Mapeamento batimétrico da plataforma do Atol das Rocas-RN

Abstract

Atoll is a ring-shaped carbonate island with a shallow inner lagoon, associated with reef mounds, and habitat to a large biodiversity. Rocas Atoll is in the northern portion of the state of Rio Grande do Norte, and is in the same alignment as the seamounts of the Fernando de Noronha fracture zone. This work aims to describe the shelf morphology of the Rocas Atoll to investigate the bottom features such as terraces, reefs and the nature of the substrates. Bathymetric data collected in October 2018 with a 220 kHz single-beam system were provided by GGEMMA/PPGG/UFRN. Bathymetric data were processed using HYPACK 2014 software to remove spikes and interpolated using ArcGIS software, generating a digital terrain model, contour, slope maps, and bathymetric profiles. The features correlate similar structures on the Rio Grande do Norte continental shelf and reveal sea level markers that might provide refinement to sea level curves for a better understanding of the atoll evolution.