Invited by the National Geographic Institute of Peru (IGN), IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics) has joined the international and multi-subject team whose objective is to find the precise location of the Amazon River source. The group includes researchers from INPE (National Institution for Space Research) and ANA (National Water Agency), besides Peruvian scientists who have engaged in field work in the Andes range since May 21. For the first time, the topic is being investigated in partnership by south-American countries. The results of this work will be presented in an international seminar in Lima, Peru, on May 31, and will become part of the new maps of South America.

The expedition is going to last ten days. Measures are being taken in two places: in the source located in the area known as Nevado Mismi (Quebrada Carhuasanta¹) and in the source located in Quebrada Apacheta, in the Nevado Quehuisha), which are separated by about 10 km. The source which is more distant from the Amazon estuary, through which the river meets the Atlantic Ocean, will be considered the river origin. 

In the field work, it will be IBGE’s duty to georeference the true river source, that is, to establish its geodetic coordinates: more precise measures for latitude, longitude and height than those measured only through satellite images.   

Once the exact location of the two spots are determined, IBGE and IGN will implement geodetic stations in each one of them. They will function as references to the measurements with GPS (Global Positioning System, a system of navigation and positioning by satellite). The tracking of the station and the processing of the data collected in the field will be under the responsibility of the IBGE Department of Geodesy.         

The new coordinates will allow the precise identification of the Amazon River source in all the maps of South America. These data will contribute to increase the knowledge about the largest river by volume in the world.  

The expedition has received the support of RW Cine, a Brazilian company which produces documentaries. After the information obtained has been checked and the satellite images have been reinterpreted, the data will be also made available through films and television programs.

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¹ Location in a range of mountains of a geological formation that is lower than the surrounding peaks