On the high basin of the Sao Francisco river in the state of Minas Gerais the Karstic Plateau of Arcos-Pains was characterized by geomorphological mapping, which develops over limestone of the Bambuí Group and can be recognized by the presence of long limestone massifs sectioned by 'reculées', which present themselves like flat-bottomed valleys, limited by abrupt escarpment with kilometric extensions, and by canyons between 300-900m long and between 80-400m wide, which cross and divide the massifs.

The origin and developing dynamics of the 'reculées' and canyons can be comprehended by the understanding of their main conditioning factors, which are, the presence of dissoluble limestone placed over less soluble rocks with low permeability (marly and dolomitic rocks), which house different aquifers at the heights of 700 and 800m. The superior aquifer moves horizontally and vertically inside layers of stratified limestone, originating springs in the areas selected by the massif topography, especially in fracture zones, producing a more intense dissolution of the carbonatic layers on the points where these grow. The differentiated dissolution due to the karstic springs, produce valleys that retreat according to the hydric availability over a long period of time. During this process the valleys start to expand, widening and deepening on the bedrock with stratified limestone, and when they manage to break the little soluble layer of underlying dolomitic, they set in motion the vertical dissolution over layers of massive limestone and stratified one, positioned on the inferior portion of the carbonatic layers, reaching the level of the inferior aquifer, located at 700m. From this moment the 'reculées' deepen even more, being able to reach the massif base level, where blossom little soluble marl of the foot of the carbonatic layers, originating long and large 'reculées' which can evolve to canyons when they totally section the limestone massifs.