Geologia e geomorfologia dos recifes de Maracajaú-RN e plataforma rasa adjacente

This work focuses the geological and geomorphological characterization of the inner shelf in the West Coast of the Rio Grande do Norte state, particularly the reef coral barrier offshore of Maracajaú (Maxaranguape district). If developed without the necessary concerns, tourism and entertainment activities that have been widely increased during the last five years can lead to irreversible environmental damages to the biotic and abiotic ecosystems of the region. Regarding these aspects, it is crucial the realization of a detailed study to envisage the achievement of a self-sustainable development, especially with respect to the possibilities of a rational usage of the region. This is the aim of this manuscript, which consisted of an initial stage of digital modeling of the terrain with basis on digitalization and vectorization of the Nautical map number 803 (Naval Service of Brazil, 1971). Information obtained in this phase was improved with the digital processing of small format aerial photos acquired from six flights, which were integrated to form a photomosaic of the area. The refined maps produced with the data from Nautical and aerial photo-interpretations aided to locate 9 bathymetric profiles, which provided information about the sea floor relief of the whole area. This later aided in the choosing of areas to bottom sampling that, in its turn, helped to characterize sediments present in floor of the inner shelf. Sixty-four samples collected during this work were studied by granulometrical and chemical analysis; with the later one developed in order to measure carbonate and organic matter contents. Forty-two of these samples showed carbonate content higher than 80% and organic matter in the range of 0.58% to 24.06%. With respect to grain size, these samples are in the interval between fine- to mid-grained sands. Sands with grain sizes higher than this one are also composed by carbonate carapaces such as pale yellow to red rhodolites with ellipsoidal and spheroidal shapes. During determination of the submerse features, the small format aerial photos demonstrated to be a useful methodology to aid the delineation of the sea floor topography through shallow deep waters. The bathymetry, for its turn, revealed several features at the bottom of the platform, in which the most conspicuous are undulations and morphological details of the São Roque Channel. Examination of bottom, aside from sand, yielded the identification of bivalves, ostracods, fragments of bryozoans, spikes of sponges, spines of echinoderms, operculum of gastropods and foraminifers. From the above it is concluded that the multi-methodological approach developed in this study worked efficiently, permitting the geomorphological and environmental characterization of the inner shelf of the North Maracajaú

Foraminíferos, ostracodes e microfauna associada da plataforma continental equatorial norte-rio-grandense, NE Brasil: área Porto do Mangue a Galinhos

This study was conducted in the adjacent Brazilian equatorial inner shelf to Rio Grande do Norte, between the region of Porto do Mangue and Galinhos. The main objective is the characterization of biogenic sediments, especially foraminifera and ostracod collected on the surface of the seafloor. The methodology involved standard procedures including literature, surveys, processing of samples in the laboratory and identification of foraminifera and ostracods by genera or species under stereo microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Multivariate statistical analyzes and study of ecological indexes were also applied to the study of foraminifera. Three transects, from inner shelf to slope were sampled: profile 01 (east, near Galos), profile 02 (center, near the city of Macau) and profile 03 (west, near Ponta do Mel). Results indicated the predominance of benthic foraminifera and little plankton occurrence. Benthic foraminifera genera observed in abundance were Quinqueloculina, Textularia, Globigerina and Pyrgo, Quinqueloculina, Textularia, Pyrgo, Ammonia, Elphidium, Pseudononion, Peneroplis, Bolivina and Poroeponides, occurred more frequently. Less frequently been described Amphistegina, Archaias, Bigenerina, Cibicides, Cassidulina, Amphicorina, Cornuspira, Paterina, Hopkunsina, Oolina, Uvigerina, Fusenkoina, Nonionella, Amphisorus, Wiesrella, Reussella, Reophax, Nodosaria, Marginulina and Cyclogyra. Six genera of ostracods were also identified: Puriana variabilis / P. convoluted?, Loxoconcha sp, Bairdiidae, Xestoleberis sp, Hemicytheridae and Ruggiericythere sp. Groups of organisms found in the studied shelf presented chemical composition of Ca, C, O, Na, Cl, Al, Mg, and Si. The proportions of chemical elements may vary according to the type of biogenic sediment, with the highest values identified as Ca, C, Cl, Na and O. The absolute dating by carbon 14 method indicated sediments of different colors (light and dark), correspond to a single age from 3000 to 6000 years BP, related to the Quaternary. These data intend to complement information about biogenic sediments in the Brazilian continental shelf, especially in the Northeast, where there is a lack of such studies.

Foraminíferos, ostracodes e microfauna associada da plataforma continental equatorial norte-rio-grandense, NE Brasil: área Porto do Mangue a Galinhos

This study was conducted in the adjacent Brazilian equatorial inner shelf to Rio Grande do Norte, between the region of Porto do Mangue and Galinhos. The main objective is the characterization of biogenic sediments, especially foraminifera and ostracod collected on the surface of the seafloor. The methodology involved standard procedures including literature, surveys, processing of samples in the laboratory and identification of foraminifera and ostracods by genera or species under stereo microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Multivariate statistical analyzes and study of ecological indexes were also applied to the study of foraminifera. Three transects, from inner shelf to slope were sampled: profile 01 (east, near Galos), profile 02 (center, near the city of Macau) and profile 03 (west, near Ponta do Mel). Results indicated the predominance of benthic foraminifera and little plankton occurrence. Benthic foraminifera genera observed in abundance were Quinqueloculina, Textularia, Globigerina and Pyrgo, Quinqueloculina, Textularia, Pyrgo, Ammonia, Elphidium, Pseudononion, Peneroplis, Bolivina and Poroeponides, occurred more frequently. Less frequently been described Amphistegina, Archaias, Bigenerina, Cibicides, Cassidulina, Amphicorina, Cornuspira, Paterina, Hopkunsina, Oolina, Uvigerina, Fusenkoina, Nonionella, Amphisorus, Wiesrella, Reussella, Reophax, Nodosaria, Marginulina and Cyclogyra. Six genera of ostracods were also identified: Puriana variabilis / P. convoluted?, Loxoconcha sp, Bairdiidae, Xestoleberis sp, Hemicytheridae and Ruggiericythere sp. Groups of organisms found in the studied shelf presented chemical composition of Ca, C, O, Na, Cl, Al, Mg, and Si. The proportions of chemical elements may vary according to the type of biogenic sediment, with the highest values identified as Ca, C, Cl, Na and O. The absolute dating by carbon 14 method indicated sediments of different colors (light and dark), correspond to a single age from 3000 to 6000 years BP, related to the Quaternary. These data intend to complement information about biogenic sediments in the Brazilian continental shelf, especially in the Northeast, where there is a lack of such studies.

