Recent progress in Quaternary geology of Brazil

Abstract

Until very recently, papers dealing with Quaternary geology were very scarce in the Brazilian geoscientific literature. In spite of its multidisciplinary nature, the only existing publications on this subject were related to geotechnical and/or geomorphical characteristics. In the last 30 years, this picture changed due to several international programs such as the IGCP projects and agreements between ORSTOM (France) and CNPq (Brazil). They have started with studies of relative sea-level changes along northeastern, central, and southeastern coasts, conducted together with 700 radiocarbon dates. These researches have been followed by paleoclimatic studies, mostly done by palynological and stable carbon isotopes analyses, mainly in Amazon, central-western and southern areas. Finally, several neotectonic studies are in progress, especially in Amazon and southeastern regions. Those studies resulted in a better knowledge about the Quaternary evolutionary history of Brazil, mostly during the Late Pleistocene and Holocene. More of those studies have to be developed in order to adequately subsidize the sustainable development of this country.