MORFOGÊNESE DE UMA PAISAGEM DE CHAPADAS: O CASO DO EXTREMO SUL DA UNIDADE DO RELEVO CHAPADAS DO RIO SÃO FRANCISCO, MINAS GERAIS

Abstract

The tablelands of Rio São Francisco corresponds to the greatest relief unit classified as a tableland type in Brazil. However, this region, as this type of relief, was poorly studied in its morphogenesis. In this context, the present work analyzes the processes that influenced the morphogenesis of the southern part of the Brazilian relief unit of the Chapadas do Rio São Francisco through the correlation between: (i) lithology and morphostructure; (ii) regional drainage system; (iii) morphometric parameters and; (iv) fieldwork. Based on such analysis, it was verified that the drainage network arrangement is compatible with the structural lineaments, especially the lower order channels. Thus, a change of base level makes these channels to inset, and currently the process continues by the enlargement of the river valleys, individualizing the plateaus into tablelands.