The influence of Public Policies on the development of Brazilian sedimentary basins research

Unofficial AI-generated summary based on the public title and abstract. Not an official translation.

🔬研究者:Provides a case study of how public policy influences geological research priorities and the integration of mineral systems concepts.

🏢実務担当者:Offers context for companies involved in mineral exploration in Brazil, highlighting policy-driven opportunities and gaps.

🏛政策担当者:Illustrates the role of government investment in geological mapping and data integration for reducing exploration risk and supporting energy transition minerals.

Sedimentary basins constitute geological systems of strategic importance to contemporary society because they serve as archives of Earth's history, preserving continuous records of tectonic, climatic, oceanographic, and biological evolution. They also host essential mineral and energy resources that support economic development, food security, and the energy transition. In Brazil, sedimentary basins cover approximately 88% of the national territory and play a central role in national sovereignty by hosting hydrocarbons, coal, agrominerals, industrial minerals, and major aquifer systems. The genesis and concentration of these resources result from a complex interplay of physical, chemical, biochemical, and hydrothermal processes governed by the tectono-sedimentary evolution of each basin throughout geological time. Understanding these processes, together with the application of mineral deposit models and the systems-based approach to mineral and petroleum systems, has led to significant advances in mineral and energy exploration by reducing uncertainty and enhancing predictive capability. Within this framework, sedimentary basins are increasingly recognized as multifunctional geological systems capable of concentrating a wide range of strategic resources. Historically, the development of the geosciences in Brazil evolved from a colonial-era exploratory activity into a structured scientific and technical system, strongly shaped by public policies and government initiatives. This article examines the historical evolution and current landscape of public policies aimed at the investigation and exploration of sedimentary basins in Brazil, highlighting the transition from a conventional approach focused primarily on hydrocarbons and coal to a broader perspective that encompasses agrominerals, industrial minerals, and strategic resources associated with the energy transition. Despite the vast territorial extent of these basins, significant gaps in geological knowledge persist, as reflected by limited geological mapping coverage and the insufficient integration of geoscientific datasets. In this context, strengthening the institutional and technical capacity of the Geological Survey of Brazil is essential for expanding geological knowledge and, consequently, reducing exploration risk. Recent initiatives have accelerated the modernization of geological mapping, the expansion of high-resolution geophysical surveys, and the implementation of systematic geochemical programs. These advances, combined with the incorporation of emerging technologies and integrated approaches such as three-dimensional geological modeling and the mineral systems concept, have contributed to repositioning sedimentary basins as emerging exploration frontiers.

• openalex https://doi.org/10.29396/jgsb.2026.v9.si3.4first seen 2026-08-10 04:42:48