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Résidus du disque primitif dans lequel les planètes se sont formées, les astéroïdes et les comètes fournissent des contraintes sur les processus de formation et d’évolution du système solaire. A partir des images de la mission Rosetta, l’objectif de cette thèse est de caractériser les morphologies de surface de ces petits corps, et d’en étudier les processus qui ont permis de les former et de les faire évoluer.Sur l’astéroïde (21) Lutetia, le relief est contrôlé par les impacts, formant des cratères, des nappes d’éjectas, des fractures et des boulders.Sur la comète 67P, la région Imhotep, située au niveau de l’équateur, présente des terrains lisses et des terrains consolidés très fracturés. Elle est la seule région à présenter des dizaines de structures circulaires de moins de 60 m de diamètre, probablement très anciennes (Ga), que l’on trouve associées à des couches stratifiées de quelques mètres d’épaisseur. Lors du passage au périhélie, des changements de grande envergure se sont produits dans les terrains lisses ; ils pourraient être liés aux contraintes mécaniques opérant dans le sous-sol de la comète. Un type particulier de fractures observé en surface de 67P a aussi été étudié. Ces fractures se joignent pour former des polygones 3 m en moyenne. Ces polygones résultent probablement des fortes variations de température en surface et en subsurface. Plus généralement, les observations et les travaux d’interprétation à partir des données de la mission Rosetta montrent que les morphologies de surface sur 67P sont autant dues à sa formation et à des processus endogènes qu’à des processus exogènes et évolutifs tels que la sublimation ou les contraintes thermiques. / Residuals from the accretion disk in which planets formed, asteroids and comets provide important constraints on the solar system formation and evolution processes. Based on the images from the Rosetta mission, the main objectives of this thesis are to characterize the morphologies at the surface of these small bodies and to study the processes responsible for their formation and evolution.On asteroid (21) Lutetia, the relief is controlled by impacts, forming craters, ejecta blankets, fractures and boulders.On the nucleus of comet 67P, the Imhotep region, located at the equator of the nucleus, presents smooth terrains and consolidated terrains, heavily fractured. It is the only region that shows tens of circular features less than 60 m in size, probably ancient, which we find associated with layers of several meters thick. During the passage at perihelion, major changes occurred in smooth terrains ; they may be linked to mechanical stresses acting in the nucleus subsurface. A particular type of fractures observed at the surface of 67P has also been studied in detail. These fractures join each other in polygons of roughly 3 m in size. These polygons probably result from the strong variations of temperature at the surface and subsurface. More generally, the observations and their interpretation from Rosetta data show that the morphologies at the surface of 67P can result from its formation and endogeneous processes, as well as from exogeneous and evolutionary processes such as the sublimation of ices or thermal stresses.

The Helium isotopic system provides novel tools to probe the sedimentary record of the earth over the last few hundred million years. Radiogeneically derived \(^4He\) and solar wind implanted \(^3He\) is delivered to sediments by weathered continental material and interplanetary dust particles, respectively. The purpose of research presented in this thesis is to use \(^4He\) of terrestrial and \(^3He\) of extraterrestrial origins as tools to investigate the relationship between global climate and surface processes on earth. I measured \(^4He\) in annual growth bands in a Porites coral from the northern Red sea, lacustrine carbonate sediments from the Bahamas and marine sediments in the North Atlantic (Ocean Drilling Program site 1313). Terrestrially derived fraction of the measured \(^4He\) in the Red Sea Porites coral and carbonates of the Bahamas together provide accurate information about changes in dust export rates from North Africa over the last millennium; dust fluxes are intimately tied to droughts in North Africa at decadal to centennial time scales over the last millennium that in turn, appears to be modulated by sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the Indian and the Atlantic Ocean. On