Fluvial Erosion Characterisation in the Juqueriquerê River Channel, Caraguatatuba, Brazil

Abstract

The Juqueriquerê River channel was formed in a Precambrian crystalline basement. The lithological association is largely composed of ancient metamorphic and igneous rocks, with several overlapping tectonic episodes. Field surveys along the upper and middle course allowed for cataloguing a wide variety of fluvial erosion features. A sizable amount of morphological features have been sculpted on different types of rocks, including furrows, potholes, percussion marks, polishing and smoothing boulders as the most representative. The sizes and shapes of these scour marks are also diverse, and their study has provided important results for better understanding the erosive processes. Given their wide variety, the erosive morphological features offer an excellent opportunity to explore the mechanisms of fluvial erosion and evaluate their effective capacity to remove cobbles and boulders in bedrock river systems.