GeOntoQuery - um mecanismo de busca em bancos de dados geográficos baseado em ontologias

Geographic Information System (GIS) are computational tools used to capture, store, consult, manipulate, analyze and print geo-referenced data. A GIS is a multi-disciplinary system that can be used by different communities of users, each one having their own interest and knowledge. This way, different knowledge views about the same reality need to be combined, in such way to attend each community. This work presents a mechanism that allows different community users access the same geographic database without knowing its particular internal structure. We use geographic ontologies to support a common and shared understanding of a specific domain: the coral reefs. Using these ontologies' descriptions that represent the knowledge of the different communities, mechanisms are created to handle with such different concepts. We use equivalent classes mapping, and a semantic layer that interacts with the ontologies and the geographic database, and that gives to the user the answers about his/her queries, independently of the used terms

Processamento e interpretação de dados 2D e 3D de GPR :aplicações no imageamento de feições kársticas e estruturas de dissolução no campo de petróleo de Fazenda Belém-CE

In Fazenda Belém oil field (Potiguar Basin, Ceará State, Brazil) occur frequently sinkholes and sudden terrain collapses associated to an unconsolidated sedimentary cap covering the Jandaíra karst. This research was carried out in order to understand the mechanisms of generation of these collapses. The main tool used was Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR). This work is developed twofold: one aspect concerns methodology improvements in GPR data processing whilst another aspect concerns the geological study of the Jandaíra karst. This second aspect was strongly supported both by the analysis of outcropping karst structures (in another regions of Potiguar Basin) and by the interpretation of radargrams from the subsurface karst in Fazenda Belém. It was designed and tested an adequate flux to process GPR data which was adapted from an usual flux to process seismic data. The changes were introduced to take into account important differences between GPR and Reflection Seismic methods, in particular: poor coupling between source and ground, mixed phase of the wavelet, low signal-to-noise ratio, monochannel acquisition, and high influence of wave propagation effects, notably dispersion. High frequency components of the GPR pulse suffer more pronounced effects of attenuation than low frequency components resulting in resolution losses in radargrams. In Fazenda Belém, there is a stronger need of an suitable flux to process GPR data because both the presence of a very high level of aerial events and the complexity of the imaged subsurface karst structures. The key point of the processing flux was an improvement in the correction of the attenuation effects on the GPR pulse based on their influence on the amplitude and phase spectra of GPR signals. In low and moderate losses dielectric media the propagated signal suffers significant changes only in its amplitude spectrum; that is, the phase spectrum of the propagated signal remains practically unaltered for the usual travel time ranges. Based on this fact, it is shown using real data that the judicious application of the well known tools of time gain and spectral balancing can efficiently correct the attenuation effects. The proposed approach can be applied in heterogeneous media and it does not require the precise knowledge of the attenuation parameters of the media. As an additional benefit, the judicious application of spectral balancing promotes a partial deconvolution of the data without changing its phase. In other words, the spectral balancing acts in a similar way to a zero phase deconvolution. In GPR data the resolution increase obtained with spectral balancing is greater than those obtained with spike and predictive deconvolutions. The evolution of the Jandaíra karst in Potiguar Basin is associated to at least three events of subaerial exposition of the carbonatic plataform during the Turonian, Santonian, and Campanian. In Fazenda Belém region, during the mid Miocene, the Jandaíra karst was covered by continental siliciclastic sediments. These sediments partially filled the void space associated to the dissolution structures and fractures. Therefore, the development of the karst in this region was attenuated in comparison to other places in Potiguar Basin where this karst is exposed. In Fazenda Belém, the generation of sinkholes and terrain collapses are controlled mainly by: (i) the presence of an unconsolidated sedimentary cap which is thick enough to cover completely the karst but with sediment volume lower than the available space associated to the dissolution structures in the karst; (ii) the existence of important structural of SW-NE and NW-SE alignments which promote a localized increase in the hydraulic connectivity allowing the channeling of underground water, thus facilitating the carbonatic dissolution; and (iii) the existence of a hydraulic barrier to the groundwater flow, associated to the Açu-4 Unity. The terrain collapse mechanisms in Fazenda Belém occur according to the following temporal evolution. The meteoric water infiltrates through the unconsolidated sedimentary cap and promotes its remobilization to the void space associated with the dissolution structures in Jandaíra Formation. This remobilization is initiated at the base of the sedimentary cap where the flow increases its abrasion due to a change from laminar to turbulent flow regime when the underground water flow reaches the open karst structures. The remobilized sediments progressively fill from bottom to top the void karst space. So, the void space is continuously migrated upwards ultimately reaching the surface and causing the sudden observed terrain collapses. This phenomenon is particularly active during the raining season, when the water table that normally is located in the karst may be temporarily located in the unconsolidated sedimentary cap