the other hand, \(^4He\) content in marine sediments in the North Atlantic provide information about changes in sources of detrital over the last six million years that in turn appears to reflect changes in ocean circulation in the sub-polar north Atlantic. Accretion rates of solar wind implanted \(^3He\) provide independent constraints on time distribution and physical processes operational during the deposition of marine sedimentary sequences. I measured extraterrestrial \(^3He\) in sediments from the late Cretaceous through the early Danian at one site in the North Pacific (Ocean Drilling Program site 1209 on the Shatsky Rise) and in three sites from the South Atlantic (Deep Sea Drilling Projects sites 516F on Rio De Grande Rise and 528 on the Walvis Ridge). The high-resolution record of extraterrestrial \(^3He\) at the Shatsky Rise demonstrates that there was no increase in solar system dustiness associated with the meteorite impact thought to be responsible for the end cretaceous mass extinction. The assumption of constant delivery of extraterrestrial material therefore resulted in independent constraints on sediment accumulation rates and resultant age model through the early Danian, the latter marking the recovery of ocean system following the events of the end Cretaceous mass extinction. On the other hand, the extraterrestrial \(^3He\) derived mass accumulation rates in the south Atlantic sites demonstrate that carbonate-clay cyclicity in sediments—used by cyclostratigraphy to derive age models—are generated by different physical processes at different sites. It is therefore, crucial to understand processes underlying the carbonate-clay cyclicity before interpreting sediment couplets in terms of age model. / East Asian Languages and Civilizations

<div><div><div><p>The radionuclide 10Be is produced in the atmosphere and is delivered to Earth’s surface in meteoric rain and aerosols. The stable nuclide 9Be is present in trace concentrations within rocks in Earth’s crust and is released via chemical weathering. Together, these two isotopes have been employed to study a wide range of Earth processes. Here I explore new terrestrial archives of Be isotopes: cave speleothems and terrestrial Mn-oxides. Until this point, these archives have barely been studied. Only one published dataset of Be isotopes in cave speleothems exists (Lundblad, 2006), and to my knowledge, terrestrial manganese oxides are yet to be explored. However, since speleothems and Mn-oxides precipitate from groundwater, they have the potential to encode temporal variations in the 10Be/9Be ratio of water and colloids in the vadose zone.</p><p>I develop a framework for using the 10Be/9Be ratio in the dissolved phase and/or secondary weathering products as a metric of chemical weathering rate. I am motivated by several over-arching questions:</p><ol><li><p>1) Which factor, or factors, is/are dominant in controlling Be isotopes in speleothems and terrestrial Mn-oxides?</p></li><li><p>2) Can Be isotopes in speleothems be used as a metric of weathering rate over time, particularly across glacial/interglacial cycles?</p></li><li><p>3) Can Be isotopes be used to date the formation of terrestrial Mn-oxides?</p></li></ol><p>I measure Be-isotope concentrations in speleothems from Soreq Cave, Israel. By applying an equation that I derive in this thesis, I use the temporal variation in the speleothem10Be/9Be ratio to calculate chemical weathering rates over the last 168 ka. Chemical weathering varies with independent proxies for temperature. The weathering-temperature relationship can be fit to an Arrhenius relationship, and the calculated activation energy (Ea) matches other field-based estimates for feldspar, an abundant mineral in the soil above the cave. In the Appendices I present additional results of Be-isotope measurements in a flowstone from Buffalo Cave in South Africa, as well as Mn-oxides from the Appalachians.</p></div></div></div>

