Geomorphological Heritage on the North Coast of the State of Sao Paulo: A Perspective About Current and Past Climate Changes

Palaeoenvironmental records contribute to understanding different climatic contexts of the past and allow to construct future scenario models, including human actions. Furthermore, the inclusion of representative sites of climate change in geoconservation strategies is an important step to inform the public about the climate system, its changes from a geological perspective and the impact of current global warming on nature and society. Thus, this study aims to present geomorphosites representatives of the past and current climate changes on coastal features on the north coast of the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and discuss their conservation implications. The methodological proceedings consisted of the inventory of geomorphosites, followed by the selection of eight climate change representative geomorphosites, as well as their analysis. The geomorphosites testify processes from the Pleistocene to the recent days associated with the coastal dynamic, influenced by sea level fluctuations. The features included cliffs on marine terraces, beachrocks, ancient channels, rocky shores, beach ridges, erosive features such as the destruction of vegetation, and anthropic constructions. The identification of geomorphosites was relevant to enable the development of geoconservation strategies facing their natural dynamic and the interactions of human processes, urban growth, and mass tourism. Also, it allowed the integration into management plans, aiming the conservation and use in teaching programs. This selection could improve the widespread knowledge about climate change and how this could affect nature and society.