Parnaíba Basin
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The Parnaíba Basin (Portuguese: Bacia do Parnaíba) is a large cratonic sedimentary basin located in the North and Northeast portion of Brazil. About 50% of its areal distribution occurs in the state of Maranhão, and the other 50% occurring in the state of Pará, Piauí, Tocantins, and Ceará. It is one of the largest Paleozoic basins in the South American Platform. The basin has a roughly ellipsoidal shape, occupies over 600,000 km2, and is composed of ~3.4 km of mainly Paleozoic sedimentary rock that overlies localized rifts.[1]
Quick Facts Coordinates, Region ...
Parnaíba Basin | |
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Coordinates | 06°28′00″S 45°35′00″W |
Region | North Region, Brazil, Northeast Region, Brazil |
Country | Brazil |
State(s) | Pará, Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, Tocantins |
Cities | Teresina, Palmas, Araguaína, Parnaíba |
Characteristics | |
On/Offshore | Onshore |
Boundaries | São Luís Craton (N), São Francisco Craton (SE), Borboremo Province (E), Amazonian Craton (W) |
Part of | Brazilian onshore basins |
Area | 665,888 km2 (257,101 sq mi) |
Hydrology | |
River(s) | Parnaiba River, Tocantins River |
Geology | |
Basin type | Cratonic basin |
Plate | South American |
Orogeny | Brasiliano orogeny |
Age | Paleozoic to recent |
Stratigraphy | Stratigraphy |
Field(s) | Gavião Real field, Gavião Branoc field, Gavião Vermelho field, Gavião Caboclo field, and the Gavião Azul field |
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The basin as named after the Parnaíba River, which is approximately 1,400 km (870 mi) long, and runs relatively parallel to the major axis of the basin.