Palaeoenvironmental reconstitution (relative sea level, vegetation and climate) of the south coast of Bahia based on biological and isotopic indicators

• Grant number: 15/05111-0
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): June 01, 2015
• Effective date (End): May 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Geosciences - Geology
• Cooperation agreement: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal researcher: Luiz Carlos Ruiz Pessenda
• Grantee: Flávio Lima Lorente
• Home Institution: Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

An interdisciplinary study will be carry out in the southern coast of Bahia in order to understand the environmental changes related to vegetation (mangrove) and sea level dynamics, with climate inferences, that occurred during the Late Quaternary in the region. The integration and calibration of the results obtained from palynofacies analysis with the results from particle size, isotope geochemistry (total organic carbon - TOC, total nitrogen - TN, total sulfur - TS, ´13C, ´15N, C/N and C/S), diatoms, pollen and radiocarbon dating will be done. The sedimentary deposits that will be studied correspond to a paleo-floodplain in the municipality of Prado (BA) in order to characterize possible marine influence in the study area and its spatial and temporal range. The isotopic values of ´13C and ´15N as well as the ratios of C and N, and C and S will be used to infer the origin of sedimentary organic matter and to characterize the depositional environment. The characterization of particulate organic matter has been an effective tool in the study of coastal environments that have evolved influenced by changes in relative sea level during the Quaternary and thus may provide support for future studies in coastal areas of Brazil, besides being an unprecedented work for the southern Bahia. (AU)