Pedogênese e morfogênese em cabeceira de drenagem no Planalto de Canoas (SC) no Quaternário Tardio

Abstract

This study aimed to understand the pedogenesis and morphogenesis phenomena that occurred on Canoas river Plateau (SC) in South Brazil during the Late Quaternary. Specifically, it attempted i) to establish a pedostratigraphic section representative of the pedological and geogenetic facts of the paleocabeceira drainage, ii) to characterize the physical, chemical and chronological nature of the materials of the pedostratigraphic section, iii) to understand the evolutionary framework of the geomorphic unit of analysis, iv) to establish the stratigraphic correlation with the records of the geomorphic surfaces of Palmas/Água Doce (South of Brazil), v) and also verifying the chronological correlation of stratigraphic records with regional and global climatic variations. Therefore, the following steps were followed: a) field work, where the architecture of the stratigraphic records, the pedological morphological description, the photographic records and the systematic collection of samples were analyzed, and b) laboratory analysis, where it was conducted the particle size analysis, micromorphological description, dates of 14C, dates by Optically Stimulated Luminescence (LOE) and mineralogical determination of the clay, silt and sand fractions. The stratigraphic section representing the Canoas river Plateau presents 3,50 meters of material and it presents the horizons: CAp, 2Ab, 2ACb, 2CAb, 3Cb, 4ACb, 4Cb, 5Ab, 5ACb (ortomorphics) and 6Cg1b, 6Cg2b and 6Cg3b (hydromorphics). The results showed from the mineralogical analysis of the sand, silt and clay fractions is that the material is composed of primary and secondary minerals derived from volcanic rocks of Serra Geral Formation and Botucatu Sandstone, which indicated the presence of polygenetic soils. The micromorphological analysis showed that the materials are of coluvial origin from gravitational movements and surface runoff, and derived from the pedogenesis of Botucatu Sandstone with mixtures of basaltic rocks from the Serra Geral Formation. The carbon isotopes revealed four distinct periods which indicated changes in vegetation and possibly climatic changes, sometimes with vegetation of type C3, others with vegetation with C4 photosynthetic cycle and also with a mixture of vegetation C3 and C4. The data revealed ages between 28.770 to 2.100 years B.P., thus showing that the stratigraphic section was formed between the Upper Pleistocene, in the Last Interstate (EIM3) to the Upper Holocene or its limit with the Middle Holocene, current Interglacial (EIM1). Finally, the evolutionary sequence showed that the stratigraphic section is made up of allochthonus and autochthonus materials formed in the Last Interstate (EIM 3), Last Glacial Maximum (EIM 2) and Interglacial (EIM 1) corresponding to the Upper Pleistocene and Upper Holocene, covering the Late Quaternary, since that the stages of pedogenesis and morphogenesis identified on Canoas river Plateau (SC) are similar to those identified on Palmas Plateau (PR)/Água Doce (SC).