Variação espacial e sazonal de elementos maiores e traços no estuários do Rio Curimataú (RN), através de dados geoquímicos e de sensoriamento remoto

The Curimataú estuary is located in the oriental coast of Rio Grande do Norte State in Brazil. Its importance resides in the fact that this region possesses one of the last portions of preserved mangrove in the Rio Grande do Norte State. Nevertheless, it has been severely affected by many anthropogenic activities, as sugarcane monoculture and shrimp farming. Former works demonstrated that an accumulation of heavy metals is occurring in oysters in this estuary, and perhaps it could be explained by the input of metals in this ecosystem deriving from the shrimp farming. To better understanding the origin of these metals, bottom sediment samples, cores and suspended particulate matter were collected for a characterization of metal concentrations (Al, Ba, Cd, Cu, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn) and to determine the potentially bioavailable metals. Additionally, the enrichment ratio for each element analyzed was calculated. The mineralogical composition of sediment samples and cores were obtained by X-ray diffraction. Moreover, data of orbital remote sensing were used in order to detect and quantify suspended matter by applying a logarithmic algorithm. Geochemical data of bottom sediments and cores revealed that, excepting Ba and Pb, the elements analyzed presented concentrations characteristic of an unpolluted ecosystem (Al: 0,25 - 8,76 %; Ba: 3,03 - 870 µg.g-1; Cd: < 0,25 µg.g-1; Cr: 1,72 - 82,4 µg.g-1; Cu: 0,12 -25,3 µg.g-1; Pb: 0,38 - 23,7 µg.g-1; Fe: 0,10 - 5,82 %; Mn: 15,1 - 815 µg.g-1; Ni: 0,14 - 36,1 µg.g-1; Zn: 1,37 - 113 µg.g-1). During the dry season a distribution pattern was observed, with higher metal concentrations in the margins, decreasing toward the central portion of the channel. These metal concentrations were well correlated with mineralogical compositions, with clay minerals prevailing at the margins, and quartz and feldspar in the center. However, this pattern was not observed during the wet season, probably because of the high water flux that disturbed bottom sediments. But, as observed for the dry season, a good correlation between metal concentrations and mineralogical composition was also observed for the wet season, with high metal concentrations where there were high quantities of clay minerals. Low enrichment ratios were obtained for the majority of elements analyzed, excepting for Mn, Ba and Pb. Manganese presented the higher ratios downstream for both seasons, and it can be an evidence of anthropogenic impact by shrimp farming. As barium and lead concentrations in sediment samples presented analytical problems during the total sample digestion, one cannot be sure that the ratios obtained correspond to the reality. The highest metal concentrations in particulate matter were obtained in the portion dominated by fluvial transport for all metals analyzed, excepting for copper. Barium and zinc were the only elements that presented elevated concentrations that are not common of unpolluted ecosystems (Ba: 5730 - 8355 µg.g-1; Zn: 3899 - 4348 µg.g-1). However, these high concentrations could not be related to the shrimp farming and waste waters from the town of Canguaretama, once they were obtained from the fluvial particulate matter, that is upstream from the activities above mentioned. The application of the logarithmic algorithm to the processed LANDSAT image was well succeeded, although the acquired image does not correspond exactly to the field campaigns. The IKONOS image provided very detailed views of the suspended sediment concentration at the estuary, as the mixture of distinct water flows at the confluence of Cunhaú and Curimataú rivers, with more turbid waters from Cunhaú river, that is directly affected by effluents from shrimp farming and urban waste waters deriving from the town of Canguaretama

Sistema de aquisição de dados para estudos de transiente de pressão e detecção de vazamentos em oleodutos

In February 2011, the National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP) has published a new Technical Rules for Handling Land Pipeline Petroleum and Natural Gas Derivatives (RTDT). Among other things, the RTDT made compulsory the use of monitoring systems and leak detection in all onshore pipelines in the country. This document provides a study on the method for detection of transient pressure. The study was conducted on a industrial duct 16" diameter and 9.8 km long. The pipeline is fully pressurized and carries a multiphase mixture of crude oil, water and natural gas. For the study, was built an infrastructure for data acquisition and validation of detection algorithms. The system was designed with SCADA architecture. Piezoresistive sensors were installed at the ends of the duct and Digital Signal Processors (DSPs) were used for sampling, storage and processing of data. The study was based on simulations of leaks through valves and search for patterns that characterize the occurrence of such phenomena

Comitês de Classificadores para o Reconhecimento Multibiométrico em Dados Biométricos Revogáveis

This work discusses the application of techniques of ensembles in multimodal recognition systems development in revocable biometrics. Biometric systems are the future identification techniques and user access control and a proof of this is the constant increases of such systems in current society. However, there is still much advancement to be developed, mainly with regard to the accuracy, security and processing time of such systems. In the search for developing more efficient techniques, the multimodal systems and the use of revocable biometrics are promising, and can model many of the problems involved in traditional biometric recognition. A multimodal system is characterized by combining different techniques of biometric security and overcome many limitations, how: failures in the extraction or processing the dataset. Among the various possibilities to develop a multimodal system, the use of ensembles is a subject quite promising, motivated by performance and flexibility that they are demonstrating over the years, in its many applications. Givin emphasis in relation to safety, one of the biggest problems found is that the biometrics is permanently related with the user and the fact of cannot be changed if compromised. However, this problem has been solved by techniques known as revocable biometrics, which consists of applying a transformation on the biometric data in order to protect the unique characteristics, making its cancellation and replacement. In order to contribute to this important subject, this work compares the performance of individual classifiers methods, as well as the set of classifiers, in the context of the original data and the biometric space transformed by different functions. Another factor to be highlighted is the use of Genetic Algorithms (GA) in different parts of the systems, seeking to further maximize their eficiency. One of the motivations of this development is to evaluate the gain that maximized ensembles systems by different GA can bring to the data in the transformed space. Another relevant factor is to generate revocable systems even more eficient by combining two or more functions of transformations, demonstrating that is possible to extract information of a similar standard through applying different transformation functions. With all this, it is clear the importance of revocable biometrics, ensembles and GA in the development of more eficient biometric systems, something that is increasingly important in the present day

Modelagem e desenvolvimento de um banco de dados geográficos : aplicação à elaboração de mapas de sensibilidade ambiental ao derramamento de óleo na área costeira entre galinhos e São Bento do Norte-RN

