Imagens SRTM: importante ferramenta didática para o ensino de geociências – o exemplo da folha Santana do Cariri – Ceará/Pernambuco.

Abstract

The geomorphology is often used to classify the Earth's surface in relation to the form and the process that generated it. Remote sensing data, in particular digital elevation models (DEM) obtained from orbital images, containing Information related to the geomorphological features and may represent the topography or the shape of the terrain, and allows the derivation of a number of important products for the interpretation of landforms, configured as an important too! for analysis and interpretation of geomorphological structures. The objective was to identify and map the geomorphological units present in the map of Santana do Cariri (SB.24-YD-II), from the use of images obtained by the SIR-C/X-SAR sensor, available in SRTM mission, thus enabling to provide auxiliary tools for geological mapping and interpretation of field studies for geology students. The area is located in the south of Ceará State (northwest of Pernambuco), between the meridians 39°30' and 40°00' W and parallels 7°00' and 7°30' S, with altitude ranging between 328 and 965m. Geologically this area is contextualized by gneissic and shale lithologies and granitics, of the Crystalline Basement and sedimentary rocks of the Araripe Basin, with high structural and lithological control. To develop the compartmentalization of the sheet of Santana of Cariri we used the altimetry survey conducted by the SRTM mission that provided the morphometric variables of slope, altitude and landforms, variables these that are important tools for understanding the geomorphology to the students in geological mapping disciplines. The integration of these products generated from the SRTM images allowed the identification of five main relief compartments: the dominant plateau; the escarpment forms that hold the plateau; peripheral depression; the hilly relief formed by the Crystalline Basement rocks; and characteristic soft hilly relief of sedimentary rocks. The lithological and structural Controls present in the area were well evidenced in the images, especially in shaded relief. Processing and integration of data coming from digital elevation models allowed the partitioning of the relief of the area of interest, allowing the individualization of different relief units present there quickly and accurately.