Morphostructural analysis applied for susceptibility assessment of environmental degradation by linear hydraulic erosions in the countryside of São Paulo State

Abstract

The Westside of the State of São Paulo, in Brazil, is known by its strong agricultural vocation and erosion problems. The natural conditions and the occupation dynamic were propitious to the emergence of this kind of environmental degradation in the soil, resulting in loss of usable area, siltation of water bodies, and demands on infrastructure. Linear hydraulic erosions, such as gullies, have as forming factors the climate, soil, land slope, and usage. In order to enrich the knowledge on this subject, the present work aimed at an analysis of the ductile geologic deformations, and subordinate brittle, and its relations to the accelerated linear hydraulic erosions in the region of Marília, in the State of São Paulo, through the interpretation of the elements of drainage and remote sensing images. In general, there was correspondence between the areas potentially susceptible to erosion diagnosed by morphostructural mapping and topography, with the current state of degradation that is a result from a century of exploitation of the land. The morphostructural and topographic analyses bring the understanding of subsurface water dynamics, and can be applied to territorial planning.