EVOLUTION OF THE THE AMAPA COAST AND INNER CONTINENTAL SHELF- CANAL DO VARADOR/(AP)
Coastal evolution; Amazon Continental Shelf; Morphology; Sedimentology; Stratigraphy
The Amazon Continental Shelf extends from the mouth of the Amazon River to the border of Brazil with French Guiana. This shelf is under the influence of a unique dynamic environment, resulting from the superposition of several factor, such as geographic, physical, oceanographic and climatic, adding to the hydric and sedimentary discharges from the Amazon River. The above mentioned factors make the coast of Amapá exhibits characteristics that differentiate it from the rest of the Brazilian coastal zone, being the junction of these aspects determinant for the formation of an accretionary/erosional coast. This work aims the characterization of geomorphology, stratigraphy and of the sedimentary dynamics of a portion of the erosional coast from Amapá and its intern platform, more precisely the Varador canal, applying remote sensing techniques, hydroacoustic geophysical, sedimentological and stratigraphical methods. The study area is inserted in the Maracá-Jipioca Ecological Station (EEMJ), a conservation unit, located at Amapá city. The EEMJ encompasses the North and South Macará islands, the Varador de Macará and Turluri channels, the continental litoral limited by the Flechal River mouth and oceanic area. For the morphological characterization were used data of LANDSAT 8 OLI and RADAR PALSAR images, seismic data acquired with a CHIRP SBP512 system from EDGETECH that has a frequency spectrum from 2 to 12 kHz and also bathymetric data collected using an ecosounder Hydrotrack from ODOM with a transductor working at the 235 kHz frequency. The sedimentological samples were collected using a Van Veen grab sampler, the cores were obtained by the vibration method (viracore) The results indicate a set of paleodrainages at the region, one in the continent, other at North Macará island and two at South Maracá island. The seismic profiles showed a set of drainages, actives and buried, at the Varador canal, which were divided in systems, considering their morphological aspects. It was still possible to map the occurrence of gas saturated sediments, fluid muddy e subaquatic dunes.