O principal objetivo deste trabalho é prever a evolução de margens divergentes desde o início da extensão litosférica, levando-se em consideração a interação entre processos superficiais e tectônicos. Para isto, foi desenvolvido um modelo numérico que acopla isostasia flexural, efeitos térmicos, estiramento litosférico e processos superficiais. A isostasia flexural é simulada através de uma placa elástica fina sobre um fluido invíscido, representando o comportamento flexural da litosfera flutuando sobre a astenosfera. Durante a simulação, a estrutura térmica da litosfera evolui como um resultado da advecção e difusão do calor no interior da Terra. Considera-se que o estiramento da litosfera é acomodado por falhas planas na crosta superior e deformação dúctil na crosta inferior e manto. O modelo de processos superficiais descreve como a paisagem é erodida e como os sedimentos são transportados e depositados nas bacias sedimentares. Através desse modelo numérico, é mostrado que o estiramento litosférico tem uma profunda influência na evolução da migração de escarpas em margens divergentes. Os resultados sugerem que escarpas limitadas por falhas criadas em flancos de rifts por descarregamento mecânico e resposta flexural têm pouca chance de \"sobreviver\" através de recuo erosivo se a crosta inferior sob o flanco do rift foi substancialmente estirada. Nessa configuração, o divisor de drenagem que persiste através do tempo é criado em direção ao continente em uma posição que depende da rigidez flexural da crosta superior. Esse cenário ocorre quando a topografia pré-rift mergulha para o continente, caso contrário a evolução da escarpa é guiada pelo divisor de águas interior pré-existente. Esses conceitos são aplicados no estudo das margens do sudeste da Australia e do sudeste do Brasil, onde o cenário de retração de escarpas através de recuo erosivo mostrou-se improvável. O mesmo modelo numérico foi utilizado para estudar como a passagem de uma anomalia térmica sob a litosfera pode afetar a evolução pós-rift de bacias sedimentares em margens divergentes. Os resultados numéricos mostram que a velocidade da litosfera em relação à anomalia térmica e a rigidez flexural da litosfera oceânica e continental afetam a evolução de bacias sedimentares devido ao soerguimento da superfície relacionado com a expansão térmica da litosfera. Como exemplo, é estudada a possível influência de uma anomalia térmica (Pluma de Trindade?) na evolução das bacias de Campos e Espírito Santo, na margem sudeste brasileira. / The purpose of this work is to predict the evolution of divergent margins since the onset of lithospheric extension, taking into account the interaction between surface and tectonic processes. For this, a numerical model was developed to study the coupling of flexural isostasy, thermal effects, stretching of the lithosphere and surface processes. The flexural isostasy is simulated through a thin elastic plate overlying an inviscid fluid, representing the flexural behavior of the lithosphere floating on the asthenosphere. During the simulation, the thermal structure of the lithosphere evolves as a result of advection and diffusion of heat in the Earths interior. The stretching of the lithosphere is assumed to be accommodated by planar faults in the upper crust and ductile flow in the lower crust and mantle. The surface processes model describes how the landscape is eroded and how the sediments are transported and deposited in the sedimentary basins. The results from this numerical model show that the amount of lithospheric stretching has a profound influence on the evolution of escarpment migration in divergent margins. These results suggest that fault-bounded escarpments created at rift flanks by mechanical unloading and flexural rebound have little potential to survive as retreating escarpments if the lower crust under the rift flank is substantially stretched. In this configuration, a drainage divide that persists through time is created landward in a position that depends on the flexural rigidity of the upper crust. This scenario occurs when the pre-rift topography dips landward, otherwise the evolution of the escarpment is guided by the pre-existing inland drainage divide. These concepts are applied to study the margins of Southeastern Australia and Southeastern Brazil, where the retreating escarpment scenario showed to be unlikely. The same numerical model is used to study how the passage of a thermal anomaly under the lithosphere can affect the post-rift evolution of sedimentary basins in divergent margins. The numerical results show that the velocity of the lithosphere relative to the thermal anomaly and the flexural rigidity of the continental and oceanic lithospheres affect the evolution of sedimentary basins due to surface uplift related to thermal expansion of the lithosphere. As an example, the model is applied to assess the possible influence of a thermal anomaly (Trindade Plume?) on the evolution of the Campos and Esp rito Santo Basins, in Southeastern Brazilian margin.

