BULLETIN OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 



Vol. 16. pp. 1-12, pls. 1-11 January 31, 1905 



STONE REEFS ON THE NORTHEAST COAST OF BRAZIL*; 



ANNUAL ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT, JOHN CASPER BRANNER 



(Read before the Society December 29, 1904) 

 CONTENTS 



l'age 



Introduction 1 



Location, origin, and structural features of the reefs 1 



Factors in the formation of the reefs \ .',... . 4 



In general 4 



History of the coast 4 



Climate of the interior , . . . 5 



Periodicity of the streams 6 



Closed streams 6 



Vegetation . 7 



Density of the sea water 7 



Calcareous sands 8 



The course of events 8 



Coast changes x 9 



Protective agents '. .... 9 



Uniform width of the reefs 10 



Cause of the straightness of the reefs 10 



Stone reef making still in progress . 10 



Similar reefs outside of Brazil 11 



Literature of the stone reefs 11 



Commercial importance of the reefs v 12 



A ntiquity of the arid climate 12 



Introduction 



It is proposed to give very briefly in this paper the results of studies 

 of the stone reefs on the northeast coast of Brazil, which were made in 

 connection with a general geological and geographical invpstigation of 

 that region. 



Location, Origin, and structural Features of the Reefs 



The stone reefs of Brazil are mostly in an out-of-the-way part of the 

 world. They lie along the northeast coast of that country, between 



*A detailed description of these reefs is published in the Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative 

 Zoology, VII, Geological series. 



I— Bum,. Gkoi,. Soc. Am., Voi,. 1 f>. 1004 (1) 