The area between Galinhos and São Bento do Norte beaches, located in the northern coast of the Rio Grande do Norte State is submitted to intense and constant processes of littoral and aeolian transport, causing erosion, alterations in the sediments balance and modifications in the shoreline. Beyond these natural factors, the human interference is huge in the surroundings due to the Guamaré Petroliferous Pole nearby, the greater terrestrial oil producing in Brazil. Before all these characteristics had been organized MAMBMARE and MARPETRO projects with the main objective to execute the geo-environmental monitoring of coastal areas on the northern portion of RN. There is a bulky amount of database from the study area such as geologic and geophysical multitemporal data, hydrodynamic measurements, remote sensing multitemporal images, thematic maps, among others; it is of extreme importance to elaborate a Geographic Database (GD), one of the main components of a Geographic Information System (GIS), to store this amount of information, allowing the access to researchers and users. The first part of this work consisted to elaborate a GD to store the data of the area between Galinhos and São Bento do Norte cities. The main goal was to use the potentiality of the GIS as a tool to support decisions in the environmental monitoring of this region, a valuable target for oil exploration, salt companies and shrimp farms. The collected data was stored as a virtual library to assist men decisions from the results presented as digital thematic maps, tables and reports, useful as source of data in the preventive planning and as guidelines to the future research themes both on regional and local context. The second stage of this work consisted on elaborate the Oil-Spill Environmental Sensitivity Maps. These maps based on the Environmental Sensitivity Index Maps to Oil Spill developed by the Ministry of Environment are cartographic products that supply full information to the decision making, contingency planning and assessment in case of an oil spilling incident in any area. They represent the sensitivity of the areas related to oil spilling, through basic data such as geology, geomorphology, oceanographic, social-economic and biology. Some parameters, as hydrodynamic data, sampling data, coastal type, declivity of the beach face, types of resources in risk (biologic, economic, human or cultural) and the land use of the area are some of the essential information used on the environmental sensitivity maps elaboration. Thus using the available data were possible to develop sensitivity maps of the study area on different dates (June/2000 and December/2000) and to perceive that there was a difference on the sensitivity index generated. The area on December presented more sensible to the oil than the June one because hydrodynamic data (wave and tide energy) allowed a faster natural cleaning on June. The use of the GIS on sensitivity maps showed to be a powerful tool, since it was possible to manipulate geographic data with correctness and to elaborate more accurate maps with a higher level of detail to the study area. This presented an medium index (3 to 4) to the long shore and a high index (10) to the mangrove areas highly vulnerable to oil spill

Aquisição, processamento e análise de dados de sísmica de alta resolução na plataforma continental norte do Rio Grande do Norte: Vale inciso do rio açu

On the modern Continental Shelf to the north of Rio Grande do Norte state (NE Brazil) is located a paleo-valley, submerged during the last glacial sea-level lowstand, that marks continuation of the most important river of this area (Açu River). Despite the high level of exploration activity of oil industry, there is few information about shallow stratigraphy. Aiming to fill this gap, situated on the Neogene, was worked a marine seismic investigation, the development of a processing flow for high resolution data seismic, and the recognition of the main feature morphology of the study area: the incised valley of the River Açu. The acquisition of shallow seismic data was undertaken in conjunction with the laboratory of Marine Geology/Geophysics and Environmental Monitoring - GGEMMA of Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte UFRN, in SISPLAT project, where the geomorphological structure of the Rio paleovale Açu was the target of the investigation survey. The acquisition of geophysical data has been over the longitudinal and transverse sections, which were subsequently submitted to the processing, hitherto little-used and / or few addressed in the literature, which provided a much higher quality result with the raw data. Once proposed for the flow data was developed and applied to the data of X-Star (acoustic sensor), using available resources of the program ReflexW 4.5 A surface fluvial architecture has been constructed from the bathymetric data and remote sensing image fused and draped over Digital Elevation Models to create three-dimensional (3D) perspective views that are used to analyze the 3D geometry geological features and provide the mapping morphologically defined. The results are expressed in the analysis of seismic sections that extend over the region of the continental shelf and upper slope from mouth of the Açu River to the shelf edge, providing the identification / quantification of geometrical features such as depth, thickness, horizons and units seismic stratigraphyc area, with emphasis has been placed on the palaeoenvironmental interpretation of discordance limit and fill sediment of the incised valley, control by structural elements, and marked by the influence of changes in the sea level. The interpretation of the evolution of this river is worth can bring information to enable more precise descriptions and interpretations, which describes the palaeoenvironmental controls influencing incised valley evolution and preservation to provide a better comprehensive understanding of this reservoir analog system

Análise de terrenos na porção setentrional da Província Borborema, NE do Brasil: integração de dados geológicos e gravimétricos

