Análise evolutiva da paisagem da serra Tepequém - Roraima e o impacto da atividade antrópica

Abstract

The north area of Roraima State presents great diversity of geomorphologic featuresformed by dissected plateaus, limited by intermountain plain and relief with a plateau morphology that it is individualized in the extensive plain areas, e.g., of the mountain Tepequém. Since 1930s this was a site of intense activity of diamond extraction what printed changes in the landscape. The main objective of this study is to understand the dynamics evolution of the landscape of the mountain Tepequém under diamond extraction activity and the reason of its erosion susceptibility, being natural or anthropic. To reach these objectives, a description of profiles of soils and saprolitic rock, as well as lateritic profiles were accomplished. Samples of soils, altered rocks, laterites and coal were collected. Besides, width, depth, extension and directional alignment of the channels of the gullies measurements were carried out. The collected materials were submitted to the following analyses: grain size, by humid way; minerals identification by X-ray diffraction and SEM techniques; total chemistry analysis (major elements) by ICP-MS and content of organic matter, humidity and density of the soil measurements. Coal samples were submitted to radiocarbon analyses by AMS (Accelerator Mass Spectrometry). Appling the interpretation of optical images (Landsat-5/TM and Cbers-2/CCD) and the cartographic base, maps of structural alignment, relief (altimetry and declivity), drainage and vegetation covering were also elaborated. The mountain Tepequém stand out among the landscape dominated by relief of hills, residual hills and plane-slightly wavy surfaces because of its rectangular-rhombic format and outline of steep scarps elaborated on sedimentary rocks of Paleoproterozoic. The drainage system of the area delineates parallel, angle-rectangular and faults standards. The relief and drainage morphology of the mountain Tepequém and its around area define a subordination to the structural arrangement E-W, NE-SW and NW-SE directions represented by normal and strike-slip faults. In the mountain Tepequém, the geomorphologic compartments are established by 575 to 670 m high plain intra-valleys surfaces bordered by less than 774m high hills and residual hills and edge slopes less than 1100m high. The bush grassy savanna dominates this landscape and recovers the edge scarps and extends along the regional plain. The ciliary forest covers small stains along the Cabo Sobral and Paiva rivers. This scenery was quite modified because of diamond extraction activity. However, with the decline of this activity, the ciliary forest recovers spontaneously, as the optical images of the last 22 years shows (1984, 1995 and 2006). Intra-valleys plains were developed on sandy soils constituted by medium and fine grain size sandy domains, sub-angles to sub-rounded poorly selected, with low cohesion and small quantity of organic matter. These soils are developed on saprolitic derived of sandstones and siltstones. Locally stone lines and colluvial are observed, usually on the saprolitic. Immature laterites are found in the center-north hills of the mountain Tepequém. Quartz, muscovite in sub-milimetric plates and kaolinite partially involving the grains of quartz are predominant in soils constitution, while the lateritic profiles are constituted by gibbsite, goethite and hematite, besides quartz and kaolinite. Laterite and quartz fragments constitute the stone lines. High concentrations of SiO2 confirm the essentially quartz-character of the soils, while the values of Al2O3, K2O, MgO, Fe2O3 and TiO2 are more expressive in the saprolitic zones, confirming the kaolinite, muscovite and hematite domain, derived of claystones and siltstones. The radiocarbon ages in coal obtained for the superficial materials (colluvial and stone lines) show that these materials were formed at least 3.822 years BP. The intermountain plains reveal in its landscape erosive features in the piping formations, dolines and gullies, developed in the lands with sandy to silt materials domain. The channels of gullies are mainly aligned in the directions NE-SW and NW-SE corresponding to the directions of fractures and faults that section the Tepequém Formation. The seemingly stabilized gullies are partially covered by ferns that grow on the side and bottom surfaces of the channel. The evolution of the landscape of the mountain of Tepequém specially the formation of its general internal structure involves the tectonic still in Proterozoic. The inherited morphology reflects in the steep scarps around as well as in the top such a great synclinorium. The evolution of the landscape of the mountain of Tepequém during Cenozoic is marked by formation of small hills, some of these protected by lateritic crusts suggesting registration of a humid and hot paleoclimate in Pleistocene, which can admit the installation of the drainage net. The erosive process of the fluvial courses allies with the high gradient favored the transport of part of the sediments to W-SW direction, contributing in the formation of the intermountain plains. The current scenery is marked by the erosive retaking favored by the sandy non-cohesive nature of the soils, ally to a paleorelief inclined to the valleys and strongly fractured and failed that causes a strong shallow surface stormflow propitiating the piping formations, dolines and then the gullies. Thus, the diamond extraction activity can contribute in the intensification of the gullies but, however, it was not the decisive factor. Therefore, the evolution of the landscape of the mountain Tepequém in Proterozoic and in Cenozoic until the present is due to the interaction of multiple processes involving the tectonic history, the weathering changes and the several erosion cycles, as well as the restricted sedimentation and the small anthropic contribution.