Images of nearby islands on the Tocantins River impress with their beauty The Tropeço archipelago, located on the Tocantins River, in Peixe, in the southern region of the state, impresses bathers with the beauty of the group of islands. Images recorded by Guilherme Mendes drew attention to the place, which attracts visitors during the beach season. The unique configuration is the result of geological characteristics that altered the natural course of the waters and caused the river to divide into several channels, forming dozens of islands. The explanation is from the professor of General Geology and Geomorphology at the Federal University of Tocantins (UFT), Fernando de Morais. "This is a structural geological control. Note that, at this point, the river encounters several rocky features aligned in a northeast-southwest direction, which coincides with the major regional geological structures", explained the geologist. ? Click here to follow the g1 TO channel on WhatsApp According to the researcher, the region is located in the so-called Alto Tocantins, a stretch of the river where geological structures exert the greatest influence on the landscape. This is because the south and southeast of the state concentrate some of the largest geological deformations in Tocantins, linked to the so-called Tocantins Structural Province, an extensive area formed by folding and fractures in the rocks. "The river always tends to go towards the lowest areas of the relief. However, when it encounters more resistant geological structures, it needs to divert its path. This structural control directly interferes with the direction and behavior of the water flow", commented the professor. READ ALSO Meteorite, energy and a giant crater: understand how Serra da Cangalha emerged in TO Redemoinhos are registered in Palmas; see why this phenomenon appears more frequently during this period Meet the retiree who has been transforming Praça de Palmas with fruit trees for eight years; VIDEO Aerial view of the Tropeço archipelago, on the Tocantins River, in Peixe (TO) Personal Archive/Guilherme Mendes How the archipelago came to be According to Fernando de Morais, the archipelago arose because the river encountered, in this specific stretch, a set of rocks with different characteristics from those found upstream and downstream. This change in geological composition created natural obstacles to the passage of water. As these structures are intensely fractured, the main flow of the Tocantins began to divide into several smaller channels, a process that geologists classify as an interlaced pattern. "The difference is that this geological structure, being very fractured, ended up generating several islets. The main flow of the river was fragmented into secondary flows, forming this set of channels and islands that we observe today," he stated. This pattern is not found in much of the course of the Tocantins River. According to the expert, it is enough to observe stretches above and below the Peixe region to realize that the geometry of the river changes significantly. "Exactly at this location, the river takes on an intertwined pattern, dividing into several arms. This happens because of a specific geological control, related to the types of rock found in this area," he said. Landscape reflects the geology of the region For the professor, the formations that gave rise to the archipelago also help to explain other natural characteristics of southern Tocantins, which contains some of the state's best-known waterfalls and landscapes. According to him, the diversity of the relief is a direct consequence of the variety of rocks and geological structures present in the region. "This landscape reflects the geological diversity of the state. That's why the south of Tocantins has so many expressive landforms, waterfalls and different natural scenarios", he explained. See more news from the region on g1 Tocantins.