Annales Societatis Geologorum Poloniae (1987), vol. 57: 127—142
P L ISSN 0208-9068
PALEOGEOGRAPHY AND PALEOTECTONIC EVOLUTION OF CUBA
AND ADJOINING AREAS
DURING THE JURASSIC-EARLY CRETACEOUS
' Andrzej Pszczółkowski
Instytut N auk Geologicznych P olskiej A kadem ii N auk, A l. Ż w irki i Wigury 93, 02-089 Warszawa, Poland
Pszczółkowski, A ., 1987. Paleogeography and paleotectonic evolution o f C uba an d adjoining areas during the Jurassic—E arly Cretaceous. Ann. Soc. Geol. Polon., 57: 127—142.
A b s t r a c t : An outline o f paleogeography a n d paleotectonic developm ent o f C uba during the Ju rassic—E arly Cretaceous is presented within the fram ew ork o f the evolution o f the C aribbean area. D uring the M iddle Jurassic to O xfordian, the sedim ents o f the San C ayetano Form atio n in C uba and clastics o f the C aracas an d Ju an Griego(?) groups in Venezuela were deposited on two different continental m argins. T he C aribbean oceanic crust began to form in the M iddle Jurassic.
T he connection between the A tlantic a n d the G u lf o f M exico through C uba existed since M iddle o r L ate O xfordian time. The volcanic activity in the G reater Antilles (C uba, H ispaniola) has star
ted m ost likely in the earliest Cretaceous an d was related to the oceanic crust subduction.
K e y w o r d s : paleogeography, paleotectonic evolution, oceanic crust, subduction, Y ucatan block, C uba, C aribbean area, Jurassic, E arly Cretaceous.
M anuscript received November 1986, accepted November 1986
IN TR O D U C T IO N
In this paper an outline o f paleogeography and paleotectonic development o f C uba during the Jurassic-Early Cretaceous is presented within the framework o f th e paleotectonic evolution o f the Caribbean area, mainly o f its northw estern p art (Fig. 1). Some aspects of the evolution o f this area during the Mesozoic are still controversial in spite o f a considerable progress o f the geological studies in recent years.
I t has been proposed (Le Pi chon & Fox, 1971; Freeland & Dietz, 1971; M o
ore & Del Castillo, 1974) th at the origin o f the C aribbean plate was related to the divergent m otion o f the N o rth and the South America during the Jurassic with ge
neration in situ o f a new oceanic crust. Other authors form ulated the hypothesis o f the Pacific origin o f the C aribbean lithosphere (Edgar et al., 1971; M alfait & Din- kelman, 1972). According to this idea the Caribbean plate was originally a p art o f the East Pacific plate and was wedged between the N orth and South American con
tinents during the Late Cretaceous (M alfait & Dinkelm an, 1972). The hypothesis
1 2 8 A . PSZCZ6LK O W SKI
o f the East Pacific origin o f the C aribbean plate is n o t contradictory with respect to the concept o f in situ form ation o f the C aribbean (or proto-C aribbean) oceanic crust during the Jurassic—Early Cretaceous. This older crust could be subducted and partly obducted during Cretaceous and Paleogene times.
Fig. 1. Index m ap o f the C aribbean and the G u lf o f Mexcio (A) a n d C uba (B): 1 — m etam orphic m assifs; 2 — Placetas subzone; 3 — C am ajuani subzone; 4 — lim its o f the Cam agiiey P ro vince; B — B aham as; C — C u b a; E — E scam bray m assif; F — F lo rid a; GP — G u ajtra Pe
ninsula; H — H ispano la; H N — H o nd u ras and N icaragua; M — M argarita Isla n d ; P R — P uerto R ico; S C — Sierra de C am ajan ; S O — Sierra de Ios O rganos (with C angre m etam orphic belt
in th e south-east); S P — Sierra del P u ria l; S R — Sierra del R o sario; Y — Y ucatan
The Triassic fits o f the continents around the C aribbean and G u lf o f Mexico proposed by D ickinson and Coney (1980, fig. 1) and by Salvador and G reen (1980, fig. 1) are accepted here as the m ost convenient basis for the paleogeographic an d paleotectonic reconstructions in the G reater Antilles.
CALLOVIAN— M ID D LE O XFOR DIAN
A fter the continental break-up, during the M iddle and Late Jurassic the C uban sedimentary basin (S C in Fig. 2) was connected with the Y ucatan block (Salvador &
G reen, 1980), an d was separated from the Florida-Baham as platform by a tectonic discontinuity nam ed the Florida transform fault by M oore and Del Castillo (1974).
