Geosciences
IBGE releases report on the 4th Workshop on the Brazilian Relief Classification System
June 29, 2026 10h00 AM | Last Updated: July 01, 2026 01h37 PM
The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) releases today (29) the report of the 4th Workshop on the Brazilian Relief Classification System (SBCR), held in August 2025 at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN). The publication records the discussions and advances of the SBCR, with emphasis on the beginning of the construction of the third hierarchical level of the System, which will represent the varied typologies of the major landforms expressed in the first taxonomic level (1st taxon).
The meeting took place during the 15th National Geomorphology Symposium (Sinageo), considered the largest and most important event in the area of geomorphology in Brazil. The intention was to facilitate the participation of a greater number of researchers, notably from the Northeast and North Regions of Brazil, since the previous editions took place in the Southeast and South Regions.
According to Rosangela Botelho, head of the Physical Environment Sector of the Environmental Division of the IBGE Directorate of Geosciences, there was already a perception of the need to expand the participation of other regions of the country. "The Symposium proved to be a great opportunity. This was reflected, in fact, in the greater participation of institutions from the North and Northeast of the country", she comments, refering to the presence of representatives from universities in Pará, Roraima, Sergipe, Cariri (PE) and Vale do São Francisco.
The 4th Workshop on the SBCR brought together IBGE experts and other researchers from various institutions, such as the Geological Service of Brazil (SGB), the Brazilian Geomorphology Union (UGB) and public universities. As a whole, the event was attended by 27 institutions from 16 Federation Units from all five Brazilian Major Regions.
The initiative continues the process of building the Brazilian Relief Classification System, which began in 2019 with the first workshop promoted by the IBGE in partnership with SGB/CPRM and the UGB. The second workshop took place in 2023 and recorded important advances in the SBCR, such as the conceptualization of the five major relief classes of the first taxonomic level: mountains, plateaus, tablelands, lowered surfaces and plains. The third workshop, held in 2024, advanced the cartographic representation of the 1st taxon and the conceptual definition of the 2nd taxon of the system.
To understand the relevance of this classification of Brazilian relief, Rosangela Botelho mentions the example of mountains, a recently trending topic in the national media. "We have several mountains throughout Brazil, and they are not the same, we have different typologies of mountains, with different origins, ages and lithologies (types of rocks). This gives these mountains a different physiognomy. And the 3rd taxonomic level brings this information to the typologies of Mountain, Plateau, Plain, Tablelands and Lowered Surfaces, which are the five classes of the 1st taxon", she explains.
Another important point was the review of the Relief Map of Brazil in the 1st taxon, scheduled to be released by the IBGE later this year. Rosangela Botelho highlights the importance of this update for the recognition of Brazilian geodiversity. "We talk a lot about Brazil's biodiversity, students study the classification system for living beings at school and know exactly what biodiversity means. Unfortunately, we still don't have that for geodiversity."
The researcher explains that the relief maps studied in schools show only three classes of relief: plateaus, plains and depressions. "This is outdated. We have a much more diverse profile than the one that is still circulating in schools today. So, we hope that from the next few years, with these SBCR publications by the IBGE, all this can change. Brazilian education, in terms of relevance, will be completely renewed, updated, because children will learn other things at school. And that is what we hope for; I believe that this is the biggest impact on society", she adds.
In addition to the Workshop on the Brazilian Relief Classification System, the SBCR National Executive Committee (CEN) also organized and coordinated, during the 15th Sinageo: the sixth edition of the Geomorphological Cartography Workshop, which was organized by André Pelech (IBGE), Marcelo Dantas (SGB), Claudinei da Silveira (UGB/UFPR) and Leonardo Santos (UGB/UFPR); and the 4th SBCR Technical Excursion, under the theme: Tabuleiros e Planícies do Litoral Oriental Potiguar (Tablelands e Plains from the Eastern Coast of Rio Grande do Norte), whose publication will be launched in 2027. Both events were open to all interested symposiators, including members of the SBCR.
The work of the SBCR partner members continues and the 5th Workshop on the SBCR is already scheduled for August 4th to 6th, at the IBGE, in the city of Rio de Janeiro.
