Amazon region
2000 years old? Drought exposes mysterious “stone smileys”.
Watch the video: Drought in the Amazon exposes mysterious “stone smileys”.
Manaus, Brazil: Mysterious stones on the Amazon. Century drought exposes ancient engravings. Some look like “smiley faces”. Occasionally stones had appeared. Now researchers are amazed at the diversity. Engravings could be up to 2000 years old. River region drier than it has been in over 100 years.
Pre-Columbian stone engravings that could be up to 2,000 years old have appeared near the mouth of the Rio Negro. The Amazon region is currently experiencing its worst drought in over 100 years.
Levels in the Amazon River, in the heart of the Brazilian rainforest, recently fell to their lowest level in over a century. A record drought is endangering the lives of hundreds of thousands of people – and the jungle ecosystem. The rapid drying up of the tributaries of the mighty Amazon has stranded boats and disrupted the supply of food and water to remote villages. In addition, high water temperatures are believed to have led to the deaths of more than 100 endangered river dolphins.
In the port of Manaus, the most populous city in the region where the Rio Negro and the Amazon flow together, a water level of 13.59 meters was recently measured. A year ago it was 17.60 meters. This is the lowest water level since records began in 1902 and exceeds the previous low from 2010.
Brazil: Drought on the Amazon
After months without rain, resident Pedro Mendonca was relieved when a Brazilian NGO delivered relief supplies to his riverside community near Manaus late last week.
“It hasn’t rained in our community for three months,” said Mendonca, who lives in Santa Helena do Ingles, west of Manaus, the capital of Amazonas state. “It is much hotter than in previous droughts.” According to the Brazilian disaster warning center Cemaden, some areas of the Amazon saw less rain from July to September than at any time since 1980.
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Climate phenomenon El Niño responsible?
The Brazilian Ministry of Science blames the drought on this year’s occurrence of the climate phenomenon El Niño, which is responsible for extreme weather worldwide. In a report earlier this month, the ministry said it expects the drought to last at least until December, when the impact of El Niño is expected to peak.
According to the civil protection authority of the state of Amazonas, 481,000 people are affected by the drought. Late last week, employees of the Brazilian non-governmental organization Fundacao Amazonia Sustentavel (FAS) headed to the parched region to deliver food and supplies to vulnerable villages. The drought threatens access to food, drinking water and medicines that are normally transported by rivers.
Limited supply
Nelson Mendonca, a community leader in Santa Helena do Ingles, said some areas can still be reached by canoe, but many boats were unable to transport supplies on the river, so most goods were transported by tractor or on foot get delivered. “This is bad for us because we are practically isolated,” he said. Luciana Valentin, who also lives in Santa Helena do Ingles, said she was concerned about the cleanliness of the local water supply after drought reduced water levels. “Our children get diarrhea, vomit and often have a fever because of the water,” she said.