Depósitos pleistocenos da formação Itaubal: paleoambiente e implicações na evolução da planície costeira do Amapá

Abstract

In the Late Pleistocene of northern coast of South America, sea level fluctuations, related to climate variations and the sedimentary discharge of the Amazon River, have modified the landscape of this region. Terraces of the Itaubal Formation previously considered as Miocene Barreiras Formation, are part of the Amapá Coastal Plain, which covers the rocks of the Guianas Shield. The geochronological analysis by Optically Stimulated Luminescence / single and multiple aliquote regeneration (OSL/SAR-MAR) provided age around 120.600 (± 12.000) to 58.150 (±6.800) yrs BP and integrated with facies and stratigraphic analysis allowed the identification of coastal deposits and put the Tartarugazliznho Formation in the Upper Pleistocene. These up to 10 m thick, reddish tabular sediments have been divided into two units separated by unconformity. The Lower Unit consists of subtidal plain deposits (FA1), tidally influenced meandering stream deposits (FA2) and tidal plain deposits (FA3), whereas the Upper Unit, containing a higher clay content tham the lower one, is composed of braided stream deposits (FA4). The strata pattern of these units is progadational and takes part in the regressive system tract. The Tartarugazinho Formation onlaps the basement of Guianas Shield, weathered during Miocene-Pliocene and was exposed during the Last Glacial Maximum, about 22.000 – 18.000 yrs BP. Finally fine graided deposits derived from the Amazon River covered the Itaubal Formation and are responsible for the present shape of the northern coastline of South America. For the first time, the Itaubal Formation defines the Pleistocene sedimentary evolution of the Amapá coastal plain and the correlation with similar sediments in Suriname and northeastern Pará expands the discussion about the evolution of the coastal line in Northern South America during Pleistocene.