Study on the gravitational flow directions of the Maracangalha Formation (Early Cretaceous), Bom Despacho, NNE area of Itaparica Island, Bahia, Brazil

ABSTRACT: The objective of the present study was to interpret the direction of gravitational sedimentary flows in the turbidite deposits of the Maracangalha Formation (Recôncavo Basin), indicating their source areas. Thus, the indicative deformational structures existing in the formation were analyzed. The structures observed ranged from brittle to highly ductile and viscous states, with a diversity of deformational styles. A total of 284 planar and linear measurements was collected in three distinct subareas, separated according to their degree of deformation. The structures found were separated into four groups according to their formation process: (i) pre-deformation structures; (ii) plastic deformation structures; (iii) intrusion structures (fluidization), related to either early or syn-sedimentation events; and finally (iv) brittle deformation structures, with late sedimentation. Some structures were observed to be good indicators of apparent mass movement direction, which yielded predominantly SSW directions, suggesting a partially confined flow, parallel to the main axes of Recôncavo Basin, towards its depocenter.