Systematic survey of geomorphological features in the Itatiaia National Park: Basis for Geoconservation Actions

• Grant number: 25/10821-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2025
• End date: July 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Geosciences - Physical Geography
• Principal Investigator: Bianca Carvalho Vieira
• Grantee: Pedro Carvalho
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The Itatiaia National Park (INP), located on the border between the states of Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, is one of the main Conservation Units in Brazil, both for its pioneering status and for its complex geomorphological and geological evolution. Its geomorphological features provide an important record of the continental rifting process in southeastern Brazil, as well as of various magmatic events associated with these tectonic processes. This uniqueness positions the Park as an area of high geodiversity, with the presence of geosites of considerable value. However, the geodiversity inventory of the INP is quite recent when compared to other Conservation Units, whose inventories are much more consolidated. There is, therefore, a clear contrast between the long-standing prominence of the Itatiaia National Park and the recent nature of its geodiversity survey. In the context of such inventories, the importance of geomorphological analysis of geosites also stands out, as it allows for the understanding of key aspects of the landscape and the identification of landforms of great significance for geoconservation. Thus, this study aims to improve the inventory of morphological features in the INP through a systematic survey. To achieve this objective, the initial stage of the study will consist of the demarcation of an experimental area that encompasses as many geosites as possible and includes the full diversity of geological formations. In the subsequent stage, the geomorphological features of the area will be inventoried using two resolutions of digital terrain models: 12 m (TanDEM-X) and 1 m, the latter obtained by UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle), allowing for the identification of detailed features associated with both past and present processes shaping the INP's relief. The expected results also include the development of educational material to be made available to the general public and the Park's administration, contributing to the dissemination of the findings obtained in the previous stages. (AU)