Aflorando abundantemente nas drenagens da Serra da Bodoquena, região sudoeste do Estado de Mato Grosso do Sul, os depósitos de tufas calcárias, descritos como a porção superior da Formação Xaraiés, representam o mais notável depósito do tipo no Brasil, devido à variedade de formas. Sendo a maior atração do pólo eco-turístico de Bonito, MS, as tufas calcárias apresentam-se sob formas de barragens, cachoeiras e depósitos de micritos inconsolidados, que por sua vez geram as piscinas naturais e quedas dágua tão procuradas pelos turistas. Mesmo com tamanha importância, tal rocha não havia recebido um estudo aprofundando, que contemplasse sedimentologia, estratigrafia e geomorfologia. Através de criteriosa revisão bibliográfica, trabalhos em campo e análises laboratoriais, pôde-se obter um panorama da Formação Xaraiés na Serra da Bodoquena. Nesta região, observa-se que a formação, assentada diretamente sobre os calcários e dolomitos do Grupo Corumbá, sendo composta por um nível basal de calcretes, de tipo pedogenético e freático, sobreposto por um pacote de tufas micríticas (micrito inconsolidado), com grande quantidade de gastrópodes, distribuídos amplamente e aflorando em todas as planícies da região. Por fim temos os afloramentos de tufas calcárias do tipo fitohermal, compondo barragens e cachoeiras nas drenagens locais. Acredita-se que a deposição dos micritos ocorreu em ambiente lacustre, o que permitiu um depósito amplo e homogêneo, que posteriormente, em clima úmido, serviu de área fonte, juntamente com os carbonatos do Grupo Corumbá, para a geração das tufas fitohermais. A correlação estratigráfica dos depósitos de tufas calcárias estudados apontam para dois períodos de clima semi-árido a árido no Holoceno, que permitiram a formação e a alteração (calcretização) de depósitos, refletido na base da Formação Xaraiés, e o período climático recente, úmido, a formação das tufas fitohermais, no topo da formação. A ocorrência de lentes micríticas no sul do Pantanal pode significar que esta região também esteve exposta às dinâmicas climáticas vistas na Serra da Bodoquena. Estas constatações demonstram a alta variação climática da região, representada por depósitos que são pequenos e frágeis, mas dotados de significados genéticos indubitáveis. / Crop out abundantly in the Bodoquena Ridge drainages, southwest of Mato Grosso do Sul (MS) state, deposits of calcareous tufa were described as the top portion of Xaraiés Formation, representing the most notable deposit of this type in Brazil, due to the variety of forms. As the greatest attractiveness of Bonito, MS, an eco-tourism center, the calcareous tufa were presented in form of dams, waterfalls and deposits of micritic sediments, which generate natural pools and waterfalls so looked by tourists. Even with such importance, this region had not received a deep study, with sedimentology, stratigraphy and geomorphology approach. An accurate bibliographic review was done, and with field work and laboratory analyzes this work could obtain a panorama of the Xaraiés Formation in Bodoquena Ridge. In this region, can be noted that Xaraiés Formation goes directly over the limestone and dolomite of the Corumbá Group, and were composed by a basal layer of pedogenetic/groundwater calcrete, superimposed by a package of micritic sediments (micritic tufa), with a large amount of gastropods, which were widely distributed, cropping out in all plains of the region. Finally, we have the occurrences of calcareous tufa, fitohermal type, drawing dams and waterfalls in the regional drainages. It has believed that the deposition of lacustrine micritic sediments have occurred in an environment which were enabled a broad and homogeneous deposits. Subsequently, in a moister climate these sediments served as a source area, together with the limestone of the Corumbá Group, for the generation of fitohermal tufa. The stratigraphic correlation of the studied calcareous tufa deposits point to two periods of semi-arid/arid climate in Holocene, which allowed the calcretization. Those were reflected on the bottom of the Xaraiés Formation, and a recent wet climatic period, represented by the fitohermal tufa at the top of the formation. The occurrence of micritic lens in the southern Pantanal may mean that this region has also been exposed to the weather dynamics viewed in the Bodoquena Ridge. These findings show the high variation of climate in this region, represented by deposits, which are small and fragile, but gifted with unquestionable genetic meanings.