In Cuba, this fracture (FT in Fig. 2) may be correlated with the left-lateral strike- -slip fault between the Bahamas platform and other Mesozoic-Tertiary facies-struc- tural zones to the southwest (Rigassi, 1961).
In the opinion o f some authors (Anderson & Schmidt, 1983; K litgord et al., 1984; R yabukhin et al., 1984) the clastic sediments o f the San Cayetano Form ation (?Lower Jurassic—middle Oxfordian) in C uba were accumulated on the South A merican continental m argin, directly north o f the clastics o f the Caracas and Juan Griego groups in Venezuela. According to this hypothesis the “ C aracas—San Caye-
PALEO GEO G RA PH Y A N D PALEOTECTON1C EVOLU TION O F CUBA 1 2 9
A A
A I A
1
7 f7 A ^ A/ A / A
2113 19
p-
8 14
— — — —
3 — _ — — 4 -r-.-y—r
4 10
° o 15
—«wX
16
A A A
■ A A A
5
11
17 S
=:T^-r —~
± r ± 7-L- 12 18 I 19 [T > > 2 0 --- 21 22 23
Fig. 2. R econstruction o f the C aribbean an d adjacent areas for Callovian to M iddle O xfordian tim e (partly after: Viniegra-O., 1971; Geyer, 1973, Le Pichon et ah, 1977; Buffler et al., 1980; D ic
kinson & Coney, 1980; Im lay, 1980; Salvador & G reen, 1980; Jan sa & W iedm ann, 1982; A n
derson & Schmidt, 1983). Legend for Figures 2, 3 and 5: 1 — continental red beds; 2 — m arine and continental clastic sedim ents (undivided); 3 — shallow -m arine argillaceous sedim ents; 4 — clastics an d calcareous clays; 5 — turbidites in the Low er C retaceous pelagic sedim ents; 6 — eva- porites, 7 — calcareous sedim ents a n d evaporites; 8 — dolom ites an d evaporites; 9 — dolo
m ites with basal arkoses; 10 — shelf lim estones; 11 — pelagic lim estones; 12 — lim estones and claystones; 13 — m arine sedim ents o f the South A m erican an d A frican continental shelf and slope; 14 — oceanic cru st; 15 — p ro b ab le shallow -w ater sedim ents in the Early Cretaceous;
16 — m etam orphic a n d /o r plutonic basem ent; 17 — active volcanic a rc ; 18 — spreading cen
ter; 19 — subduction zone; 20 — lim its o f land areas; 21 — active faults (continuous lines) and inactive fractures (dashed lines); 22 — tran sp o rt direction o f clastic m aterial; 23 — direction o f relative m otion o f South A m erica w ith respect to N o rth A m erica after L add , 1976; N A — N o rth A m erica; S A — South A m erica; A F — A frica; FB — F lo rid a —B aham as platform ; Y — Yucat&n block; H N (1) — H o n d u ra s—N icaragua block, its position is uncertain; S C — San C ayetano F o rm a tio n ; GC — C aracas and Ju an G riego(?) groups; F T — F lo rid a transform fau lt; M S — M o jav e—Sonora m egashear; M V — M exican volcanic belt m egashear; BG — hypothetical strait between the B aham as an d G uinea in M iddle to L ate Oxfordian tim e; G —
G uerrero (Portal del Balsas) strait
1 3 0 A . PSZCZ6LK O W SKI
tan o ” sedimentary basin existed till the Callovian when parts o f Cuba and H ispa
niola separated from South America (Anderson & Schmidt, 1983). However, the stratigraphic correlation o f the San Cayetano Form ation and its m etam orphic equivalents in C uba (Millan & Myczyriski, 1978; Somin & Millan, 1981) with me
tam orphosed terrigenous sediments o f the Caracas and Juan Griego groups in Ve
nezuela is uncertain. The last m entioned terrigenous sediments were laid down upon the South American continental margin, and perhaps partly above the mafic metavolcanics and other rocks o f the La Rinconada G ro u p on M argarita Island (Maresch, 1974, 1975). Nevertheless, Vignali (1979) considers these metavolcanics as a form ation o f the Lower Cretaceous age within the Juan Griego G roup. The tentative age o f this group (Late Jurassic—Early Cretaceous) may be younger than the bulk o f the San Cayetano Form ation in Cuba. N orth o f the South American continental m argin the oceanic crust has started to form already in the Middle Ju rassic as it is proved by the Bajocian-Early Bathonian ammonites found in the allochthonous Siquisique ophiolite complex o f northern Venezuela (Bartók et al., 1985). In Cuba, M illan and Somin (1982) assume a probable M iddle Jurassic age o f the ophiolitic complex in the Camagiiey province, on the basis o f the radiom e
tric age o f 160 M a from an anorthosite. However, according to K ent and G radstein (1985) the age o f 160 M a corresponds to the Middle Oxfordian.