It is presently assumed that the Borborema Province resulted from a complex collisional process associated with the convergent movement of plates, possibly involving amalgamation and accretion of microplates. This process was consolidated at the end of the Brasiliano event. It is investigated the possible limits for the tectonostratigraphic terranes in the northern portion of the province based on an integrated study of geological and gravity data. The study area comprises the portion of the Borborema Province located north of the Patos Lineament, limited by longitudes 33º00 W and 43º29 44"W and latitudes 1º36 S and 8º00 S. A revision of the regional geology allowed to identify areas presenting contrasting geological attributes, possibly representing different terranes whose limits are always shear zones of Brasiliano-age. The Sobral-Pedro II shear zone is the only one undoubtedly presenting geological attributes of sutures zones. The other shear zones are very likely associated with a geodinymic context of accretion, involving oblique collisions (docking), transcurrent and/or transforming sutures, and deep intracrustal shear zones. The gravity data contributed as a tool to identify strong lateral contrasts of density inside the upper crust possibly associated with crustal blocks tectonically juxtaposed. The dominant long wavelength anomaly in the Bouguer anomaly map is an expressive gradient, grossly parallel to the continental margin, caused by density variation across the crust-mantle interface in the transition from the continental crust to the oceanic crust originated by the separation between South America and Africa. Medium to small wavelength anomalies are due to intracrustal heterogeneities such as different Precambrian crustal blocks, Brasiliano-age granites and Mesozoic sedimentary basins. A regional-residual separation of the Bouguer anomaly map was performed in order to enhance in the residual map the effect due to intracrustal heterogeneities. The methodology used for this separation was a robust polinomial fitting. The inversion of residual gravity field resulted in a density contrast map (Δρ), in an equivalent layer that provided more accurated anomalies contours and consolidated the model which the sources of residual anomalies are located in the upper part of the present crust. Based on the coincidence of gravity lineaments in the residual map and Brasiliano shear zones, and using additional geological information, the following shear zones are proposed as limits between terranes: Patos shear zone, Sobral-Pedro II shear zone, Picuí-João Câmara shear zone, Remígio-Pocinhos shear zone, Senador Pompeu shear zone, Tauá shear zone, and Portalegre shear zone. Based on the geological/geophysical information it is attributed a higher level of confidence to the first three proposed limits(Patos, Sobral Pedro II, and Picuí-João Câmara shear zones). From west to east, these shear zones individualize the following terranes: Northwest of Ceará terrane, Central Ceará terrane, Tauá terrane, Orós-Jaguaribe terrane, Seridó terrane, and São José de Campestre terrane. In our study, the Rio Piranhas and Patos terranes are questioned because their previously proposed limits do not present good geological and gravimetric evidences. On the other hand, the previously proposed Cearense terrane is now subdivided into Central Ceará and Tauá terranes. Two residual gravity profiles located in the Seridó belt were interpreted using 2 ½ D direct gravity modeling. The main result of the modeling process is that all anomalies, with the exception of one, can be explained by outcroppring bodies, therefore restricted to the upper part of the present crust

Estruturação do grupo Serra Grande região de Santana do Acaraú- CE e a reativação do lineamento Sobral Pedro II, integração com dados geofísicos

The study area is located in the NW portion of the Ceará state nearby the city of Santana do Acaraú. Geologically it lies along the Sobral-Pedro II lineament which limits the domains of Ceará Central and Noroeste do Ceará, both belonging to the Borborema Province.The object of study was a NE trending 30km long siliciclastic body (sandstone and conglomerate) bounded by transcurrent dextral faults. The sediments are correlated to the Ipú Formation (Serra Grande Group) from the Parnaiba basin, which age is thought to be Siluro-Devonian. Existing structural data shown that bedding has higher but variable dips (70-45) near the borders faults and much lower to subhorizontal inward the body. The brittle deformation was related to a reactivation, in lower crustal level, of the Sobral-Pedro II lineament (Destro (1987, 1999; Galvão, 2002).The study presented here was focused in applying geophysicals methods (gravimetry and seismic) to determine the geometry of the sandstone/conglomeratic body and together with the structural data, to propose a model to explain its deformation. The residual anomalies maps indicate the presence of two main graben-like structures. The sedimentary pile width was estimated from 2D gravimetric models to be about 500-600 meters. The 3D gravimetric model stressed the two maximum width regions where a good correlation is observed between the isopach geometry and the centripetal strike/dip pattern displayed by the sediments bedding. Two main directions (N-S and E-W) of block moving are interpreted from the distribution pattern of the maximum width regions of the sedimentary rock