Aflorando abundantemente nas drenagens da Serra da Bodoquena, região sudoeste do Estado de Mato Grosso do Sul, os depósitos de tufas calcárias, descritos como a porção superior da Formação Xaraiés, representam o mais notável depósito do tipo no Brasil, devido à variedade de formas. Sendo a maior atração do pólo eco-turístico de Bonito, MS, as tufas calcárias apresentam-se sob formas de barragens, cachoeiras e depósitos de micritos inconsolidados, que por sua vez geram as piscinas naturais e quedas dágua tão procuradas pelos turistas. Mesmo com tamanha importância, tal rocha não havia recebido um estudo aprofundando, que contemplasse sedimentologia, estratigrafia e geomorfologia. Através de criteriosa revisão bibliográfica, trabalhos em campo e análises laboratoriais, pôde-se obter um panorama da Formação Xaraiés na Serra da Bodoquena. Nesta região, observa-se que a formação, assentada diretamente sobre os calcários e dolomitos do Grupo Corumbá, sendo composta por um nível basal de calcretes, de tipo pedogenético e freático, sobreposto por um pacote de tufas micríticas (micrito inconsolidado), com grande quantidade de gastrópodes, distribuídos amplamente e aflorando em todas as planícies da região. Por fim temos os afloramentos de tufas calcárias do tipo fitohermal, compondo barragens e cachoeiras nas drenagens locais. Acredita-se que a deposição dos micritos ocorreu em ambiente lacustre, o que permitiu um depósito amplo e homogêneo, que posteriormente, em clima úmido, serviu de área fonte, juntamente com os carbonatos do Grupo Corumbá, para a geração das tufas fitohermais. A correlação estratigráfica dos depósitos de tufas calcárias estudados apontam para dois períodos de clima semi-árido a árido no Holoceno, que permitiram a formação e a alteração (calcretização) de depósitos, refletido na base da Formação Xaraiés, e o período climático recente, úmido, a formação das tufas fitohermais, no topo da formação. A ocorrência de lentes micríticas no sul do Pantanal pode significar que esta região também esteve exposta às dinâmicas climáticas vistas na Serra da Bodoquena. Estas constatações demonstram a alta variação climática da região, representada por depósitos que são pequenos e frágeis, mas dotados de significados genéticos indubitáveis. / Crop out abundantly in the Bodoquena Ridge drainages, southwest of Mato Grosso do Sul (MS) state, deposits of calcareous tufa were described as the top portion of Xaraiés Formation, representing the most notable deposit of this type in Brazil, due to the variety of forms. As the greatest attractiveness of Bonito, MS, an eco-tourism center, the calcareous tufa were presented in form of dams, waterfalls and deposits of micritic sediments, which generate natural pools and waterfalls so looked by tourists. Even with such importance, this region had not received a deep study, with sedimentology, stratigraphy and geomorphology approach. An accurate bibliographic review was done, and with field work and laboratory analyzes this work could obtain a panorama of the Xaraiés Formation in Bodoquena Ridge. In this region, can be noted that Xaraiés Formation goes directly over the limestone and dolomite of the Corumbá Group, and were composed by a basal layer of pedogenetic/groundwater calcrete, superimposed by a package of micritic sediments (micritic tufa), with a large amount of gastropods, which were widely distributed, cropping out in all plains of the region. Finally, we have the occurrences of calcareous tufa, fitohermal type, drawing dams and waterfalls in the regional drainages. It has believed that the deposition of lacustrine micritic sediments have occurred in an environment which were enabled a broad and homogeneous deposits. Subsequently, in a moister climate these sediments served as a source area, together with the limestone of the Corumbá Group, for the generation of fitohermal tufa. The stratigraphic correlation of the studied calcareous tufa deposits point to two periods of semi-arid/arid climate in Holocene, which allowed the calcretization. Those were reflected on the bottom of the Xaraiés Formation, and a recent wet climatic period, represented by the fitohermal tufa at the top of the formation. The occurrence of micritic lens in the southern Pantanal may mean that this region has also been exposed to the weather dynamics viewed in the Bodoquena Ridge. These findings show the high variation of climate in this region, represented by deposits, which are small and fragile, but gifted with unquestionable genetic meanings.

