PLANT DEBRIS ACCUMULATIONS IN THE PRETO RIVER SUBBASIN, ITANHAÉM, SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL: INSIGHTS FROM GEOTECHNOLOGY

Geophysical methods can be used to identify the frequency and spatial distribution of plant debris, as well as for the study of the development of such accumulations in recent depositional settings. Side-scan sonar and a sub-bottom profiler were used to generate acoustic images of plant macroremains...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Palaios 2011-05, Vol.26 (5), p.264-274
Main Authors: RICARDI-BRANCO, FRESIA, IANNIRUBERTO, MARCO, SILVA, ADALENE MOREIRA, BRANCO, FABIO
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
acoustical methods
acoustical profiles
aliphatic hydrocarbons
alkanes
applied (geophysical surveys & methods)
Brazil
cores
debris
depositional environment
Fluvial channels
Fluvial deposition
fluvial environment
Geographic information systems
Geology
geophysical methods
geophysical profiles
geophysical surveys
Geophysics
hydrocarbons
information systems
Itanhaem Brazil
Leaves
lithostratigraphy
methane
modern analogs
organic compounds
Plantae
Plants
Preto River
River basins
Rivers
Sao Paulo Brazil
sed rocks, sediments
Sedimentary petrology
Sediments
South America
stream sediments
surveys
Taphonomy
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Summary:Geophysical methods can be used to identify the frequency and spatial distribution of plant debris, as well as for the study of the development of such accumulations in recent depositional settings. Side-scan sonar and a sub-bottom profiler were used to generate acoustic images of plant macroremains along a 16.9 km stretch of the meandering course of the Preto River in the municipality of Itanhaém, São Paulo, Brazil. Numerous inclined heterolithic stratification (IHS) deposits with plant debris constitute point bars, while sand dunes mark the migration of the channel along the straighter portions of the river. A large concentration of methane gas was found associated with older organic sediments in the river. The acoustically generated results were confirmed by the analysis of cores with all data integrated into the geographic information system (GIS) environment. The present study is one of the first to apply the methods of geotechnology to taphonomic research.
ISSN:0883-1351
1938-5323
DOI:10.2110/palo.2010.p10-125r