Sismoestratigrafia rasa de sucessões estuarinas do Rio Potengi (NE do Brasil)

Abstract

The knowledge of depositional modern estuaries environments is fundamental for the study of coastal plains and shelfs. The marine successions can record marine and fluvial hydrodynamics conditions and can be used as indicators of sea level rise. Additionally, the study of estuaries is useful for planning the strategic use and occupation of coastal zones, hydrography, environmental management and studies of hydrocarbon reserves. The high resolution seismic is a geophysics method that have been used like a key for seismic-stratigraphic modeling in modern estuaries. This study aims to understand the evolution of estuarine successions of the Potengi rives in the Pleistocene/Holocene and this relationship with the last sea level rise and understand the estuarine dynamic sedimentary for the refinement of the estuaries modern tropical depositional systems. About 65 km of seismic lines transversal and longitudinal to the Potengi Estuary channel were collected using Boomer, Sparker and Chirp system and perforated a borehole with percussion methods. The acquisition frequency of Boomer was 1kHz to 2 kHz, Sparker near than 3,7 kHz and Chirp between 0,5-7,2kHz. The acquired data were processed by ReflexWin 8.0 software and the best viewing was possible to identify characteristic architectural elements of estuarine deposits. Three seismic horizons were identified, HI, HII and HIII, and three seismic units filling the valley estuarine, UA, UB and UC. The unit UA is characterized by the low frequency, lateral continuity and high amplitude with chaotic reflections, the UA was interpreted as a fluvial valley floor. The horizon HI was interpreted as a transgressive surface of ravinement formed when the relative rate of sea level rise slowed and eroded the substrate 10 thousand years ago. After this, the sea level continues to rise and the fluvial valley started to be filling by sediments that are the UB. The UB is characterized by a moderate lateral continuity, amplitude and frequency with reflectors in downlap, onlap and erosion truncation. The horizon HII was found upper the UB and was interpreted like a new ravinement surface formed 9 thousand years ago. With the continues sea level rise, the valley has been filling by the UC1 which is characterized by high lateral continuity, frequency and moderate amplitude, with sigmoidal and subparallel reflectors. The horizon HIII was identified above UC1 and was interpreted as a ravinement surface formed 8 thousand years ago. Finally, the UC2 is the shallower unit, characterized by high lateral continuity, frequency and amplitude related to the accretion arms of the mangroves with plane-parallel reflectors.