In this dissertation, we have examined mineral assemblages and geomorphologic features in the Sisyphi Planum region of Mars, as well as examined the mineral assemblage of palagonite in Iceland. Chapter 2 is focused on the mineral assemblages detected on possible glaciovolcanic edifices in the Sisyphi Planum region of Mars. Minerals were identified utilizing visible/near-infrared orbital spectra from the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM). Analysis of eleven CRISM images located on the volcanic edifices revealed three distinct spectral classes in the region which are interpreted to be: gypsum-dominated, smectite-zeolite- iron oxide-dominated (possibly palagonite), and polyhydrated sulfate-dominated material. The possible palagonite detections on the volcanic edifices, the geomorphology of the region, and the analogous terrestrial mineralogy of subglacial eruptions strongly suggests the formation of these minerals during subglacial eruptions or associated hydrothermal systems. This implies that thick water ice sheets were present in this region in the late Noachian or early Hesperian, and that the subglacial hydrothermal systems could have supported habitable environments with excellent biosignature preservation potential. Chapter 3 is focused on evaluating the variability of the composition and crystallinity of palagonite on Earth in order to inform efforts to identify it on Mars. We hypothesized that variability in palagonite composition and crystallinity could occur due to differences in environmental conditions during formation. Palagonite samples were collected in Iceland at subglacial volcanic sites around Reykjavík in the Western Volcanic Zone, on the southern coast in the Eastern Volcanic Zone, and from the Herðubreið tuya and Askja volcano in the Northern Volcanic Zone. Visible/near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy, thermal-infrared emission spectroscopy, and quantitative XRD were used to assess the bulk mineralogy, crystallinity, and clay composition of all samples. Results show the sampled palagonites contain partially devitrified glass, unaltered glass, and secondary minerals including clay minerals, poorly crystalline ferric oxides, and zeolites. However, one sample (SCoast01) shows a vastly different mineral assemblage in all sample techniques, including well-crystalline Fe/Mg-clays as opposed to the poorly-crystalline Al-clays observed in our other samples. Based on previous studies of subaqueous palagonites and the location this sample was collected from, we hypothesize that the SCoast01 sample was formed in a submarine environment rather than subglacial. This suggests that it may be possible to differentiate submarine vs. subglacial palagonite on Earth based on composition and from remote sensing observations on Mars. Chapter 4 is a geomorphologic study of the Sisyphi Planum region of Mars where we identified and classified the tops of the Sisyphi Montes as well as geomorphologically mapped the Sisyphi Planum region. Here, we address an overarching question: What is the relationship between the Sisyphi Montes and the ice in this region? To do this, we identified 106 edifices in the region and classified them into five categories: 1) flat topped, 2) rounded tops, 3) sharp peaks, 4) cratered peaks, and 5) height less than 300 meters – a “catch-all” category for all features below the specified height, which exhibit less distinctive morphologies in MOLA topography. While many of the edifices could be sub-glacial in origin, we find that the only morphologic class that exhibits uniquely subglacial morphologies are the flat-topped edifices. These edifices are similar to terrestrial tuyas, which form when a subglacial volcano breaches an ice sheet and erupts a plateau of sub-aerial lavas. Based on the geomorphologic map and topographic data, we have shown that flat-topped edifices are all located outside of regions that we map as the Mantled Unit, which we infer to be related to the Dorsa Argentina Formation. The combination of the flat topped edifices and their location outside of the mapped ice-related regions strongly suggests that the ice in the region was once more extensive than what is currently observed. While this has been proposed in the past, it has not been documented how far the ice sheet could have extended. Here we show that the ice must have extended to at least as far as the flat topped edifices in the region. The combination of these chapters using both mineralogy and morphology suggest that the Sisyphi Planum region of Mars was subglacial in origin. <br><br>

