Carlos Henrique Grohmann

Geomorphological theories for long-term relief evolution postulate the existence of planation surfaces, created by the con- tinuous work of erosion/deposition during periods of tectonic quiescence and recognized as extensive areas of very gentle relief disturbed only locally by residual elevations, or by the apparent leveling of summit heights in a given region. After decades since the publication of the main theories on landform evolution, the validity of these models is still an open dis- cussion. In this paper, we present studies about the compartmentalization of landform elements, on a regional-scale basis, of central-eastern Brazil. The methods involved Digital Terrain Analysis in Geographic Information Systems, aiming the extraction and characterization of topographic variables and the compilation and mathematical analysis of geophysical and thermochronological data. Results were interpreted according to the geological context and the theories for long-term relief evolution. The integration of morphometric, thermochronological and geophysical data does not support the validity of us- ing planation surfaces in regional stratigraphic correlations.