Geoprocessamento de dados meteo-oceonográficos (cor do oceano e temperatura da superfície do mar) aplicado ao monitoramento ambiental na costa setentrional do Rio Grande do Norte

Orbital remote sensing has been used as a beneficial tool in improving the knowledge on oceanographic and hydrodynamic aspects in northern portion of the continental shelf of Rio Grande do Norte, offshore Potiguar Basin. Aspects such as geography, temporal and spatial resolution combined with a consistent methodology and provide a substantial economic advantage compared to traditional methods of in situ data collecting. Images of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor onboard NASA's AQUA satellite were obtained to support systematic data collections related to the campaign of environmental monitoring and characterization of Potiguar Basin, held in May 2004. Images of Total Suspension Matter (TSM) and values of radiance standard were generated for the calculation of concentrations of total suspension matter (TSM), chlorophyll-a and sea surface temperature (SST). These data sets were used for statistical comparisons between measures in situ and satellite estimates looking validate algorithms or develop a comprehensive regional approach empirically. AQUA-MODIS images allowed the simultaneous comparison of two-dimensional water quality (total suspension matter), phytoplankton biomass (chlorophyll-a) variability and physical (temperature). For images of total suspension matter, the generated models showed a good correlation with the field data, allowing quantitative and qualitative analysis. The images of chlorophyll-a showed a consistent correlation with the in situ values of concentration. The algorithms adjusted for these images obtained a correlation coefficient fairly well with the data field in order that the sensor can be having an effect throughout the water column and not just the surface. This has led to a fit between the data of chlorophyll-the integration of the average sampling interval of the entire water column up to the level of the first optical depth, with the data generated from the images. This method resulted in higher values of chlorophyll concentration to greater depths, due to the fact that we are integrating more values of chlorophyll in the water column. Thus we can represent the biomass available in the water column. Images SST and SST measures in situ showed a mean difference DT (SST insitu - SST sat) around -0.14 ° C, considered low, making the results very good. The integration of total suspension matter, chlorophyll-a, the temperature of the sea surface (SST) and auxiliary data enabled the recognition of some of the main ways to fund the continental shelf. The main features highlighted were submerged canyons of rivers Apodi and Açu, some of the lines and beachrocks reefs, structural highs and the continental shelf break which occurs at depths around -60 m. The results confirmed the high potential for use of the AQUA-MODIS images to environmental monitoring of sea areas due to ease of detection of the field two-dimensional material in suspension on the sea surface, temperature and the concentration of chlorophyll-a

Iinterpretação conjunta de dados de GPR e medidas de permeabilidade sobre um análogo de reservatório siliciclástico falhado na bacia de Tucano, no NE do Brasil

