Environmental fragility analysis of medium coast of Rio Grande do Sul as from their geological and geomorphological configuration with the use of geotechnologies

Abstract

This research focused on two relevant components for elaboration of a future ZEE – Economic Ecological Zoning to be carried out by SEMA – Rio Grande do Sul Environment Secretariat: the geology and geomorphology of the region from Middle Coast of the State of Rio Grande southern. In this sense, its configurations were investigated in the area to make a diagnosis of restrictions and potentialities of its natural resources uses. The work was based on the concept of environmental fragility proposed by Jurandyr Ross (1994), in other words, in the conception that nature has its own functionality due to its physical and biotic components. The methodology proposed by the author was adapted according to the available materials: topographic maps, satellite images, geological and geomorphological maps. The maps were vectorized and later converted to the raster format in a GIS to generate maps of environmental fragility in terms of geology and geomorphology. The obtained products showed that many areas present some degree of environmental fragility, in terms of use limitation, according to the existing geology and geomorphology.