Skip to main content

Sandy Beaches of the State of Paraíba: The Importance of Geological Heritage

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

Part of the book series: Coastal Research Library ((COASTALRL,volume 17))

Abstract

The coastline of the State of Paraíba is approximately 145 km long. The sediment deficient character of this coast, with reduced sediment input, has resulted in long-term shoreline retreat. As a consequence, erosion of local sediment sources, such as the coarse grained Barreiras Formation, provided most of the sediment to the shoreline. These aspects, associated with a tropical climate, favoured the development of coral-algal reef structures and beachrocks which sheltered the shoreline from wave energy. The combination of medium to coarse sands and wave sheltering, has resulted in a dominance of reflective and low-energy intermediate beaches (i.e. ridge-runnel or low-tide beach terrace).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  • Almeida FFM, Hasui Y, Neves BBB, Fuck RA (1981) Brazilian structural provinces: an introduction. Earth Sci Rev 17:1–29

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Amarante OC, Zack J, Brower M, Sá AL (2001) Atlas do Potencial Eólico Brasileiro. Ministério de Minas e Energia, Brasília. 45p

    Google Scholar 

  • Barbosa CMBM (1983) Geoquimica dos sedimentos carbonáticos da plataforma continental do Estado da Paraiba. Dissertação de Mestrado, Univ. Federal de Pernambuco, 100p

    Google Scholar 

  • Barbosa JA, Lima Filho M (2005) Os domínios da bacia da Paraíba. 3 Cong Bras P&D Petróleo e Gás, Rio de Janeiro CD-ROM

    Google Scholar 

  • Barbosa JA, Neumann VH, Lima Filho M, Souza EM, Moraes MA (2007) Estratigrafia da faixa costeira Recife-Natal (Bacia da Paraíba e Plataforma de Natal, NE Brasil). Estud Geol 17(2):3–30

    Google Scholar 

  • Beurlen K (1967a) Estratigrafia da faixa sedimentar costeira Recife-João Pessoa. Bol Geol 16(1):43–53

    Google Scholar 

  • Beurlen K (1967b) Paleontologia da faixa sedimentar costeira Recife-João Pessoa. Bol Geol 16(1):73–79

    Google Scholar 

  • Bittencourt ACSP, Martin L, Dominguez JML, Silva IR, Sousa DL (2002) A significant longshore transport divergence zone at the Northeastern Brazilian coast: implications on coastal Quaternary evolution. Anais Acad Bras Ciênc 74(3):505–518

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bittencourt ACSP, Dominguez JML, Martin L, Silva IR, Sousa DL (2005) Longshore transport on the northeastern Brazilian coast and implications to the location of large scale accumulative and erosive zones: an overview. Mar Geol 219:219–234

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brito Neves BB, Santos EJ, Van Schmus WR (2000) Tectonic history of the Borborema Province, northeastern Brazil. In: Cordani UG, Milani EJ, Thomaz Filho A, Campos DA (eds) Tectonic Evolution of South America. 31 International geological congress, Rio de Janeiro, pp 151–182

    Google Scholar 

  • Kousky VE (1979) Frontal influences on northeast Brazil. Mon Weather Rev 107:1142–1153

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mabesoone JM, Alheiros MM (1991) Nota Explicativa dos Mapas. In: Revisão Geológica da faixa sedimentary costeira e Pernambuco, Paraíba e parte do Rio Grande do Norte. Estudos e Pesquisas, Série B 10:21–31

    Google Scholar 

  • Masselink G, Short AD (1993) The effect of tide range on beach morphodynamics and morphology: a conceptual model. J Coast Res 9:785–800

    Google Scholar 

  • Neves SM (2003) Erosão Costeira no Estado da Paraíba. Thesis, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Brazil

    Google Scholar 

  • Neves SM, Dominguez JML, Bittencourt ACSP (2006) Paraíba. In: Muehe D (ed) Erosão e Progradação no litoral brasileiro. Ministério do Meio Ambiente, Brazil, pp 173–178

    Google Scholar 

  • Pianca C, Manzzini PLF, Siegle E (2010) Brazilian offshore wave climate based on NWW3 reanalysis. Braz J Oceanogr 58:53–70

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rossetti DF, Bezerra FHR, Góes AM, Valeriano MM, Andrades-Filho CO, Mittani JCR, Tatumi SH, Brito-Neves BB (2011) Late Quaternary sedimentation in the Paraíba Basin, Northeastern Brazil: landform, sea level and tectonics in Eastern South America passive margin. Palaeoogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol 300:191–204

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rossetti DF, Bezerra FHR, Dominguez JML (2013) Late Oligocene–Miocene transgressions along the equatorial and eastern margins of Brazil. Earth Sci Rev 123:87–112

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salles FJP, Bentes FCM, Santos JA (2000) Catálogo de Estações Maregráficas. Fundação de Estudos do Mar, Rio de Janeiro

    Google Scholar 

  • Xavier RA, Dornellas PC, Maciel JS, Bú JC (2012) Caracterização do regime fluvial da bacia hidrográfica do rio Paraíba – PB. Rev Tamoios 08(2):15–28

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study is a contribution of inctAmbTropic—Brazilian National Institute of Science and Technology for Tropical Marine Environments, CNPq/FAPESB Grants: 565054/2010-4 and 8936/2011. ACSP Bittencourt and JML Dominguez thank CNPq for a Research Fellowship.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to José Maria Landim Dominguez .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Dominguez, J.M.L., Neves, S.M., da Silva Pinto Bittencourt, A.C. (2016). Sandy Beaches of the State of Paraíba: The Importance of Geological Heritage. In: Short, A., Klein, A. (eds) Brazilian Beach Systems. Coastal Research Library, vol 17. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-30394-9_9

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics