Geoeducation and Geotourism in the Rapids of the Paranapanema River in Piraju (SP)

• Grant number: 25/04080-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2025
• End date: February 28, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Geosciences - Physical Geography
• Principal Investigator: Marcilene dos Santos
• Grantee: Naomi Oliveira Corcovia
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências, Tecnologia e Educação. Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Ourinhos. Ourinhos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

After a century-long process of sequential hydroelectric plant installations along its course, the Paranapanema River now retains only seven kilometers of its original channel, located in the Tourist Municipality of Piraju (SP). The remaining rapids, characteristic of a bedrock river, cut through trachydacites and volcanic features associated with the Paraná-Etendeka Igneous Province-unique within the State of São Paulo, as all others have been submerged by dam reservoirs. Although the "Panema" is the city's main tourist attraction, the geodiversity of its natural riverbed remains largely overlooked. This research proposal aims to uncover the geodiversity of the Piraju rapids through a qualitative and quantitative inventory of their geological and geomorphological aspects at a detailed scale. The findings will serve as a foundation for the development of educational itineraries, promoting the rapids not only as a natural attraction but also as a site for geotourism and geoeducation.