
Water and carbon dynamics in the Chubut river, Argentina
Autor/es:
LIBEROFF, ANA LAURA
Lugar:
Viena
Reunión:
Taller; Third research coordination meeting; 2017
Resumen:
The increase in development and in the consumptive use of water has resulted in the deterioration of the health of freshwater ecosystems worldwide. The Chubut River watershed is the third more extensive watershed in Patagonia, Argentina (53.800 km2) and the second most populated (210.000 people), yet it is amongst the smallest rivers in the region in terms of discharge (51m3 sec-1). It supports a wide variety of human activities including agriculture, cattle-ranching, hydropower production and urban sprawl. The Laboratory Ecofluvial (CENPAT-CONICET, Puerto Madryn) is participating in this CRP in order to evaluate stable isotopes as tracers of human impacts on water quality in the Chubut watershed. Analyses performed during this project indicate that surface water in the Chubut system is being highly affected by human activities. Dam operation and water residence time in the reservoir alters the CO2 exchange with the atmosphere. Water is enriched in nutrients and organic matter; this effect gets accumulated in the final segment of the river where drinking water intake takes place. Soil erosion and runoff from urban settlements and agricultural fields contributes to the organic and inorganic phase in the system which are incorporated into the river ecosystem. Irrigation practices increase the exchange of water between surface and groundwater affecting water quality and phreatic composition.