Le travertin, connu sous le terme de lapis tiburtinus dans l’Antiquité romaine, est une roche issue de la précipitation du carbonate dissous dans les eaux de sources chaudes (travertins) ou froides (tufs calcaires), sous l’influence de processus physico-chimiques et/ou biologiques. Ce phénomène est décrit dès l’époque gréco-romaine par les auteurs antiques (Strabon, Pline l’Ancien, Vitruve), qui témoignent d’une roche qui se forme sous leurs yeux, qui dessine le paysage et qui est largement exploitée pour la construction (p. ex. le Colisée à Rome, le Temple grec de Ségeste en Sicile). Abondamment répartis à la surface de la Terre et caractérisés par une certaine diversité morphologique, les travertins représentent d’excellents enregistreurs des conditions climatiques et hydrologiques de leur dépôt, offrant un potentiel très fiable d’archives sédimentaires utilisées au sein de problématiques paléoenvironnementales. La notion de travertins anthropiques définie ici prend en compte l’influence de l’Homme sur ces formations sédimentaires et les eaux qui leur sont associées. Elle est illustrée par une approche géoarchéologique des dépôts de travertins préservés sur le site antique de Jebel Oust, en Tunisie, où l’exploitation d’une source chaude est attestée depuis le début de notre ère jusqu’à son tarissement dès la fin de l’Antiquité tardive. La source thermale surgissant sur le versant oriental de la montagne fut l’objet d’un culte aux époques romaine puis paléochrétienne et alimentait en eau chaude, par le biais d’un aqueduc, un édifice thermal localisé en aval. Notre approche géoarchéologique met en lumière l’anthropisation du versant qui se traduit par un contrôle du fonctionnement de la source chaude et des dynamiques sédimentaires associées. En parallèle, l’analyse des travertins préservés au sein des structures antiques révèle des informations primordiales sur les conditions de déroulement du culte et sur les pratiques balnéaires (fonction des salles thermales, gestion de l’eau, phases de réfection, états d’abandon). Une vision plus générale d’une géoarchéologie des travertins anthropiques propose une nouvelle approche des problématiques liées à l’eau, en insistant sur la gestion plus ou moins complexe d’une source carbonatée, chaude ou froide, et en précisant le degré d’impact humain sur le développement des travertins. / Travertine, known as lapis tiburtinus during Roman times, are continental limestones precipitated in calcareous environments from thermal waters of hot springs (travertine) or cool waters of karstic springs (calcareous tufa). This phenomenon is well-known during Classical Antiquity and had been described by several ancient authors (Strabo, Pliny the Elder, Vitruvius) who depicted a stone that forms extremely rapidly, a stone that outlines the landscape and which is largely used for construction (e.g. The Colosseum in Roma, the Greek temple at Segesta in Sicily). These deposits are widespread on Earth’s surface showing various morphologies and are great sedimentary records of climatic and hydrologic conditions. Thus they represent valuable proxies for palaeoenvironmental studies. The notion of anthropogenic travertine takes into consideration human impact on these deposits and on travertine-depositing waters. It is documented by the study of the roman site of Jebel Oust, Tunisia, where the exploitation of a hot spring is attested from the first century A.D. to the end of Late Antiquity. The site is characterized by a temple settled around the spring’s vent associated with Roman baths located downstream and supplied with hot water via an aqueduct. Our geoarchaeological approach brings to light the anthropization of the regional geosystem expressed by an entire control over the hot spring and its associated deposits. Furthermore the study of travertines preserved in the archaeological structures reveals precious and original information about water cult and bathing practices during Antiquity (thermal rooms function, water management, repair phases, states of neglect and decay). Moreover, geoarchaeology of anthropogenic travertine intends to offer a new approach of research‘s problematic dealing with water managements and integrating human impact on travertine’s development.