Map of infiltration of the Paraíba do Sul basin using physical elements and precipitation

Abstract

This paper presents a methodological approach to characterize the infiltrations conditions of a portion of Paraiba do Sul river basin (7,600 km2) using Geographic Information Systems tools. To each landscape feature (rock, structure, relief, soil, and land-use) and to the spatial distribution of precipitation, an infiltration potential scale factor that ranges from higher influence (5) to lower influence (1) was applied considering its geographical position. The results showed that higher infiltration capacity areas are located in Serra da Bocaina associated to Serra do Mar relief in the Northeast region and Southeast region as well associated to gentle hills and sandstones along the Paraíba do Sul river. The creation of an Infiltration Map may contribute to the development of long-term territorial plans and water resource management plans in order to support future implementation of non-structural and structural measures at both regional and local scales.