Itatim Geomorphological Site: Largest Concentration of Inselbergs in Brazil

Abstract

Itatim geomorphological site (IGS) in central-eastern Brazil is prominent among inselberg terrains worldwide due to the quantity and variety of shapes (castles, bornhardts, inselgebergs, castle koppies, and tors), formed from the Miocene. Factors that have played a role in the origin of Itatim inselbergs include: (i) the presence of younger intrusions within an ancient bedrock; (ii) location in shear and other tectonic contact zones where high- and low-strain areas are juxtaposed; (iii) mineralogical differences between the inselbergs and the surrounding rocks; (iv) regional uplift followed by tectonic stability in the past tens of millions of years; and (v) arid and semiarid climates exerting influence in the most recent geological past into the present.