Paleoenvironmental and paleogeographic evolution of the Serra de Martins Formation and its correlation with Cretaceous-Miocene sedimentation in the Rio Grande do Norte Domain (Borborema Province)

• Grant number: 25/06140-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: December 01, 2025
• End date: August 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Geosciences - Geology
• Principal Investigator: Liliane Janikian Paes de Almeida
• Grantee: Tomaz de Moraes e Castro Santos Heizenreder
• Host Institution: Instituto de Geociências (IGC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The proposed master's project entails a comprehensive study of the Serra de Martins Formation, which is exposed in the mountains of Portalegre, Martins and Santana and Cuité, as well as in the towns of Areia, Solânea, Dona Inês and Santa Maria. The objective of this study is to elucidate the sedimentary and tectonic processes that are associated with its formation. The proposal aims to correlate the Cretaceous-Miocene sedimentation events responsible for the formation of the unit and the influence of the uplift pulses of the Borborema Province basement on its generation, in an attempt to fill in gaps about the sedimentary filling of the unit. Prior studies of the lithotypes of the Serra de Martins Formation imply that its genesis is linked to cycles of uplift and erosion of the Borborema Plateau, which are concomitant with depositional and geomorphological events. The Serra de Martins Formation has been dated to the Oligo-Miocene, and paleoenvironmental studies indicate a predominantly fluvial to meandering environment. However, recent surveys have identified possible occurrences of marine facies, broadening perspectives on the depositional environment and suggesting new discussions about sedimentation. The present project constitutes a component of a broader research initiative investigating uplift and subsidence cycles within the Cretaceous and Cenozoic basins of the Borborema Province, in conjunction with an international research collaboration program supported by FAPESP Project 2023/00672-0. (AU)