The deposition o f the San Cayetano Form ation in Cuba term inated in the M id
dle Oxfordian (Myczynski & Pszczolkowski, 1976; Pszczolkowski, 1978), never
theless fine-grained clastic interbeds still occur in the limestones o f the lower p art of the Artemisa Form ation (U pper O xfordian—Lower Cretaceous) in the Sierra del Rosario, western Cuba (Fig. 1). These clastic interbeds do not differ from the San Cayetano Form ation sediments. It is inferred th at the connection between the se
dimentary basin in Cuba and the source area o f the terrigenous m aterial persisted through the Late O xfordian—?Early Kimmeridgian. By this time the Cuban area was located far from the South American continental m argin (cf. Fig. 3, and Anderson & Schmidt, 1983; Salvador & G reen, 1980).
The problem of provenance of the clastic m aterial for the San Cayetano F o r
m ation and equivalent metasediments in C uba was considered in a num ber o f p a
pers (Khudoley & Meyerhoff, 1971; M eyerhoff & H atten, 1974; Haczewski, 1976;
Pszczolkowski, 1978; Somin & Millan, 1981, 1982; Anderson & Schmidt, 1983).
The predom inance o f the paleocurrent directions from the south or SSW (Haczew
ski, 1976) do not agree with the idea of the detritus supply from the N orth American continent (Somin & Millan, 1982). In contrast, the clastic m aterial could have been transported from the area of Central America (Haczewski, 1976). Te basem ent in Y ucatan was eroded during the M iddle and Late Jurassic and continental red beds formed there (Lopez Ramos, 1975; Viniegra-O., 1971). The paleogeographic po sition o f the H onduras—Nicaragua block during the Jurassic is controversial (cf.
Freeland & Dietz, 1971; M alfait & Dinkelm an, 1972; Gose et al., 1980; Ryabuk- hin et al., 1984) and its role as a potential source area is not clear.
In summary, existing data indicate th at the sediments o f the San Cayetano F o r
mation and the Caracas and Juan Griego (?) groups were deposited on two diffe
PALEOGEOORAPHY A N D PALEOTECTONIC EVOLUTION O F CUBA 1 3 1
rent continental margins separated by a narrow zone o f the new oceanic crust generated since the M iddle Jurassic (Fig. 2). The direct paleogeographic connec
tion between the San Cayetano sedimentary basin and the South American con
tinental margin was possible in pre-M iddle Jurassic (or pre-Bathonian) time. This problem is still open to discussion becausse ihe age o f the lowermost p art o f the San Cayetano Form ation is conjectural. The Yucatan block was m ost likely the main source of the clastic material for the M iddle Jurassic and Oxfordian sediments o f the San Cayetano Form ation and its m etam orphic equivalents in Cuba.
K IM M ER ID G IA N —T ITH O N IA N
The horizontal motions o f the Y ucatan block term inated in pre-Cretaceous time (Schlager e ta l., 1984), probably in the Oxfordian (Anderson & Schmidt, 1983).
It may be assumed th at the Cuban area located between the Yucatan and the Flo
rid a —Bahamas platform became also fixed during pre-Tithonian or pre-Kimmerid- gian time. Farther to the south there existed a new oceanic crust (Fig. 3), created in the hypothetical Caribbean spreading center (Freeland & Dietz, 1971; M oore &
Del Castillo, 1974; Saunders, 1980). This center was active untill Callovian time
Fig. 3. Reconstruction o f the C aribbean and adjacent areas for the Late Jurassic (K im m eridgian — T ithonian), (partly after: Viniegra-O., 1971; M oore & D e l Castillo, 1974; Le Pichon et al., 1977;
Buffler et al., 1980; D ickinson & Coney, 1980; Im lay, 1980; M aresch, 1983; Schlager et al., 1984).
