Conglomerate geomorphology in the Precambrian Camaqua basin of southernmost Brazil: Contribution to a global panorama

This paper presents the geomorphological features of four areas of subtropical, southernmost Brazil displaying striking landforms developed upon Precambrian Camaqua similar to Basin conglomerates in the southern Brazilian shield areas. The distinctive and unique features of the Serra do Segredo cuesta, the Rinca similar to o do Inferno canyon, the Casa de Pedra inselberg, and the Pedra da Cruz cap -shaped hills are important examples of such conglomerate geomorphology in South America and in Brazil, where few occurrences were available so far. They are the first documented conglomerate landforms in southernmost Brazil, widening the distribution of such terrains in South America and in the subtropical, southern hemisphere areas, considering recent global reviews. Besides the high scientific relevance for geomorphology as a whole, such features are important also for (1) evidencing the decisive role of lithology, structure, and water flows in the formation of such landforms; as well as (2) ecology and tourism, being distributed within and in the vicinity of the Cacapava UNESCO Global Geopark of southernmost Brazil.