Contribuição hidrogeológica na formação e evolução das cavidades naturais da Serra Leste, Carajás-PA

Abstract

Carajás Mineral Province is considered one of the greatest mineral provinces in the world and comprises one of the world's largest reserves of iron ore, manganese and copper. Since last decade, several exploration studies (geological, geophysical and remote sensing) have been conducted in the region, as a means of scientific research and development support to mining companies operating in the area. Given huge number of caves mapped in the area of Serra Leste from Carajás, located in Curionópolis, southeast Pará. It’s important the formation study and evolution of natural underground cavities that are often formed by water action that act dissolving and eroding different types of rocks and is the main cavity forming agent. Allied to structural pattern in the caves, water such drainage into the rock and minerals pores as river water are important agents in the dissolution and rock erosion, and thus evolution and progress in the formation of cavities. The overall objective is to identify and understand how hydrogeological processes contribute to formation of natural cavities from Serra Leste and for that preliminary work has been done. First instance, large-scale work corroborated with radar and remote sensing, structural analysis and rainfall; second, small-scale study with five caves founded that allow evolutionary history of caves.