Widespread and Exceptional Reduction in River Water Levels Across the Amazon Basin During the 2023 Extreme Drought Revealed by Satellite Altimetry and SWOT
Abstract In late 2023, the Amazon River Basin experienced its most extreme drought to date, putting its population and ecosystem at risk. Gauges that were still functioning measured the lowest river water levels (RWL) on record. Here, satellite observations, including Surface Water Ocean Topography (SWOT), reveal the spread and timing of extremely low RWL across the entire river system. The majority of Nadir altimeter observations show that the 2023 minimum RWL in the Central Amazon were 3 m or more below their annual average, representing two to three times its mean variability. Additionally, SWOT captures the basin‐scale reduction in RWL with a spatial resolution of 200 m and how it propagates with time. Large‐scale evaluation with gauges suggests that SWOT outperforms classical altimetry in estimating RWL, despites differences that need further investigations. SWOT offers a new opportunity to understand hydroclimatic extremes and their broad impacts on the environment of the Amazon.
Authors
- Adrien Paris (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2304-5132)
- Jean‐François Crétaux (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4038-7719)
- Andre Luis Martinelli Real dos Santos (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6097-0998)
- Sly Wongchuig (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1116-0742)
- Rodrigo Cauduro Dias de Paiva (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2918-6681)
- Benjamin Kitambo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9899-2842)
- Daniel Medeiros Moreira (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8915-094X)
- Fabrice Papa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6305-6253)
- Ayan Santos Fleischmann (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8547-4736)
- Stéphane Calmant (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6439-4174)
- Frédéric Frappart (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4661-8274)
- Pierre‐André Garambois (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8350-6741)
- Alice César Fassoni‐Andrade (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3233-8781)
- Jefferson Santos Melo
Institutions
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (BR)
- Universidade de Brasília (BR)
- Aix-Marseille Université (FR)
- University of Kinshasa (CD)
- Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement (FR)
- Biologie du Fruit et Pathologie (FR)
- Santé et Agroécologie du Vignoble (FR)
- Laboratoire d’Études en Géophysique et Océanographie Spatiales (FR)
- Unité mixte de recherche Œnologie (FR)
- Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá (BR)
- Serviço Geológico do Brasil - CPRM (BR)
- Géosciences Environnement Toulouse (FR)
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (FR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Geophysical Research Letters
- Published
- 2025-06-06
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1029/2025gl116180
- Citations
- 7
- Primary Topic
- Flood Risk Assessment and Management
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 7.74
Funders
- Universidade de Brasília
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement
- Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales
- Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
- Fundação de Apoio à Pesquisa do Distrito Federal