Does Lake Titicaca still control the Lake Poopó system water levels? An investigation using satellite altimetry and MODIS data (2000–2009)

Abstract

Complementary analysis of satellite mission data (altimetry, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometers (MODIS)) and climate fields over 2000–2009 was conducted to investigate the variability of the water cover surfaces and the geographical source of water inflowing into the Lake Poopó system. The results suggest that over the time span of 2000–2009 a great part of the variability of the Poopó system originates from geographic sources other than Lake Titicaca. Possible alternative causes include climate change inducing increased temperatures and greater evaporation rates along the Altiplano; increased glacier and snow melting over the Andes Cordillera; and a potential increased anthropogenic water use (such as irrigation, minery, etc.) throughout the path of the Desaguadero River (which connects lakes Titicaca and Poopó). This change in the hydrology of this region could lead to a collapse of water supplies and endanger the already fragile Poopó system as well as the regional socioeconomic system, which closely depends upon it.

Acknowledgements

The authors thank three anonymous referees and the editor for their valuable comments to improve the quality of this article. Matt Miller (DGEO) kindly assisted the authors in improving the English of this article. This work was initiated within the framework of ECOSud program, project ‘C04U02: Continental hydrology by combining altimetry, gravimetry, satellite imagery and in situ data. Application to the Andean Region’. R. Abarca-del-Rio is indebted to Observatoire Midi Pyrenees (Toulouse, France) for the ‘Poste Rouge’ Chair of excellence which allowed this work. This work has been supported by the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES, France) in the framework of the TOSCA program. The altimetry data are downloaded from the Centre de Topographie des Océans et de l'Hydrosphère (CTOH) of Legos. The MODIS data were downloaded from the Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) (wist.echo.nasa.gov/api/). The GSHHS coastlines and river network were downloaded from the website: www.soest.hawaii.edu/pwessel/gshhs.