General features of the delta of the Amazon
Enlace de publicación: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0015/001539/153937eb.pdf
Año de publicación: 1966
Autor de la publicación: Sioli, H.
Revista de publicación: Scientific Problems of the Humid Tropical Zone Deltas and their Implications: Proceedings of the Dacca Symposium.
General Features of the Delta of the Amazon by Harald Sioli
Speaking about the delta of the Amazon we refer to the estuary zone of the mightiest river of the world, mightiest not in length but by far in volume of its water. It has been estimated by KATZER (1903) that the Amazon launches into the Atlantic about 120,000 m3 of water per sec. in the dry season, a number which can be multiplied in the high. water season. To this tremendous mass of water corresponds the size of the estuary of that river: where the mouth opens into the Ocean, it is nearly 4o km wide, between the Cabo do Norte in the northwest and the Ponta da Tijuca in the southeast. The point at which the lower course of the Amazon ends and its estuary begins is generally considered to be the mouth ot the Xingú River. By this way that region is about 380 km long, covering a triangular area of 85,500 km2 from river shore to river shore, not including the alluvial lands on both s1des. When adding these and other lands, built up or influenced by the Amazon on the shore strips of its mouth region, to the above-mentioned number. the whole estuary zone will easily comprise about 100,000 km2 or more.