MORPHOMETRIC COMPARTMENTATION OF THE COCO RIVER BASIN AS SUBSIDY TO ANALYSIS OF ENVIRONMENTAL FRAGILITY

Abstract This study had as its object realizes the morphometric compartmentation of the Coco River basin. For this, it was performed the manual digitization of the drainage at scale 1:5,000 from RapidEye satellite images using ArcGIS 10.1, being used the methodology proposed by Strahler (1952) for the hierarchy of the drainage. The compartmentalization the basin it was performed in ArcGis 10.1 based on drainage analysis in the landscape (hydrograph and relief). Were defined 05 compartments (sub-basins), being: Sub-basin the Ribeirão Prata, Sub-basin the Ribeirão Piedade, Sub-basin the Ribeirão Surubim, Sub-basin the High Coco River and Sub-basin the Low Coco River, in which were applied morphometric parameters, according the methodologies described by Horton (1945), Christofoletti (1969) and Strahler (1952). From the analysis performed can be observed that the sub-basins the High Coco River and Ribeirão Piedade were the compartments that showed largest natural fragility in relation the other compartments, considering the results obtained in the morphometric analysis, suggesting a special attention to them in relation the use and occupation of soil.