Goal
Develop and explore remote sensing techniques that can be useful for the characterization of sedimentary deposits in areas of the Brazilian territory, aiming to reconstruct their depositional environments in space and time.
The goal is to create a solid database that can contribute in the analysis of likely factors that acted in the evolution of physical environments over the geological time. These factors mainly include climate fluctuations, sea level changes and tectonic movements at local and regional scales.
Methodological Approach
The research in development by this group has multidisciplinary nature and is based on the integration of several methods. These include: 1. geomorphological analysis using multi-sensor data (i.e, digital elevation model, radar, optical images); 2. sedimentological and stratigraphic analyses based on surface and subsurface data (drill core and geophysics); 3. various laboratory analyses aiming the better geological characterization of sedimentary deposits, the establishing of the chronology of events in time and the restoration of flora and fauna patterns in the geological record; and 4) detection of climate change.
Importance of the Research
The main contribution of this research group is to better understand the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems through the analysis of sedimentary processes and deposits, which constitute the basic elements in reconstructions of past environmental changes.
In addition, this type of geological research is of interest in studies of biodiversity, as geological factors have been suggested as a major determinant of evolutionary pressures of the species and of their distribution in the modern environment.
The knowledge of how the fauna and flora behaved before past environmental changes is needed to predict their response to future environmental changes.
Research Group
Landscapes in Time and Space (PATES)
Research Group
Landscapes in Time and Space (PATES)
Institutions Participating
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