Legend as for Figure 2
1 3 2 A . PSZCZÓŁKOWSK1
when the m ain stage of the oceanic crust form ation started in the G ulf c f Mexico (Dickinson & Coney, 1980; Anderson & Schmidt, 1983). In the Oxfordian, the wes
tern part of the Caribbean spreading center could have been less active because o f the G ulf o f Mexico opening (Fig. 2). D uring the Kimmeridgian and Tithonian the oceanic crust was formed along the whole Caribbean spreading center (Fig. 3) as a result o f the divergent m otion of the South A m erica—Africa and N orth Ame
rica. In the northwestern p a rt o f the Placetas subzone (3 in Fig. 1 B) the T ithonian—
Lower Cretaceous sediments were probably underlain by granitoids and m etamor- phic rocks (Pardo, 1975; Pszczółkowski, 1986). In contrast, the Tithonian (?) tho- leiitic basalts were found at the base of the Placetas strati graphic sequence in the Sier
ra de Camajan (S C in Fig. IB ), central C uba (Iturralde-Vinent & M ari, 1984).
These basalts could be related to the K im m eridgian—Tithonian spreading episode in the C aribbean area. The mafic rocks o f the Tithonian (?)—Early Cretaceous age drilled in the southwestern p a rt of the La Esperanza zone (C uban—Soviet m apping team pers. comm., 1984), located in the Pinar del Rio province north o f the Sierra de los Organos (Fig. 1B), may be interpreted as a result of a spreading center acti
vity or as a m arginal basin volcanics (Simón Mendez, 1986). However, m ore com plete data are needed for any reliable evaluations o f these reeks.
D uring the Kimmeridgian the shallow-water carbonate deposition persisted in western and central C uba (Pszczółkowski, 1978; Milian & Myczyński, 1978).
Extensive carbonate bank embraced the depositional realms o f the Sierra de los Organos, Escambray and Isla de la Juventud ( = Isle o f Pines). D uring the T itho
nian this area subsided and was covered by thin periplatform to pelagic carbonate sediments (Fig. 4). In northern p a rt o f central Cuba, the periplatform calcareous ooze and carbonate turbidites o f total thickness of 300 m were accumulated in the C am ajuani basin. At the same time, terrigenous sediments were deposited above the granitoid-m etam orphic basement in the northwestern part o f the Placetas sub
zone (Pszczółkowski, 1986). The basement high in the Placetas subzone term inated probably along a fault (Fig. 3). This fracture and the Florida transform fault may correspond to the fracture zones between the Banco de Campeche and Florida as postulated by K litgord et al., (1984).
Schlager et ah, (1984) suggested a Jurassic—N eocom ian deep-sea connection between the G ulf of Mexico and the A tlantic through the Cuban area, although the Jurassic sediments were not reached in the SE G ulf drilling sites. This connec
tion was established already in the middle to late Oxfordian time, probably via the B aham as—Guinea strait (Fig. 2). This conclusion is supported by paleogeographic evidence (Imlay, 1980) and faunistic data (Myczyński, in press). In the Early K im meridgian the deep-water connection between the Caribbean basin and the G ulf o f Mexico probably did not exist because the sediments with ammonites of this age are n o t known in Cuba. The Mexican character o f the Lower Kim meridgian ammonites from the Guajira Peninsula in Colombia (Geyer, 1973) may be explained by the existence of a more distant connection through the Pacific shelf and the G uer
rero (or Portal del Balsas) strait in central Mexico (Imlay, 1980; Lopez Ramos,
PALEOGEO GRA PHY A N D PALEOTECTONIC EVOLUTION O F CUBA 1 3 3
D ...Л 9 Е З " b : . Z j ’2 и Н »
Fig. 4. Paleogeography o f the northw estern p a rt o f the C aribbean and adjacent areas in T ithonian tim e (partly after: Viniegra-O., 1971; M eyerhoff & H atten , 1974; Lopez R am os, 1975; Sheridan et al., 1981; C obiella, 1984; M illdn et al., 1984; Schlager et al., 1984). 1 — pre-M esozoic base
m en t; 2 — carbonate sedim ents and evaporites o f the F lorida —Baham as platfo rm ; 3 — peri- -platform calcareous oozes an d carb o n ate turbidites o f the C am ajuani sequence; 4 — carbo n ate -pelagic sedim ents; 5 — m arine terrigenous an d terrigenous-carbonate sedim ents; 6 — U pper O x fo rdian—T ithonian succession o f the shallow -w ater carbonates and periplatform oozes; 7 — -probable deep-w ater carb o nate sedim ents; 8 — continental red beds; 9 — oceanic crust an d its deep-w ater sedim entary cover; 10 — m argins o f the Y ucatan and F lo rid a —B aham as platform s;
11 — hypothetical boundary o f the N o rth A m erican continental m argin in the G reater Antilles a re a ; 12 — probable fau lts; 13 — present-day isob aths; T — T ortue Isla n d ; S — Sam ana Peninsula o f H ispaniola; C K — C atoche K n o ll; J K — Jo rd a n K n o ll; P K — P in a r del R io K noll (these knolls could be connected w ith the Jurassic platform s); subdivisions 4 — 6 are presented in
their pre-tectonic position in western an d central C uba
1984). The Caribbean basin and the G ulf of Mexico could have been directly con
nected during the Tithonian as inferred from the C uban carbonate sediments con
taining ammonites and planktonic microfossils.
