Articles | Volume 30, issue 11
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-3367-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-3367-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
02 Jun 2026
Research article |
| 02 Jun 2026
| 02 Jun 2026
Long-term hydro-sedimentary dynamics of the Ucayali River (Amazon Basin) revealed through combined observations, remote sensing, and SWAT-Amazon modelling
Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Laboratoire GET (IRD, CNRS, UPS, CNES), Toulouse, France
Alexandre Delort-Ylla
Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Laboratoire GET (IRD, CNRS, UPS, CNES), Toulouse, France
Waldo Lavado-Casimiro
Hidrologia–Estudios e Investigaciones Hidrologicas, Servicio Nacional de Meteorologia e Hidrologia del Peru, Lima, Peru
Benoît Camenen
INRAE, UR RiverLy, centre de Lyon-Grenoble, 5 rue de la Doua, CS20244, 69625 Villeurbanne, France
Joana Roussillon
Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Laboratoire GET (IRD, CNRS, UPS, CNES), Toulouse, France
Jhonatan Jr. Pérez Arévalo
Hidrologia–Estudios e Investigaciones Hidrologicas, Servicio Nacional de Meteorologia e Hidrologia del Peru, Lima, Peru
Jorge Molina-Carpio
IHH-UMSA, La Paz, Bolivia
Jean Michel Martinez
Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Laboratoire GET (IRD, CNRS, UPS, CNES), Toulouse, France
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Short summary
The Ucayali River is the major Andean conveyor of sediment to the Amazon. By combining field measurements, satellite data and modelling over decades, we show that floodplains trap 36% of this sediment while recycling 22% back into the river during flood recession. During high waters, flooding reduces the river's capacity to carry sand, capturing 14% at peak discharge. These findings show that floodplains act as dynamic regulators of sediment transport in large tropical rivers.
The Ucayali River is the major Andean conveyor of sediment to the Amazon. By combining field...
