Future GEO AquaWatch Webinars

Water Talks: Advancing Diversity and Equity in Aquatic Remote Sensing

Assessing southern-Brazil extreme rainfall effects on sediment transport and Water Quality on the world’s largest chocked lagoon

February 25, 2025, 14:00 UTC

by Sergio Mauricio Molano Cárdenas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do SuL

Abstract: Most rainfall water in Southern Brazil passes through two large bodies before reaching the ocean: the Guaíba River and the Patos Lagoon. The Guaíba River has 5 catchment points that supply fresh water to the Porto Alegre metropolitan area (more than 4 million people). The Patos Lagoon provides ecosystem services such as cropland irrigation water supply, navigation, and fishery. In September/2023 and May/2024, the region was ravaged by extreme rainfalls, which led to flash floods, destructing urban areas, landslides, riverbanks, and intensifying fluvial erosion, affecting more than 2.4 million people. These extreme rainfall events might have significantly influenced sediment and nutrient transport, which can deteriorate water quality and lead to environmental degradation. This project used remote-sensing-related techniques and hydrological data to assess the impact of these events on sediment transport and water quality (Turbidity, Suspended Particulate Matter, and Chlorophyll-a concentrations) in the Guaíba River and Patos Lagoon. This research provided insights into the impact of extreme weather events on large coastal water bodies, highlighting the need for climate change adaptation and mitigation not only in land but also in water.

Speaker Bio: Sergio Cárdenas is a geoscience PhD candidate from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. He researches coastal and marine processes using remote sensing at the Center for Coastal and Oceanic Geology Studies. He possesses expertise in geospatial data management, earth observation tools, and environmental geology. His current research focuses on sediment transport dynamics from sink to source in coastal environments, as well as the effects of human activities and climate change on these processes.

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