LOW ER CRETACEOUS (PRE-APTIAN)
D uring the Early Cretaceous pelagic sediments and turbidites were deposited in western and central Cuba (Pardo, 1975; Pszczolkowski, 1978, 1982). The clastic m aterial was transported from the Y ucatan block (Fig. 5). N orthw est o f Cuba, in the southeastern G ulf of Mexico there existed a deep-water seaway approxim ately 100 km wide (Schlager et al., 1984). In eastern Cuba the T ithonian—Lower Cre
taceous sediments are known from the Sierra del Purial, where m etam orphosed terrigenous and carbonate form ations were related by M illan et al., (1984) to the
“miogeosynclinal paleostructure” of the N orth American continental margin.
1 3 4 A. PSZCZ<5tKOWSKI
M etam orphic rocks exposed in the Tortue Island and in the Sam ana Peninsula of Hispaniola may include sediments of a continental margin (Nagle, 1974) o f Jurassic—Early Cretaceous age; however, at least a part o f these rocks is younger (Vila et al., 1982).
■ 1 A [N g---:----
p r * a
j * a i a i a I a J h a I a
a I a I a | A | P R I A | A
' 1 ' ■ 1 I A I * A
L* i * i .; .i
A | A | A | A | A | A | A
Fig. 5. Paleogeographic scheme o f the C aribbean in E arly Cretaceous (pre-A ptian) tim e (partly afte r: K hudoley & Meyerhoff, 1971; Viniegra-O., 1971; M alfait & D in keIm an , 1972; M aresch,
1974, 1983; Lopez R am os, 1975; W alper, 1980; Schlager et al., 1984). Legend as for Figure 2
In Cuba and Hispaniola the oldest rocks o f the Cretaceous volcanic arc are paleontologically dated as A ptian—Albian (Khudoley & Meyerhoff, 1971; Bowin, 1975). Nevertheless, in central Cuba, a thick pre-Cenom anian volcanic succession is barren o f fossils in its lower p art (Pardo, 1975). Even the Late Jurassic age of these oldest island-arc volcanics in C uba was suggested (M eyerhoff in : Khudoley&
Meyerhoff, 1971; Iturralde-Vinent, 1975; M attson, 1979), but this opinion was not supported by any clear evidence. Therefore in this paper the Early Cretaceous initiation o f the volcanic arc activity in C uba is assumed as a less speculative possi
bility. This volcanic activity has developed in the Zaza facies-structural zone, lo
cated south of the Placetas subzone in central Cuba, but aso north o f the Sierra del Rosario (in the Bahia H onda area) in the western p art o f the island (Fig. 1 B).
The onset of subduction in the G reater Antilles was correlated with the im por
tan t change in the relative m otion of the South America with respect to N orth America in the Valanginian (Ladd, 1976; Anderson & Schmidt, 1983). The con-
PALEOGEO G RA PH Y A N D PALEOTECTONIC EVOLUTION O F CUBA 1 3 5
troversial problem o f the location and dip o f the subduction zone in Cuba during M esozoic tim e was considered by various authors (M alfait & Dinkelm an, 1972;
Nagy, 1972; M attson, 1973, 1979; Iturralde-V inent, 1975; Dickinson & Coney, 1980; Haydoutov, 1984; Millan & Somin, 1984). According to M alfait and D in
kelman (1972) a northward-dipping subduction zone and the associated volcanic arc were established as a result of the Caribbean plate consumption in the Late Creta
ceous, but this paleotectonic situation probably occurred earlier, in Early Creta
ceous tim e (Fig. 5). The alternative hypothesis is that the subduction zone dipped southw ard and the associated volcanic arc was situated far to the south or south
west o f the N orth American continental margin during the Early Cretaceous (Rya- bukhin et a l, 1984; Leclere-Vanhceve & Stephan, 1985). However, the real posi
tion o f this subduction zone and the Zaza volcanic arc in pre-A ptian time is difficult to restore. D uring the Early Cretaceous the Zaza volcanic arc was growing up in a deep m arine environment which persisted in places through the Late Cretaceous (Tchounev et al., 1984).
