Methodology for the analysis of the frequency of shallow water bodies in the Pampean region, Argentina

The shallow lakes of the Pampa region in Argentina are highly prone to variability in temperature and precipitation regime. These ecosystems are fundamental in environmental processes, but their presence and environmental services are unknown. Climate variability and agricultural activities have threatened them in recent decades by intervening and modifying the regional hydrography. This study seeks to monitor the evolution of shallow lakes and their relationship with climate variability over a period of 35 years using satellite imagery and meteorological data. It aims to study the dynamics in accordance with the change in temperature and precipitations. The historical collection of Landsat for 1986-2021 related to climate data through an ANCOVA analysis and a climate index of evapotranspiration-precipitation have been used. The results allow us to identify the distribution in the basin of the shallow lakes as semi-permanent, emphasizing that temperatures have a more substantial effect than the precipitations that would determine their presence or drying out. The proposed methodology frames the need to generate this type of information about the response of the hydrographic system to potential hazard and the identification of vulnerabilities.