A bacia hidrográfica do rio Amazonas abrange uma área de 6 × 106 km2 da região norte da América do Sul. O seu canal mais longo, com quase 7.000 km tem origem nos Andes peruanos e cruza todo o continente até chegar na foz, no Atlântico Equatorial. Apesar dos diversos esforços científicos, os processos que guiaram a evolução da paisagem na Amazônia ainda são discutidos, assim como a data do estabelecimento dessa grande bacia hidrográfica que culminou com a forma¸cao do rio Amazonas como um rio transcontinental. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo estudar como se deu a evolução da paisagem na regiao norte da América do Sul, com foco na forma¸cao do Rio Amazonas, através de simulações usando um modelo numérico que incorpora orogenia, flexura, isostasia da litosfera, clima e processos superficiais de erosao e sedimentação. Diversos experimentos numéricos foram realizados alterando-se a topografia original, taxa de espessamento crustal nos Andes, erodibilidade das rochas, entre outros parâmetros. Constatou-se que o instante da formação do rio transcontinental é muito sensível a modificações na paleotopografia inicial do modelo e erodibilidade das rochas. Porém, em todos os modelos, o instante da formação do rio Amazonas ´e marcado por um aumento expressivo na taxa de sedimentação na foz do rio Amazonas e uma correspondente queda no aporte sedimentar na foz do rio Orinoco. Adicionalmente, um aumento na taxa de espessamento crustal na região andina não modifica expressivamente as taxas de sedimentação na foz do Amazonas. Isso ocorre pois o aumento no aporte sedimentar proveniente do Andes é essencialmente depositado nas bacias de ante-país devido ao aumento no espaço de acomodação gerado pela carga adicional sobre a placa litosférica. O aumento da taxa de precipitação sobre a cordilheira dos Andes se reflete em um aumento nas taxas de deposição nas bacias de ante-país, na Bacia do Solimões e na foz do Orinoco, porém na foz do Amazonas as taxas de sedimentação sofrem um crescimento pouco expressivo. Já um aumento na precipitação sobre todo o modelo faz com que, em todas as bacias sedimentares, as taxas de sedimentação sofram um aumento gradativo. / The Amazon hydrographic basin is the largest in the world, covering 6 × 106 km2 of northern South America. Its longest channel, with almost 7000 km, brings sediment from the Andes to the Atlantic Ocean, in brazilian equatorial coast. Despite the scientific efforts, the timing of origin of this hydrographic basin is still debated, as well as the processes that guided its evolution and shaped the landscape in this region. In my research, I used an adaptation of the numerical model developed by Sacek (2014) to study the landscape evolution of the north of South America, focusing on the establishment of the Amazon River as a transcontinental river. The numerical model accounts for the contributions of orogeny, climate, isostasy and flexure of the lithosphere, and surface processes (erosion and deposition of sediments). I performed dozens of experiments, testing a range of values for the different parameters of the model, and I was able to reproduce, in many aspects, the evolution of landscape in the region, as hypothesized by others researchers. I also observed in my results a changing in drainage pattern, that corresponds to the onset of the Amazon River. Furthermore, it was predicted by the simulations, at the moment of the onset of the Amazon River, a great increase in sedimentary deposition at the Amazon Fan, simultaneously with a fall in sedimentary deposition at the Orinoco mouth. However, in the simulations, the moment of the onset of the Amazon River is very sensitive to changes in the initial topography of the model. I also tested the influence of crustal thickening rate in the Andes, precipitation rate, and resistance to erosion of sediments of the model, in the sedimentation pattern of the region. I concluded that an increase in precipitation rate in the model can significantly alter the rate of deposition at the region of Amazons mouth and in others sedimentary basins in the model. However, an increase in crustal thickening or precipitation rate in the Andes does not expressively change the rate of deposition at the region of Amazons mouth, but changes occur at foreland basins and at Solimoes Basin.