It is presented an integrated geophysical investigation of the spatial distribution of faults and deformation bands (DB´s) in a faulted siliciclastic reservoir analogue, located in Tucano Basin, Bahia State, northeastern Brazil. Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and permeability measurements allowed the analysis of the influence of DB´s in the rock permeability and porosity. GPR data were processed using a suitable flow parametrization in order to highlight discontinuities in sedimentary layers. The obtained images allowed the subsurface detection of DB´s presenting displacements greater that 10 cm. A good correlation was verified between DB´s detected by GPR and those observed in surface, the latter identified using conventional structural methods. After some adaptations in the minipermeameter in order to increase measurement precision, two approaches to measure permeabilities were tested: in situ and in collected cores. The former approach provided better results than the latter and consisted of scratching the outcrop surface, followed by direct measurements on outcrop rocks. The measured permeability profiles allowed to characterize the spatial transition from DB´s to undeformed rock; variation of up to three orders of magnitude were detected. The permeability profiles also presented quasi-periodic patterns, associated with textural and granulometric changes, possibly associated to depositional cycles. Integrated interpretation of the geological, geophysical and core data, provided the subsurface identification of an increase in the DB´s number associated with a sedimentary layer presenting granulometric decrease at depths greater than 8 m. An associated sharp decrease in permeability was also measured in cores from boreholes. The obtained results reveal that radagrams, besides providing high resolution images, allowing the detection of small structures (> 10 cm), also presented a correlation with the permeability data. In this way, GPR data may be used to build upscaling laws, bridging the gap between outcrop and seismic data sets, which may result in better models for faulted reservoirs

Interpretação de dados de GPR com base na hierarquização de superfícies limitantes e na adaptação de critérios sismoestratigráficos

Due to its high resolution, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) has been used to image subsurface sedimentary deposits. Because GPR and Seismic methods share some principles of image construction, the classic seismostratigraphic interpretation method has been also applied as an attempt to interpret GPR data. Nonetheless some advances in few particular contexts, the adaptations from seismic to GPR of seismostratigraphic tools and concepts unsuitable because the meaning given to the termination criteria in seismic stratigraphy do not represent the adequate geologic record in the GPR scale. Essentially, the open question relies in proposing a interpretation method for GPR data which allow not only relating product and sedimentary process in the GPR scale but also identifying or proposing depositional environments and correlating these results with the well known Sequence Stratigraphy cornerstones. The goal of this dissertation is to propose an interpretation methodology of GPR data able to perform this task at least for siliciclastic deposits. In order to do so, the proposed GPR interpretation method is based both on seismostratigraphic concepts and on the bounding surface hierarchy tool from Miall (1988). As consequence of this joint use, the results of GPR interpretation can be associated to the sedimentary facies in a genetic context, so that it is possible to: (i) individualize radar facies and correlate them to the sedimentary facies by using depositional models; (ii) characterize a given depositional system, and (iii) determine its stratigraphic framework highligthing how it evolved through geologic time. To illustrate its use the proposed methodology was applied in a GPR data set from Galos area which is part of the Galinhos spit, located in Rio Grande do Norte state, Northeastern Brazil. This spit presents high lateral sedimentary facies variation, containing in its sedimentary record from 4th to 6th cicles caused by high frequency sea level oscillation. The interpretation process was done throughout the following phases: (i) identification of a vertical facies succession, (ii) characterization of radar facies and its associated sedimentary products, (iii) recognition of the associated sedimentary process in a genetic context, and finally (iv) proposal of an evolutionay model for the Galinhos spit. This model proposes that the Galinhos spit is a barrier island constituted, from base to top, of the following sedimentary facies: tidal channel facies, tidal flat facies, shore facies, and aeolic facies (dunes). The tidal channel facies, in the base, is constituted of lateral accretion bars and filling deposits of the channels. The base facies is laterally truncated by the tidal flat facies. In the foreshore zone, the tidal flat facies is covered by the shore facies which is the register of a sea transgression. Finally, on the top of the stratigraphic column, aeolic dunes are deposited due to areal exposition caused by a sea regression

Aplicação de softwares livres no Processamento de dados sísmicos de alta resolução

The increasing use of shallow seismic methods of high resolution, for investigations of geological problems, environmental or industrial, has impelled the development of techniques, flows and computational algorithms. The practice of applying techniques for processing this data, until recently it wasn t used and the interpretation of the data was made as they were acquired. In order to facilitate and contribute to the improvement of the practices adopted, was developed a free graphical application and open source, called OpenSeismic which is based on free software Seismic Un*x, widely used in the treatment of conventional seismic data used in the exploration of hydrocarbon reservoirs. The data used to validate the initiative were marine seismic data of high resolution, acquired by the laboratory of Geology and Marine Geophysics and Environmental Monitoring - GGEMMA, of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte UFRN, for the SISPLAT Project, located at the region of paleo-valley of the Rio Acu. These data were submitted to the processing flow developed by Gomes (2009), using the free software developed in this work, the OpenSeismic, as well other free software, the Seismic Un*x and the commercial software ProMAX, where despite its peculiarities has presented similar results

