Morphotectonics in the Central-East Region of South Brazil: Implications for Catchments of the Lava-Tudo and Pelotas Rivers, State of Santa Catarina

Abstract The catchments of the Lava-Tudo and Pelotas rivers are located on the eastern edge of the Parana Sedimentary Basin, central-east of the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. This region comprises Mesozoic volcanic rocks from the Parana Large Igneous Province (LIP) deformed by Cenozoic joints and faults. Morphometric analysis carried out using remote sensing and structural data showed the influence of tectonics on the geomorphological framework of the target catchments, which therefore provided a morphological characterization of the area. Deformation of the topography was determined from changes in topographic surface, drainage basin asymmetries, disturbances on longitudinal profiles and anomalies in drainage patterns associated with NE-SW and NW-SE faults derived from reactivation of the Proterozoic basement, as well as other neotectonically formed structures trending mainly N-S and E-W. The asymmetry recognized in the studied catchments results from tectonic tilting marked by oblique NE-SW faults. The deformation pulses resulted in the dismantlement of an extensive local Paleogene planation surface, also known as the Sul-Americana Surface. In the southeastern and southern regions of Brazil, morphotectonic evolution has been associated with tectonic pulses that took place between the Upper Cretaceous and Upper Pleistocene.