A TEXTURAL-BASED SECTORIZATION OF THE SANDY BEACHES OF SANTA CATARINA ISLAND, SC, BRAZIL

A coleta de 192 amostras de sedimentos em praias arenosas da ilha de Santa Catarina (ISC) e as analises laboratoriais subsequentes possibilitaram identificar as principais caracteristicas granulometricas das praias da ilha. Conforme o criterio previo de distincao de setores pode-se caracterizar que: a costa Noroeste, voltada para a baia Norte, apresentam textura predominante areia grossa, moderadamente selecionada, aproximadamente simetrica e mesocurtica; na costa Norte, as praias nas enseadas de Jurere, Canasvieiras e Ingleses apresentam textura dominante areia fina, bem selecionada, aproximadamente simetrica e mesocurtica; na costa Nordeste, as praias voltadas para o oceano apresentam textura predominante areia media, bem selecionada, aproximadamente simetrica e mesocurtica; na costa Sudeste, as praias voltadas para o oceano apresentam textura predominante areia media, moderadamente selecionada, assimetria negativa e mesocurtica; na costa Sul, as praias da enseada do Pântano do Sul apresentam textura predominante areia fina, bem selecionada, aproximadamente simetrica e mesocurtica e a costa Sudoeste, voltada para baia Sul, apresenta textura predominante areia grossa, moderadamente selecionada, aproximadamente simetrica e mesocurtica. Puderam-se agrupar estas praias em quatro dominios distintos: dominio Oriental, de alta energia de onda, abrangendo as costas Nordeste e Sudeste; dominio Ocidental, compreendendo praias protegidas das costas Noroeste e Sudoeste; dominios Setentrional e Meridional abrangendo praias das costas Norte e Sul, semi-expostas da energia das ondas, situadas no entorno das enseadas de Canasvieiras/Jurere e Pântano do Sul, respectivamente. As caracteristicas granulometricas das praias da ISC sao condicionadas principalmente pelos agentes hidrodinâmicos associados ao tipo de praia e a proximidade da area fonte. A B S T R A C T The collection of 192 sediment samples in the sandy beaches of the Santa Catarina island (SCI) and subsequent laboratory analyses allowed to identify the main granulometric characteristics of the island's beach.  According precedent criterion of distinction on sectors, the coasts were characterized as: in the Northwest coast, oriented to the North bay, present dominant texture of coarse sand, moderately sorted, approximately symmetric and mesokurtic; in the North coast, the beaches within Jurere, Canasvieiras and Ingleses bays, present predominantly fine sand, well sorted, approximately symmetric and mesokurtic; in the Northeast coast, the beaches oriented to Atlantic ocean, present dominant texture of medium sand, well sorted, approximately symmetric and mesokurtic; in the Southeast coast, the beaches oriented to the ocean present dominant texture of medium sand, moderately sorted, negative asymmetry and mesokurtic; in the South coast, the beaches within the Pântano do Sul bay present dominant texture of fine sand, well sorted, approximately symmetric and mesokurtic; the Southwest coast, oriented to the South bay, present dominant texture of coarse sand, moderately sorted, approximately symmetric and mesokurtic. The beaches were arranged in four distinctive domains: Eastern domain, of high wave energy, alloying of Northeast and Southeast coasts; Western domain, comprehending protected beaches of the Northwest and Southwest coasts; Northern and Southern domain comprehending semi-protected beaches of the North and South coasts, located around Canasvieiras/Jurere and Pântano do Sul bay, respectively. The granulometric characteristics of the SCI beaches are conditioned mainly by hydrodynamic agents associated with beach patterns and proximity of the source area. Keywords: sediment; textural facies; hidrodynamics.