Educational dissemination of geoscientific knowledge for geoconservation of the Brazilian groundwater: the Guarani Aquifer System case

Considered the fourth largest freshwater reservoir in the world, the Guarani Aquifer System (GAS) extends for about 1.2 million km² in South America. Its area of occurrence has a greater volume and extension in Brazil, but comprises also territories of Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina. The GAS waters are contained in sandstone rocks formed in the Mesozoic Era, when much of the supercontinent Gondwana harbored a vast desert environment. During that period, the landscape was mostly sediments, accumulated in large sandy dune fields. In the transition from Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous, a gigantic volcanic activity covered the dunes, originating thick lava flows that solidified on the desert sands and gave rise to the Serra Geral Formation. This unit constitutes, in most of its area of occurrence, a protection cover for the GAS waters. The waters are widely used in Brazil, both for agricultural production and for public supply. It is known that currently more than 1,500 Brazilian municipalities can supply themselves with the GAS waters. and may be compromised by industrial activities, agricultural activities, urban use, land subdivision, and land occupation without previous studies. Thus, studies that promote public policies aimed at its preservation are extremely important. The research is based on the concerns and goals of the Geo-School project – which proposes that any educator of the XXI century has the responsibility to raise awareness for the next generation, aiming to solve environmental problems accumulated over the years. The project seeks to reflect on new modes of production which do not imply the exhaustion of natural resources. The objective of this study is to identify ways to develop strategies towards disseminating geoscientific knowledge and to support the geoconservation of groundwater, promoting a continuous recognition and acknowledgement of the areas of occurrence of GAS. These strategies should enable people to understand the environmental aspects inherent to the local reality of the places where they live. By highlighting the importance of the geological heritage and the imperative need to preserve groundwater, the authors hope to contribute to the formation of a more conscious society and individuals more critical and sensitive to environmental issues. The diffusion actions of Geosciences involve initiatives of formal and non-formal education. The result is the elaboration of a geologybased website that will support the training of teachers and contribute to deepening conceptual actions. As long as new forms of dissemination are identified, such as social networks – with online pages and videos – the authors will expand their use as tools for the dissemination of geological and environmental contents