Tectonics of the Northeastern border of the Parana Basin (Southeastern Brazil) revealed by lineament domain analysis

According to the classical paradigm of plate tectonics the cratonic area of the inner part of South America is considered tectonically stable. Nevertheless, the role of neotectonics on the shape of the Brazilian landforms has been demonstrated by several authors. In this work we perform a lineament domain analysis to explore the regional meaning of the sparse and local evidences of neotectonics within Southeast Brazil and frame them in a regional tectonic evolutionary model. Results from lineament analysis allowed finding out two main domains, NW-SE and NE-SW trending. These structural directions frame within an E-W strike-slip corridor characterized by a poly-phased tectonic history. A pre-Neogene left-lateral shear was followed by a right lateral movement whose activity is presently ruling the landform evolution of the region. The two identified structural trends from lineament analysis may represent the Cenozoic reactivation of ancient weakness zone and relate to the upper Cenozoic South Atlantic drifting and N to NW movement of the South America. (AU)