Miguel Fernandes Felippe

Southern Serra do Espinhaço: The Impressive Plateau of Quartzite Ridges

The Southern Serra do Espinhaco (Serra do Espinhaco Meridional—SdEM) is the meridional portion of the most extensive and continuous Precambrian orogenic belt of the South American Platform. The SdEM is an imposing geomorphological and geological unit and one of the most striking geographical structures of the state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. The SdEM has an important role in the separation of drainage basins and the individualization of climate, biomes, and landscapes. The result of the long temporal combination of a diverse lithostructural context and morphogenetic agent action, the SdEM stands out for its biological wealth and the scenic beauty of its landscapes, which are marked by quartzite scarps, canyons, and crystalline water rivers with frequent waterfalls. Human occupation, which has been present since prehistoric times but has intensified since the colonial period due to exploration for precious stones, has resulted in a rich historical and cultural asset that enhances its physical environment and makes the SdEM one of the most common tourist destinations in Brazil.