Pirometamorfismo em calcários da formação Jandaíra, bacia potiguar, nordeste do Brasil

The present study aims the characterization of thermally affected carbonate rocks from Jandaíra Formation in contact with Paleogene and Neogene basic intrusions in the region of the Pedro Avelino and Jandaíra municipalities (RN), northeastern Brazil. For this study, field, petrographic, x-ray diffraction, electron microprobe, and whole rock litogeochemistry data of carbonates were undertaken. The thermally unaffected limestones are classified like wackstones, grainstones and packstones. They may constitute carbonates grains of benthic foraminifera, echinoderm spines, ostracods, algae, corals, bivalves, gastropods, peloids and intraclasts. The porosities are classified like vug, intraparticle, interparticle, intercrystal and moldic types. The major minerals are calcite, ankerite and dolomite; the detrital are montmorillonite, pyrite, limonite, quartz and microcline. The thermally affected limestones are very coarse to very fine-grained and light to dark gray color. The fossiliferous components totally disappear, and the porosity tends to disappear. With the data obtained, it can be inferred that the carbonate protoliths would be calciferous to dolomitic limestones, both with small amount of clay minerals. Crystalline carbonates from dolomitic protolith have rhombohedral calcite and iron oxides / hydroxides, making the rocks much darker. The carbonates from calciferous protolith have a wide variation of grain size according to the recrystallization degree, increasing toward contact with the basic bodies. In this group, it was identified the minerals lizardite and spinel in weakly to moderately affected samples, and spinel and spurrite in strongly affected rocks, as well as calcite, that occur everywhere. The geological context (shallow level diabase intrusions), the crystallization of the pyrometamorphic minerals spurrite and olivine, and comparison with diagrams from the literature allow estimating temperatures and pressures around 1050-1200 °C and 0.5-1.0 kbar, respectively, for PTOTAL=PCO2. The post-intrusion cooling would have afforded the releasing of metasomatic / hydrothermal fluids, allowing the opening of the metamorphic system, with possible contribution of chemical elements from host units (sandstones, shales) and from basic intrusions. This would induce hydration of previous phases, allowing the formation of serpentine, chlorite and brucite. The results discussed here reveal the strong influence of the heat from basic intrusions within the sedimentary pile. Whereas in the offshore portion of the basin occur sills with up to 1000 m thickness, the understanding of pyrometamorphism might be useful for understanding and measuring the thermally affected rocks.

Pirometamorfismo em calcários da formação Jandaíra, bacia potiguar, nordeste do Brasil

The present study aims the characterization of thermally affected carbonate rocks from Jandaíra Formation in contact with Paleogene and Neogene basic intrusions in the region of the Pedro Avelino and Jandaíra municipalities (RN), northeastern Brazil. For this study, field, petrographic, x-ray diffraction, electron microprobe, and whole rock litogeochemistry data of carbonates were undertaken. The thermally unaffected limestones are classified like wackstones, grainstones and packstones. They may constitute carbonates grains of benthic foraminifera, echinoderm spines, ostracods, algae, corals, bivalves, gastropods, peloids and intraclasts. The porosities are classified like vug, intraparticle, interparticle, intercrystal and moldic types. The major minerals are calcite, ankerite and dolomite; the detrital are montmorillonite, pyrite, limonite, quartz and microcline. The thermally affected limestones are very coarse to very fine-grained and light to dark gray color. The fossiliferous components totally disappear, and the porosity tends to disappear. With the data obtained, it can be inferred that the carbonate protoliths would be calciferous to dolomitic limestones, both with small amount of clay minerals. Crystalline carbonates from dolomitic protolith have rhombohedral calcite and iron oxides / hydroxides, making the rocks much darker. The carbonates from calciferous protolith have a wide variation of grain size according to the recrystallization degree, increasing toward contact with the basic bodies. In this group, it was identified the minerals lizardite and spinel in weakly to moderately affected samples, and spinel and spurrite in strongly affected rocks, as well as calcite, that occur everywhere. The geological context (shallow level diabase intrusions), the crystallization of the pyrometamorphic minerals spurrite and olivine, and comparison with diagrams from the literature allow estimating temperatures and pressures around 1050-1200 °C and 0.5-1.0 kbar, respectively, for PTOTAL=PCO2. The post-intrusion cooling would have afforded the releasing of metasomatic / hydrothermal fluids, allowing the opening of the metamorphic system, with possible contribution of chemical elements from host units (sandstones, shales) and from basic intrusions. This would induce hydration of previous phases, allowing the formation of serpentine, chlorite and brucite. The results discussed here reveal the strong influence of the heat from basic intrusions within the sedimentary pile. Whereas in the offshore portion of the basin occur sills with up to 1000 m thickness, the understanding of pyrometamorphism might be useful for understanding and measuring the thermally affected rocks.