Geomorphological evolution of the hydrographical basin of the Cotia River, at Reserva Florestal do Morro Grande, Cotia - SP

Abstract

This work integrates the research project developed at the Geography Department of the University of São Paulo (USP) for the Reserva Florestal do Morro Grande (RFMG), situated at Cotia city, at São Paulo state, Brazil. RFMG is located at the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo, being an ambiental preservation area of a large regional importance. RFMG is seated on crystalline basis and his present relief can have been highly influenced for neotectonism, represented by regional faults near the field of study. The occurrence of an abrupt inflection at the channel river, in RFMG, takes to the hypothesis proposed for this work that the drainage net can have been reorganized, originating an phenomenon of stream piracy. So, the study objectifies understand, by means of morphological characterization of the hydrographical basin of Cotia River, the evolution' dynamics of the regional relief. We look for understand the mechanism of drainage rearrangement and the origin and development of anomalies of drainage and their connections with litho-structurals influences at the area by means of photo interpretation and digital processing of topographic maps in Geographical Information Systems (GIS) like mechanisms of support to reading of the landscape elements and field control. We wait to obtain evidences about an occasional rearrangement of the drainage through some ambiental conditions established in the geological past.