The Colonia deep drilling project and the future for Quaternary research in Brazil

Although palaeoecological studies are increasing in South American tropics, very few records encompass deeper scales in time (most of the records are not older than 40 kyr BP), which is a constrain to understand the long history of the ecosystems in the region. Long-term datasets are very useful to determine the effect of glacial and interglacial periods in continental and marine areas, which can lead to predicting future responses of ecosystems to drastic climatic changes. Understanding the adaptability of tropical ecosystems to such drastic climatic transitions is crucial, since the future of those depends on the ability that they have to adapt to the different biotic and abiotic stressors over time. The Southeastern part of Brazil, where the Colônia crater is located, is a unique place for regional and global paleoclimatic research, specifically the quaternary glaciations. Firstly, due to its geological origin, being possibly formed by a meteorite impact, has allowed having a continuous sedimentary infill that until now is known to be originated between the last 5.3 and 11.5 Ma. Such sediments would allow to characterize one of the most diverse forests of the world, which contains high levels of endemism along a latitudinal gradient from 3°S to 30°S. Second, the location between the southernmost influence of the South American Summer Monsoon (SASM) and the northernmost limits of polar air advections makes it a crucial place to understand past climatic and vegetation dynamics in the region. The aim of this talk is to promote the research in such valuable location to continue improving the Quaternary vegetation and climatic history in the South American tropics.