Lorsque l’extension de la croûte sous les parties hautes des chaînes de montagnes est colinéaire à la direction de convergence, il est traditionnellement admis que le moteur est l’effondrement gravitaire. Pourtant, des études récentes remettent en cause ce paradigme en montrant que l’érosion induit un soulèvement et de l’extension dans la partie centrale des chaînes de montagne à faible taux de convergence. L’objectif de notre étude est d’étudier l’impact de la dénudation de la topographie sur le régime sismo-tectonique des chaînes de montagnes.La première partie de ce travail présente une compilation de données dans les chaînes de montagnes afin de dégager des relations entre régime sismo-tectonique et érosion. Sur la base de ces observations, un modèle cinématique simple permettant de prévoir le régime de la chaîne est proposé. Ainsi, pour les chaînes à faible taux de convergence et d’élévation moyenne, ce modèle prédit de l’extension lorsque le taux de dénudation est 15% plus élevé que le taux de convergence.La deuxième partie est consacrée au développement d’un modèle thermo-mécanique 2D en éléments finis pour étudier l’impact des processus de surface sur la déformation des Pyrénées. Les résultats montrent que la réponse isostatique à l’érosion permet de réactiver des structures pré-existantes. La cinématique d’un plan de faille hérité peut être prédite grâce au gradient du profil des vitesses de surface horizontales. Ainsi, un plan situé dans la zone d’érosion est réactivé en faille normale alors qu’en bordure de cette zone une faille est réactivée en régime inverse. Ces résultats suggèrent que la déformation actuelle des Pyrénées pourrait être la conséquence d’un processus d’érosion.Compte tenu du faible nombre d’études quantifiant les taux d’érosion dans les Pyrénées, les modèles développés dans la deuxième partie souffrent d’une forte incertitude. Pour y remédier, nous avons cherché à les quantifier dans les Pyrénées Centrales grâce à une étude qui combine deux types de données : taux de dénudation des bassins versants à partir des isotopes cosmogéniques, et vitesses d’incision à partir des sédiments piégés dans les karsts). Ces résultats sont présentés dans la troisième partie. Les profils de dénudation obtenus sont compatibles avec un rejeu en faille normale d’un plan situé dans la Zone Nord Pyrénéenne des Pyrénées Centrales. Dans les Alpes, une bonne corrélation apparaît entre la valeur du taux d’érosion et la vitesse verticale géodésique, ce qui pose la question de l’impact de la déglaciation tardi-Wurmienne dans les Alpes sur la déformation actuelle. Un modèle numérique détaillant cette relation est présenté dans le quatrième chapitre. Les résultats montrent que la déglaciation des Alpes occidentales est contrôlée par l’hétérogénéité rhéologique de la croute. Certains de nos modèles prédisent des vitesses de surrection compatibles avec celles mises en évidence par la géodésie. / When mountain ranges upper parts express crustal extension direction collinear to the convergence direction, it is traditionally accepted that the extensive motor is gravitational collapse. However, recent studies challenge this paradigm by showing that erosion induces uplift and extension in the central part of the low convergent mountain ranges. Our goal is to investigate the impact of the denudation on the seismotectonic regime of mountain ranges.In order to identify a relationship between seismotectonic regime and erosion, the first part of this work presents a compilation of data in the mountain ranges. Based on these observations, a simple kinematic model is proposed to predict the seismotectonic regime of the chain. Thus, for low convergence rate chains with a moderate mean elevation, this model predicts an extension regime when the denudation rate is 15% higher than the convergence rate.The second part is devoted to the development of thermomechanical 2D finite element model to study the impact of surface processes on the deformation of the Pyrenees. The results show that the isostatic response to erosion reactivates pre-existing structures. The kinematics of an inherited fault plane can be predicted due to the gradient of the horizontal surface velocities profile. Thus, a plane located in the eroded zone is reactivated in normal fault when in a border area of this same plane is reactivated in reverse fault. These results suggest that the current deformation in the North Pyrenean Zone could be the result of surface processes.Given the small number of studies quantifying erosion rates in the Pyrenees, the models developed in the second part suffer from high uncertainty. To remedy this, we sought to quantify it in the central Pyrenees through a study that combines two types of data: watershed denudation rates from cosmogenic isotopes concentration, and incision rates from sediments buried in the karst. These results are presented in chapter 3. Denudation profiles obtained are consistent with a replay of a normal fault plane located in the North Zone of the Central Pyrenees.In the Alps, a good correlation appears between the value of the rate of erosion and geodetic vertical velocities, which raises the question of the impact of the late-würmian deglaciation in the Alps on the present deformation. A numerical model detailing this relationship is presented in the fourth chapter. The results show that deglaciation of the western Alps is controlled by the rheological heterogeneity of the crust. Some of our models predict uplift rates consistent with those highlighted by geodesy.

