The story of the Amazon begins where its river meets the sea. Every second, the Amazon River pours 209,000 cubic meters of fresh water into the Atlantic Ocean. This incredible volume accounts for 20% of all fresh water that enters the world’s oceans from rivers. It is more than the output of the next seven largest rivers combined. The flow is so powerful that it dilutes the ocean's saltiness for more than 160 kilometers offshore. During the wet season, the river system swells, with its main channel expanding from a width of 5 kilometers to as much as 50. It’s a liquid continent flowing through a green one. But where does all this water come from in the first place?
The Amazon Rainforest
The world's largest rainforest makes its own rain, releasing 20 billion metric tons of water vapor into the atmosphere every single day.
Chapter 1
The River of Rivers
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much freshwater does the Amazon River contribute to the oceans?
The Amazon River discharges about 209,000 cubic meters of water into the Atlantic every second. This accounts for about 20% of the world's total riverine freshwater flow, a volume greater than the next seven largest rivers combined.
How can such a vast rainforest grow on nutrient-poor soil?
The Amazon is fertilized by dust from the Sahara Desert. Every year, about 27.7 million metric tons of dust cross the Atlantic, delivering phosphorus, an essential nutrient, which compensates for what the forest loses through runoff.
Is the Amazon still absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere?
While healthy parts of the Amazon still act as carbon sinks, some regions have become net sources of carbon. A 2021 study found that in the southeastern Amazon, emissions from fires now exceed the forest's ability to absorb greenhouse gases.
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