Inventário e avaliação quali-quantitativa de sítios de geodiversidade na Bacia do Recôncavo no Nordeste do Brasil.

Abstract

The Recôncavo Basin, located in the eastern portion of the state of Bahia, Northeast Region of Brazil, is mostly covered by Mesozoic sediments, derived from taphrogenesis that began slightly before this era, still in the Paleozoic, during the fragmentation process of the supercontinent Gondwana. The chronology of the basin's formation is defined by three stages of rift evolution, with a complete and representative sedimentary sequence of all phases during the Permian (~298 and 252 Ma). The Permian record in northeastern Brazil begins with lithostratigraphic successions, with excellent seasonal coverage and diverse geological content. The scientific importance of the representative outcrops of the Recôncavo Basin is already being explored, through field trips, by some federal educational institutions. The area encompasses not only geological content but also landscapes with river formations, lakes, deltas, estuaries, valleys, floodplains, waterfalls, and all associated landscapes resulting from large-scale geological/fluvial processes. In addition to the significant and relevant geological history, scenic and touristic content of the Recôncavo basin, the production of significant quantities of hydrocarbons has been conditioned in this basin. The spatio-temporal variation of this lithostratigraphic succession presents scientific and educational potential, as well as economic importance, and has potential for the classification and evaluation of geological materials indicative of environmental protection. These factors justify the need for a geoconservation study, the objective of this work, which involves the inventory, quantification, and quantitative evaluation of geosites in the region. Using the methodology of the Geosites and Geodiversity Sites Registration and Quantification System - GEOSSIT (Mineral Resources Research Company - CPRM/Geological Survey of Brazil - SGB), six geosites were selected and analyzed based on their scientific, educational, and touristic values. The results indicate that the sites have high scientific value and potential for geoeducation, although they present a high risk of degradation due to their proximity to highways. This highlights that valuing this geoheritage is essential for geoconservation strategies and for regional sustainable development through geotourism.