A bacia hidrográfica do rio Amazonas abrange uma área de 6 × 106 km2 da região norte da América do Sul. O seu canal mais longo, com quase 7.000 km tem origem nos Andes peruanos e cruza todo o continente até chegar na foz, no Atlântico Equatorial. Apesar dos diversos esforços científicos, os processos que guiaram a evolução da paisagem na Amazônia ainda são discutidos, assim como a data do estabelecimento dessa grande bacia hidrográfica que culminou com a forma¸cao do rio Amazonas como um rio transcontinental. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo estudar como se deu a evolução da paisagem na regiao norte da América do Sul, com foco na forma¸cao do Rio Amazonas, através de simulações usando um modelo numérico que incorpora orogenia, flexura, isostasia da litosfera, clima e processos superficiais de erosao e sedimentação. Diversos experimentos numéricos foram realizados alterando-se a topografia original, taxa de espessamento crustal nos Andes, erodibilidade das rochas, entre outros parâmetros. Constatou-se que o instante da formação do rio transcontinental é muito sensível a modificações na paleotopografia inicial do modelo e erodibilidade das rochas. Porém, em todos os modelos, o instante da formação do rio Amazonas ´e marcado por um aumento expressivo na taxa de sedimentação na foz do rio Amazonas e uma correspondente queda no aporte sedimentar na foz do rio Orinoco. Adicionalmente, um aumento na taxa de espessamento crustal na região andina não modifica expressivamente as taxas de sedimentação na foz do Amazonas. Isso ocorre pois o aumento no aporte sedimentar proveniente do Andes é essencialmente depositado nas bacias de ante-país devido ao aumento no espaço de acomodação gerado pela carga adicional sobre a placa litosférica. O aumento da taxa de precipitação sobre a cordilheira dos Andes se reflete em um aumento nas taxas de deposição nas bacias de ante-país, na Bacia do Solimões e na foz do Orinoco, porém na foz do Amazonas as taxas de sedimentação sofrem um crescimento pouco expressivo. Já um aumento na precipitação sobre todo o modelo faz com que, em todas as bacias sedimentares, as taxas de sedimentação sofram um aumento gradativo. / The Amazon hydrographic basin is the largest in the world, covering 6 × 106 km2 of northern South America. Its longest channel, with almost 7000 km, brings sediment from the Andes to the Atlantic Ocean, in brazilian equatorial coast. Despite the scientific efforts, the timing of origin of this hydrographic basin is still debated, as well as the processes that guided its evolution and shaped the landscape in this region. In my research, I used an adaptation of the numerical model developed by Sacek (2014) to study the landscape evolution of the north of South America, focusing on the establishment of the Amazon River as a transcontinental river. The numerical model accounts for the contributions of orogeny, climate, isostasy and flexure of the lithosphere, and surface processes (erosion and deposition of sediments). I performed dozens of experiments, testing a range of values for the different parameters of the model, and I was able to reproduce, in many aspects, the evolution of landscape in the region, as hypothesized by others researchers. I also observed in my results a changing in drainage pattern, that corresponds to the onset of the Amazon River. Furthermore, it was predicted by the simulations, at the moment of the onset of the Amazon River, a great increase in sedimentary deposition at the Amazon Fan, simultaneously with a fall in sedimentary deposition at the Orinoco mouth. However, in the simulations, the moment of the onset of the Amazon River is very sensitive to changes in the initial topography of the model. I also tested the influence of crustal thickening rate in the Andes, precipitation rate, and resistance to erosion of sediments of the model, in the sedimentation pattern of the region. I concluded that an increase in precipitation rate in the model can significantly alter the rate of deposition at the region of Amazons mouth and in others sedimentary basins in the model. However, an increase in crustal thickening or precipitation rate in the Andes does not expressively change the rate of deposition at the region of Amazons mouth, but changes occur at foreland basins and at Solimoes Basin.