Caracterização geomorfológica e modelagem de dados espaciais na plataforma continental rasa do RN nos limites da folha Touros

This work focuses the geomorphological characterization and spatial data modeling in the shallow continental shelf within the Folha Touros limits (SB-25-CV-II), based on bathymetric data analysis and remote sensing products interpretation. The Rio Grande do Norte state is located in northeastern Brazil and the work area is located at the transition region between the eastern and northern portions of their coast. The bathymetric surveys were conduced between march and may 2009, using a 10 meters long vessel and 0.70 meters draught, equipped with global positioning system and echo sounder (dual beam, 200KHz , 14°). The fieldwork resulted in 44 bathymetric profiles espaced 1.5 km and 30 km average length. The bathymetric data amount were 111,200 points and were navigated 1395.7 km within na area about 1,850 km2. The bathymetric data were corrected for the tide level, vessel draught and were subsequently entered into a geographic information system for further processing. Analysis of remote sensing products was carried out using Landsat 7/ETM + band 1, from november 1999. The image was used for visualization and mapping submerged features. The results showed the presence of geomorphological features within the study area. Were observed, from the analysis of local bathymetry and satellite image, seven types of geomorphological features. The channels, with two longitudinals channels (e. g. San Roque and Cioba channels) and other perpendicular to the coast (e. g. Touros, Pititinga and Barretas). Coastal reef formations (Maracajaú, Rio do Fogo and Cioba). Longitudinal waves, described in the literature as longitudinal dunes. The occurrence of a transverse dune field. Another feature observed was the oceanic reefs, an rock alignment parallel to the coast. Were identified four riscas , from north to south: risca do Liso, Gameleira, Zumbi, Pititinga (the latter being described for the first time). Finally, an oceanic terrace was observed in the deepest area of study. Image interpretation corroborated with the in situ results, enabling visualization and description for all features in the region. The results were analysed in an integrating method (using the diferent methodologies applied in this work) and it was essential to describe all features in the area. This method allowed us to evaluate which methods generated better results to describe certain features. From these results was possible to prove the existence of submerged features in the eastern shallow continental shelf of Rio Grande do Norte. In this way, the conclusions was (1) this study contributed to the provision of new information about the area in question, particularly with regard to data collection in situ depths, (2) the method of data collection and interpretation proves to be effective because, through this, it was possible to visualize and interpret the features present in the study area and (3) the interpretation and discussion of results in an integrated method, using different methodologies, can provide better results

Estruturação litosférica da Província Borborema ao longo da Transecta Angüera (BA) Macau (RN), com base em dados gravimétricos

Since 2005, geophysical surveys have been carried out in the Precambri-an Borborema Province, along two transects with 800 km long each one. A pool of Brazilian public universities and institutions has been acquired deep refrac-tion seismic, gravity and magnetotelluric, with the purpose to model the conti-nental lithosphere of the region. This paper present the gravity survey of the second transect, that crosses the Borborema Province from SW to NE, passing through the São Francisco Craton, Transversal and Meridional zones and Rio Grande do Norte Domain, in the Setentrional Zone. In this way, it cuts some important geologic structures, like the limit of the São Francis Craton and the Borborema Province, Paleozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary basins of Tucano, Jatobá and Potiguar and the extensive Pernambuco and Patos shear zones. Recognition techniques gravity sources in the subsurface, such as spectral analysis and Euler Deconvolution, were applied to the Bouguer anomalies, as well as their regional and residual components. These techniques provided in-formation on possible anomalous bodies, which correlated with pre-existing geological and geophysical data, subsidized a 2.5 D gravity modeling of the lithosphere beneath the Borborema Province and its southern limit with the São Francisco Craton.