Sedimentary Organic Matter Characterization on a Tropical Continental Shelf in Northeastern Brazil

In continental shelf areas works where the focus is Geochemistry are widely relevant, due to the vast complexity and uses of these relief features (social, environmental and economic). On the Brazilian Northeast tropical shelves, with emphasis on the Pernambuco Continental Shelf (PCS), the published studies are limited and have aimed at portions closer to the coastline. The objective of the present work is the description of the characteristics and origin of sedimentary organic matter (SOM) in the inner and middle Pernambuco shelf, defining and classifying the local geochemical sedimentary facies. The sampling stations (136) were collected in the study area, and the grain-size, contents of total organic matter (TOM), calcium carbonate (CaCO3) were analyzed. The samples were processed in an elemental analyzer coupled with a mass spectrometer after the elimination of calcium carbonate. The obtained data were the grain-size, TOM, CaCO3, elemental (C, N) and the stable isotopic ratios of δ13C e δ15N of SOM. Based on the measured values of carbon and nitrogen, the C/N ratio, associated to δ13C e δ15N, is observed that in the PCS predominates an organic matter of marine origin along its entire length: C < 1%, N < 1%, C/N < 5, δ13C > -21 PDB e δ15N > 8Ar. The PCS presents patches of continental origin SOM, associated to the coastal zones adjacent to estuarine systems mouths and covering the paleochannels, which may indicate that this material was carried from the coastal rivers to the offshore areas, possibly by the paleo-valleys that also act as traps of fine sediments and SOM. The statistical analysis indicates the existence of 6 different sedimentary facies and a prevalence of one of them, characterized by poorly-sorted bioclastic sandy-gravel, with low to medium organic contents of marine origin. This indicates that the coastal sedimentary material contributions are low and the local cover is autochthonous of biogenic origin, and deposited according to the surficial topography, morphosedimentary processes and meteoceanographycal conditionings of the study area, typical of moderate hydrodynamic energy environments.

Changes of Estuarine Sedimentation Patterns by Urban Expansion: The Case of Middle Capibaribe Estuary, Northeastern Brazil

The aim of this study is to describe the sedimentary evolution occurred during the last 200-years in the middle Capibaribe Estuary by mean of the sedimentary analysis (magnetic susceptibility, grain size, calcium carbonate, total organic matter—TOM) and geochemical parameters (sedimentation rates, heavy metal concentrations, enrichment and contamination factor) along a core. The core recorded four units and the measured sedimentation rate was 0.52 cm cm·y﹣1. The first unit, dating before 1812, showed environmental characteristics of mangrove with predominance of fine sediments, high total organic matter percentages and heavy metal concentrations probably from natural sources. The second unit, from 1812 to 1937, showed a slight increase in sand percentages and decrease in fine fraction, TOM contents and heavy metals concentrations. These characteristics may be associated with the urban expansion processes and the presence of monoculture of sugar cane occurred in the middle Capibaribe Estuary. The third unit, from 1937 to 2004, showed the highest sand percentages of the core, characterizing a unit exclusively of sand with low fine fractions percentages, total organic matter contents and heavy metals concentrations. This unit represented the intensification of the urban processes expansion of Recife City. The fourth unit showed increases in fine fraction sedimentation, TOM contents and heavy metals concentrations. This new change in sedimentation probably is consequence of rebirth of marginal estuarine banks by mangrove vegetation, due to environmental projects carried out by Recife Prefecture in the early 2000’s. It was not possible to register the anthropic contamination to middle estuary area probably due to the Barreiras Formation influences in the metal concentration records, masking the anthropic contamination inputs in estuarine region. Although, lead and arsenic showing an enrichment level indicating anthropic contamination.