This thesis presents results of studies using the technique of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy to investigate surface processes occurring on gold during electrochemical experiments in thiosulfate solutions and during leaching in ammoniacal copper(II) thiosulfate systems. The gold SERS electrode was characterised using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). SEM investigations of the SERS activated gold surface showed the presence of electrodeposited dendrites with nanoscale features. XRD studies of the dendrites showed them to be polycrystalline with a large proportion of Au(111). Rotating disk electrode (RDE) studies of polished and SERS electrodes were undertaken in order to clarify the electrochemistry of various thiosulfate systems. The ex situ techniques of XPS and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy were used to determine the presence of sulfur, copper and nitrogen on leached or electro-oxidised surfaces. Voltammetric methods were used to determine sulfur and copper surface coverages at various potentials in sulfide, thiosulfate and ammoniacal copper(II) thiosulfate media. The electro-oxidation of sulfide was examined as a model system in order to identify spectral features and coverage associated with various potential-dependent sulfur layers. In the hydrogen evolution region, a surface layer formed by underpotential deposition in acid and basic media was characterised by a gold-sulfur stretching band, Au-S, attributed in the literature to a monoatomic stretching mode of sulfur bonded to gold. The surface coverage in this potential region was limited to 0.35 ML, representing adsorption in a (3x3)R30 structure. Bands were found to be absent that would have indicated the adsorption of SH– species as has been reported in the literature. A facile change in the position of the Au-S band with potential, unaccompanied by Faradaic processes, was seen when the adsorbed (3x3)R30 sulfur layer was examined in a sulfide-free solution. This may indicate a change in sulfur adsorption sites with potential in the hydrogen evolution region. At potentials above the S II/S0 reversible value in sulfide solutions, the surface coverage increased and S-S bands were observed, indicating the formation of an adsorbed polysulfide species, Au-Sn. A change in the position of the Au-S band was seen to accompany the formation of the S-S bands. As coverage further increased, bands due to S-S-S bending, S-S-S, developed that were characteristic of cyclo octasulfur, S8. On removal from sulfide solution and rinsing, a characteristic SERS spectrum was observed ex situ. The spectrum showed a characteristic S-S at 460 cm-1 and Au-S at 325 cm-1 and was assigned to an adlayer of S8 adsorbed on gold in a crown configuration, Au S8. Gold was polarised in thiosulfate solutions at a potential at which gold dissolution is known to occur. In situ SERS spectra showed bands characteristic of S-S bonding and Au2S to occur after 1 hr for thiosulfate with sodium and ammonium counter-ions and for both systems in the presence of ammonia. XPS studies of polished gold held in sodium thiosulfate under these conditions showed S 2p binding energies corresponding to metal sulfide and pyritic sulfur, S22-. After 72 hrs at the mixed potential in air saturated sodium thiosulfate, SERS investigations showed a spectrum with Au-S8 characteristics. XPS studies on a polished electrode under these conditions showed a third type of S 2p binding with a binding energy between that of pyritic sulfur and S8. The sodium thiosulfate system showed an adsorbed tetrathionate-like surface species, Au-S4O6, to be present at the mixed potential and to disappear with increased potential prior to the formation of bulk S8 via an Au-S8 intermediate. In the presence of the ammonium cation at high potentials, Au-Sn bands appear in the presence of a more intense and broad Au-S characteristic of gold sulfide, Au2S. This was assigned to a mixed gold sulfide/polysulfide phase, Au2S/Sn. With addition of ammonia, the surface species Au S4O6, Au2S/Sn and, tentatively, adsorbed NH3 were observed above the mixed potential. For gold in air-saturated copper(II) ammoniacal thiosulfate media, bands due S-S at 382 cm-1 and symmetric S-O stretching, symS-O, at 1017 cm-1 developed during leaching at the mixed potential. These modes diminished and, when rinsed and examined in water, were replaced by a single band at 255 cm 1 assigned to a metal sulfide stretch. In typical leach solutions, sulfur and copper coverages showed a 2:1 atomic ratio after leaching for 16 h. Ex situ ATR and XPS studies showed that ammonia was adsorbed to a surface copper sulfide. Kinetic studies using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) to measure gold in solution showed that the ammoniacal copper(II) thiosulfate leaching solution exhibited higher dissolution rates in the presence of the sodium counter ion than the ammonium. Thiourea as an additive to thiosulfate solutions was seen to disrupt S-S bonding in both Au-S8 and Au2S/Sn surface structures.