Table 1.
Statistics for the ten rivers in South America with the greatest water discharges. For locations see Fig. 1
River Length Area Discharge Sediment load Sediment yield Source
(km) (km 2 )
(m3s-') (10 6
t year-')
(t km- 2
year-' )
Amazon (Brazil) 6,520 7,500,000 150,000 1182.60 158
J.P.M. Syvitski
Orinoco (Venezuela) 2,500 990,000 34,500 152.32 154
J.P.M. Syvitski
Parana (Arg/Bra/Par/Bol)• 3,740 2,302,000 13,940 108.40 47
P.J. Depetris
Tocantins (Brazil) 2,700 760,000 11,000 -
J.P.M. Syvitski
Magdalena (Colombia) 1,612 257,438 7,200 144.00 560
J.D. Restrepo
Uruguay (Uruguay) 1,600 189,000 4,670
2.70 10
P.J. Depetris
Atrato (Colombia) 710
35,700 4,500 22.21 622
J.D. Restrepo
Sao Francisco (Brazil) 2,900 640,000 3,040 5.75 9
J.P.M. Syvitski
San Juan (Colombia) 352 14,300 2,550 16.42 1150
J.D. Restrepo
Guaiba (Brazil) 600 97,990 2,500 - -
B. Kjerfve
•According to Goniadzki (1999),
the Parana River has experienced significantly increased discharge (mean >30,000
m 3
s- 1 )
during the past 20
years
\;.)
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D. tb ....
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