Use of satellite images time series to analyze the morphological and sedimentary changes caused by anthropic impacts in the Cuiabá River (MT), Pantanal

Abstract

The Brazilian central-west region has been undergoing significant transformations in its production system since the 1970s, expanding the agro-industrial and energy sectors. This expansion has been characterized by the conversion of native vegetation into agricultural lands and the increase in hydroelectric power plants, which are potential causes of impacts on natural systems, especially in rivers and wetlands. In the state of Mato Grosso, the Cuiabá River Basin is an example of these anthropogenic changes, which can be noticed from the headwaters of the hydrographic basin to the Pantanal floodplains. Therefore, there is a gap in research that quantify those impacts across time and space. Thus, the main aim of this project is to investigate the response of the Cuiabá River in the face of changes in land use and the creation of hydroelectric plants from 1985 to the present. The analysis of the changes caused by these disturbances will be based on the mapping and quantification of river bars present in the river, evaluation of the migration of the channel, and changes in its width, being used for this a time series of remote sensing products. The indexes will be analyzed based on supervised image classification, with annual Landsat 5 and 8 images from 1985 to 2020. Information about hydroelectric power plants, deforestation, and changes in land use will be obtained in the literature and open-access database. The results obtained from the correlation of the data will allow us to produce new information about how anthropogenic factors change the river, supporting possible management plans and more appropriate environmental planning.(AU)