Brazil Sends Expedition to Prove the Amazon is the Planet’s Longest River

Amazon river Which is the largest river in the world? Would it be the Nile, in Africa, or the Amazon, in Brazil? Seeking an answer, the scientific expedition "To the Riverhead of the Amazon" has left last Sunday to Peru, in order to measure the extension of the river.

During the ten days of the expedition, Brazilian researchers and documentary filmmakers will count on the support of Peruvian scientists.

The team wants to identify the true head of the Amazon River, the place where it actually starts to run. They are going to collect data of the main streams that originate the Amazon waters.

To accomplish the task, the team will have 4×4 vehicles, and in some areas it will have to travel by foot. The adventure will demand a bit more from the team: in order to go up the mountains, they will have to do mountain climbing or alpinism. They will be guided by Peruvians specialized on the Andes.

Paulo Roberto, a researcher at the National Institute for Space Research (Inpe), considers the expedition to be important. "I believe it is important because we will get to know our planet better. In the case of the Amazon River, for instance, we know that the snowies (the snowy peaks of the Andes) indicate climate change."

The researcher claims that the work includes the development of a universal measurement method that allows for the use of new technologies, such as satellite images and geo-processing. This new method may be applied to any river in the planet.

The existing measurements adopt procedures that follow the river stream that has the highest rate of flow, and not the highest length. By that token, the Amazon River, according to data provided by the INPE, may reach over 6,800 meters of length.

After the expedition, the participants will meet Peruvian scientists in order to reach a consensus about the extension of the Amazon River.

ABr

Tags:

You May Also Like

Brazil Caudillismo: A State Where Everything Is Named After Senator Sarney

Following a series of scandals that took Brazil’s Senate President, José Sarney, to the ...

Brazil and Neighbors Look for Cultural Integration

The Mercosur is of decisive importance for the future of all the countries in ...

92 Kids Dead, 60 Adults Killed: Church Says Brazil Indians Are Treated Like Animals

Brazil’s Indigenist Missionary Council (CIMI) should release this Thursday, June 30, the Year Report ...

Foreign Bulls Stir Brazil’s Market

Brazilian  market strengthened this Friday, January 14, amid a batch of economic news, with ...

Brazil Bullish on Mercosur

Special Presidential Advisor for Foreign Relations, Marco Aurélio Garcia, rebutted criticism by business leaders ...

Most Brazilians Expecting Unemployment to Become Worse

Compared with the previous quarter, the Brazilian population’s expectations for inflation improved, while perceptions ...

Brazil Spends US$ 27 Bi and Is Leader in Military Spending in Latin America

According to the latest report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, SIPRI, Brazil ...

Miriam Leitão, Brazilian journalist

Brazil’s Foremost Journalist Sounds Off. She’s Heard in High Places.

Miriam Leitão, reporter and columnist for daily O Globo, Globo TV Network and CBN ...

Brazil Reduces Ethanol in Gasoline in Effort to Curb Prices

In Brazil, starting this February 1st, the mandatory percentage of ethanol added to gasoline ...

Brazil Sets Record in Vehicle Production

Vehicle production in plants installed in Brazil set a record in March, turning out ...