Author(s)

S. F. Lima & H. Vital

Abstract

The Brazilian marginal basins have a huge potential to generate and accumulate petroleum. Incised valleys which are eroded in response to a fall of relative sea levels are related to a potential reservoir. Also, modern drowned-valley estuaries serve as harbors to petroleum and salt industries, fisheries, waste-disposal sites and recreational areas for a significant fraction of the world’s population. The combined influence of these factors has produced a dramatic increase in research on modern and ancient incised-valley systems. This paper is one expression of this interest. The integrated use of satellites images and seismic, bathymetry and sides scan sonar was used on the Apodi-Mossoró River mouth to characterizes incised valley system. Through bathymetric data processing, a digital terrain model was developed, and a detailed morpho-estratigraphyc analysis was performed. In this way it was possible to recognize a geomorphologic framework quantification and structures, which may influence this area. Understanding the geomorphic response of these now submerged regions to rapid sea-level rise is crucial to understanding how future climate change is likely to affect modern coastal landscapes. A channel extending from the Apodi river mouth to the shelf dominates the investigated area. This structure can be correlated with the former river valley developed during the late Pleistocene sea level fall. Keywords: petroleum site, incised-valley system, bathymetry, side scan sonar, shallow seismic, morpho-estratigraphyc analysis, digital terrain model, Brazilian margin, Apodi river, Rio Grande do Norte State.

Keywords

petroleum site, incised-valley system, bathymetry, side scan sonar, shallow seismic, morpho-estratigraphyc analysis, digital terrain model, Brazilian margin, Apodi river, Rio Grande do Norte State.