Climates of Brazil: Past and Present

Abstract

This chapter describes the climactic patterns that prevailed in the Brazilian territory, particularly in the Quaternary, some observations made by travelers and naturalists, particularly during the colonial historic period, the first systematic studies of climactic geomorphology in Brazil, and, finally, the types of current, regional climates. It is noteworthy that the studies based on geological and climatic events have developed various methods to observe and understand the distinct and beautiful Brazilian landscapes. However, for decades, studies have not used climatic and geomorphological data to effectively contribute to the understanding of the origin and evolution of Brazilian landscapes. This situation may certainly be associated with Brazil’s territorial extension, the great geomorphological complexity and absence of data and information climatic and geomorphological data.