Geomorphology of Paraíba State

Paraiba is located at the easternmost corner of South America; about 80% of its territory is found on Proterozoic rocks of the Borborema Geotectonic Province. The remaining area is structured by Mesozoic continental or marginal rift basins, Cretaceous volcanic rocks, remnants of Paleogene/Neogene platform covers, and Quaternary accumulation units. The state comprises four morphostructural compartments corresponding to structural massifs, intermontane lowlands, coastal piedmonts, and Quaternary plains. These landforms are subject to two well-marked tropical morphogenetic regimes, the humid and the semi-arid. The humid domain occurs along the coastal strip and is associated with an annual rainfall varying from 1200 to 1700 mm. The prevailing landforms of the domain are the coastal tablelands and pluriconvex hills covered in argisols, latosols, and deep-weathering mantles. However, most state landform compartments, including the Borborema Highlands and the Sertaneja lowlands, are dominated by the drier climatic conditions associated with the semi-arid domain, with year-round high temperatures and precipitation averaging 400–800 mm. This scenario is associated with thinner soils covered with rocky pavements and extensive pediments.