Geochemical and mineralogical control of the soil-lagoon system functioning of Nhecolândia, Pantanal, Mato Grosso do Sul

• Grant number: 19/21157-1
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): January 01, 2020
• Effective date (End): December 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Geosciences
• Principal Investigator: Célia Regina Montes
• Grantee: André Renan Costa Silva
• Home Institution: Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 16/14227-5 - Climatic changes and environmental impacts in wetlands of Pantanal region (Brazil): quantification, control factors and long term temporal modeling, AP.PFPMCG.TEM

Abstract

The Pantanal continuous sedimentary plain, specifically in the Nhecolândia subregion, is characterized as an area of approximately 26,000 km2 and about 15,000 lagoons. The waters of this important lake system range from fresh to saline, due to the peculiarities associated with the subregion. Through the project titled "Climate change and environmental impacts in wetlands of the Pantanal (Brazil): quantification, control factors, and long-term forecasting", this doctoral research aims to better understand the genetic and dynamic aspects of the soil-lagoon system of one of the largest continental wetland on the planet. In the Nhecolândia subregion, greenish lagoons present hypersaline waters due to the rapid transfer of water stored in the soils around the lagoons and by the blooming of algae. Such processes do not occur in lagoons with dark or crystalline waters, thus being associated with the absence of algae bloom in these environments. Through such phenomena, a hypothesis of a pedological control capable of altering the geochemistry and biogeochemistry functioning of the lagoons was created. Thus, it is of great importance to analyze the evolution of the soils surrounding the different types of lagoons. The project has field activities for the elaboration and analysis of topo-sequences allocated in the soils around the lagoons, mapping of the electrical conductivity of the topo-sequences and the collection of sediment and water samples for mineralogical, chemical and physical studies. (AU)