ClimateThe Pantanal is located in a tropical and damp climate zone. The average air temperature is 24 °C. The annual amount of rain is 1,000 to 1,250 mm, which is not much compared to the neighbouring states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso Do Sul. In these states the same index shows 1,500 mm a year, which makes the Pantanal a semi-arid region.Low tide from May to JuneWhile the water is drained by the Rio Paraguay, new life develops in nature: this is the time when it gets particularly interesting, both in the water and on the land. Observing animal families is one of the best experiences and photo motifs. The temperature goes down.
Dry season from July to OctoberThis is when the climate is nicest in the Pantanal. The rivers go back to their normal size and roads and paths are accessible again; also, there are no mosquitoes. All kinds of animals can be watched in the surroundings of the rivers. The temperatures drop to ca. 10 °C at night. Rainy season from November to JanuaryWith the water level rising, the fish migrate upstream to spawn. The amount of midges - which is fairly insignificant in other seasons - can get very annoying now, but decreases considerably as soon as the first rain starts to fall. Nonetheless, this is a particularly nice time to experience the landscape, which blooms and flourishes with the humidity. The fauna lives a bit more withdrawn during this time, since there is now plenty of water even in the most remote corners. The temperature rises to ca. 37 °C. Although the annual temperature value is relatively constant, the temperature sometimes drops down as far as to -1 °C or rises as far as to 41 °C. The reason for these thermal contrasts is a north-to-south shift in the air currents between the "Cordilheira dos Andes" in the west and the "Planalto Brasileiro" in the east. In winter (June/July - August) this corridor channels the cold winds streaming towards the equator from the south, and thus causes a distinct temperature drop (called "friagem" in the Pantanal). Sometimes this phenomenon can be experienced up to five times a year, while in some years it does not occur at all. This cooling reaches as far as the Amazon valley. One such instance was in July 1975, when the Brazilian west experienced the "chill of the century": cold, dry winds blew across the Pantanal at a speed of 40 km/h and the temperature dropped to 0 °C in one night. The opposite can also be the case, when the winds come from the north: hot and damp they blow from the Amazon region and are channelled through the same corridor. As a rule, such sudden climate changes in the Pantanal are accompanied by tremendous rainfall. In such a case, the rain coming down within a few hours is equal to the usual amount of a whole month. In January 1987, 145 mm of rain were registered in Corumbá (Mato Grosso do Sul) within 24 hours. The mentioned winds from the north still combine occasionally with those from the Pacific that cross the Andes - this leads to squall lines which generally form over Paraguay overnight and then shift towards Mato Grosso. Continual thunder and lightning, intense rain and whipping storms are the result. LagoonsBetween May and June the plain reaches its highest water level. The filled-up lagoons act as huge water reservoirs during this time. Some of them now feed the rivers, which start to retreat to their regular beds. Although to the naked eye there is hardly a difference visible between two lagoons, the flora and fauna of each one are fundamentally different to each other. This is due to the different water depth, soil condition and mineral content in the water surrounding each lagoon. Lagoons are the preferred whereabouts of large birds and caimans in search of food. Some lagoons also have a low salt content (from the dissolved salts from the soil). These "salt lagoons" attract particular animals, which lick up the mineral deposits on their shores. Aquatic microbes thrive in such an environment, and in turn serve as food for various kinds of waterfowls. |
||