CARTOGRAFIA GEOMORFOLÓGICA APLICADA AO ORDENAMENTO DO TERRITÓRIO ÁREA DA FIGUEIRA DA FOZ – NAZARÉ (PORTUGAL CENTRAL)

Abstract

The coastal plain located between Figueira da Foz and Nazaré (western central Portugal) has a general low slope towards west, with altitudes below 200 m, and constitutes an important geomophological unit that is usually called “Littoral Platform”. At north, east and south, the platform is limited by the limestones relieves of the Serra da Boa Viagem – Verride arc, Sicó Massif and Estremenho Massif. These relieves are characterized by high slope values and altitude > 200 m. The fluvial incision produced narrow valleys, that in the study area comprise the distal sectors of the Mondego and Lis drainage basins. Regionally six territorial units were distinguished which, given the characteristics of the natural systems and the development of human activities, determine different areas of risk: the limestone hills, sandy hills, floodplains, coastal plain, littoral and the probable neotectonic structures. The limestone hills are particularly sensitive to geomorphological risks (landslides), the sandy hills are vulnerable not only to geomorphological risks (landslides, streams, erosion by land and water) but also to forest fires, alluvial plains are vulnerable to floods and flooding, coastal plain and its field of eolian dunes vulnerable to forest fires, the coast with high vulnerability to erosion of different types according to morphology of the coast and, finally, the probably active tectonic structures, particularly those that are related to diapiric structures, are a source of seismic risk. The detailed geomorphological maps created were a very important tool for the localization and identification of the mineral resources outcrops and to improve the susceptibility maps also created.