To the sedimentary basins are formed in the areas of relief depression. These areas are those with the lowest altitudes, often being lowered in relation to the relief that is around them.
These rock formations are composed, as the name implies, of sedimentary rocks. Its formation happened slowly, through a deposit process of organic and inorganic materials, which lasted millions of years.
see more
Inequality: IBGE discloses the 10 worst states to…
Israel is the 4th strongest military power in the world; check the ranking
According to the information mentioned above, the formation of sedimentary basins is located in areas of low altitude, relative or absolute, called low areas.
Sediments accumulated in these places over time. Among them, we can mention dead animals, bones, shells, vegetables and other materials of organic and inorganic origin. The materials were forming layers, and these, overlapping each other.
The processes that gave rise to this rock formation may have occurred in older times, such as the Paleozoic and Mesozoic periods, or more recent ones, such as the Cenozoic period.
At first, this formation took place at the bottom of the oceans. It is worth remembering that this process was long, taking millions of years to materialize. Thus, due to the movement of tectonic plates over time, areas that were submerged became continental lands.
Here, it is worth noting that most of the sedimentary basins are still at the bottom of the oceans.
ADVERTISING
The sediments were accumulating, and were under constant water pressure, which allowed them to transform into rock layers. They overlapped, so that the lower the rock, the older it is.
Sedimentary basins can be classified. For this, criteria such as tectonic evolution, the nature of the substrate of the crust, the location relative to the boundaries of the plates, among others, are taken into account.
In this sense, they can be classified as:
Most of the time, sedimentary basins can be found in areas bordering the plates. tectonics, therefore, the deposit of sediments is continuous, making them always renovation.
They are important for the formation of oil, but also other fossil fuels such as mineral coal and natural gas. Therefore, they are fundamental to the economy of any country in which they are present.
ADVERTISING
During the process of formation of sedimentary basins, many dead animals and organic elements ended up buried as the sediments were being deposited at the bottom of the oceans.
Depending on the conditions to which they were subjected, these remains became fossils or oil. For this second to be formed, it is necessary that the stored material is subjected to strong pressure and high temperature, characteristic of the interior of the earth.
Under these conditions, over time, they undergo a lithification process, that is, they cease to be in a solid state and become liquid. Depending on storage conditions, this fluid material gives rise to petroleum.
In the case of mineral coal, which is a non-renewable fossil fuel, the formation is related to the deposit and burial of trunks, branches and leaves from forests and large forests.
Over time, it is believed that over 300 million years, and subjected to high temperature and pressure, these sediments turned into coal ore.
Not only do they exist, but they are present in virtually all of Brazil. Geological studies realize that more than 6 million km², or 60% of the Brazilian territory, are composed of sedimentary basins, of greater or lesser size.
They were formed in the Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic periods and are spread across several states. These basins can be classified as large, medium and small extension.
The sedimentary basins are important oil producers, and consequently, a source of wealth for our country. Currently, nine of them are being explored. As an example, we can mention the Campos Basin, Potiguar Basin, Santos Basin and Solimões Basin.
See other sedimentary basins that are present in the relief from our country:
