Abstract

PAGOT, Mariana et al. Maximum Water Level in Mar Chiquita, Lagoon, Cordoba, Argentina. Tecnol. cienc. agua [online]. 2014, vol.5, n.4, pp.119-133. ISSN 2007-2422.

Mar Chiquita lagoon is the largest endorheic body of water in Argentina. It is located in the northeast portion of the province of Cordoba. The maximum water level is the topic of this work, which is defined using the combined effect of the historical maximum water level measured on the coast and the maximum storm elevation (considering both wind and waves) estimated for recurrences of 25, 50 and 100 years. The analysis of the series of water levels made it possible to determine the historical maximum level measured in the lagoon. This value was recorded in 2003 as a height of 71.9 meters above sea level (masl). The maximum storm level is defined by both the action of the wind and waves generated by the storm. Specific software and empirical formulas were used to obtain these estimates. To propagate the waves on the beach profile, the bathymetry of the lagoon was rebuilt using remote sensing techniques. To this end, terrain elevation data were used from space surveys derived from radar and from thematic maps based on Landsat images with the digital extraction of water contours. The results indicate that the maximum flood that could occur in Laguna Mar Chiquita, on the southern coast of the system, is 73.5 masl with a recurrence of 100 years. It is important to conduct this analysis for systems with large fluctuations in water levels, such as the one presented here.

Keywords : Mar Chiquita lagoon; maximum flood stage; remote sensing; water levels; wind; waves.