Important erosive processes that took place after the Cretaceous Era were responsible for the evolution of the landscape in the João Pinheiro region where spongillite deposits occur. The progression of these erosive processes on the carbonate rocks led to the development of negative karstic features where the ponds present formed the spongillite deposits. Based on field studies and analysis of multispectral images, four geomorphological domains were identified: i) domain 1, represented by a plateau related to sandstones from the Areado Group that present the highest altitudes in the area; ii) domain 2, that constitutes a desiccated area related to pelites from the Areado Group; iii) domain 3, comprising a karstic planation surface associated with carbonate rocks from the Bambui Group and Pré-Bambuí unit covered by Cenozoic sediments where the ponds occur; iv) domain 4, composed of gutter shaped valleys enclosing meandering of underfit streams (of the Prata and Paracatu rivers). These valleys cut through the karstic planation surface (domain 3) where Pleistocene sediments occur and characterize the more recent morphological domain.
Geomorphological domains; analysis of multispectral images; spongillite