Various elements o f the geological structure o f Cuba were interpreted in favour either o f the first or o f the second hypothesis and it would be difficult to eliminate one o f them at the moment. The mafic rocks in the Jurassic—Cretaceous sequences o f the Escambray m etam orphic m assif may be interpreted as an indication o f transition between the Mesozoic continental margin to the north and the oceanic crust an d /o r volcanic arc to the south (Millan & Somin, 1984). This paleotectonic situation would provide a supporting argum ent for the location o f the subduction zone south o f the Escambray Mesozoic sequences. The m odel o f two successive Mesozoic episodes o f northw ard-dipping and southward-dipping subduction (M att
son, 1979) is difficult to accept in the C uban area. The terrigenous-carbonate se
quences o f Escambray and Sierra del Purial were m etamorphosed in Late C reta
ceous tim e (Somin & Millan, 1981; Millan et al., 1984), while in the southern part o f the Sierra de los Organos (Fig. 1 B) the m etam orphic event occurred in the Paleogene (Pszczolkowski, 1984). Therefore the Late Cretaceous to Paleogene meta- m orphism o f these sedimentary sequences could not be related to the northw ard- -dipping subduction zone active before 119 Ma.
On other islands o f the G reater Antilles the problem o f the Mesozoic subduction episodes was also alternatively considered (Nagle, 1974, Bowin, 1975; Kesler et al., 1977; M attson, 1979). Nevertheless, it is assumed th at the subduction started during the Early Cretaceous is H ispaniola and probably in Puerto Rico.
PROBABLE OCEAN IC CRU ST FO R M A TIO N IN T H E APTIAN—7CENOM ANIAN
In the Early Cretaceous the rate o f the oceanic crust form ation in the Caribbean area was probably reduced as a result of the change in the relative m otion between N o rth and South America (Ladd, 1976). However, in the northwestern p art of the Caribbean the oceanic crust generation might have continued until the C enom anian(?).
Such a possibility is indicated by num erous tholeiitic basalt occurrences in the En-
1 3 6 a. p s z c zCl k o y v s k i
crucijada Form ation in the Bahia H onda area o f western C uba (Fonseca & Zele- pugin, 1981; Zelepugin et al., 1982). This form ation o f the A p tian —?Cenom anian age is considered as the basaltic m em ber o f the ophiolitic association (Fonseca et al., 1984). The Encrucijada Form ation rocks, likewise the allochthonous volcano- -sedimentary sequence in the Sierra del Rosario (Pszczolkowski & Albear, 1983), resemble the Dumisseau Form ation o f Cretaceous age in southern H aiti (M aur- rasse et a l, 1979). The latter form ation is considered to be an emerged analogue o f the C aribbean crust. The above m entioned mafic rocks o f western C uba could have been form ed in a back-arc basin north o f the Zaza volcanic pile (Fig. 5), but an alternative interpretation as the partial equivalent o f the lithologic succession beneath the seismic reflector B” in the C aribbean Sea (Edgar et al., 1971; M aur- rasse et al., 1979; Saunders, 1980) is also possible.
C O N C LU SIO N S
1. The clastic sediments o f the Jurassic San Cayetano Form ation in C uba and the Caracas and Juan Griego groups in Venezuela were deposited on two different continental margins, at least since the Bajocian-Early Bathonian.
2. The Y ucatan block was m ost likely the m ain source o f the terrigenous m a
terial for the San Cayetano Form ation and its m etam orphic equivalents in Cuba.
3. The Caribbean oceanic crust started to form already during M iddle Jurassic tim e.
4. The connection between the G ulf o f Mexico and the Atlantic through Cuba was established in the M iddle to Late O xfordian time. The C aribbean basin and the G u lf o f Mexico were directly connected by a deep-water seaway during Tithonian time.
5. In the G reater Antilles, the subduction o f the oceanic crust started probably in the earliest Cretaceous. So far there is no clear evidence in support for a Jurassic subduction episode.
6. In the northwestern p art o f the C aribbean area the oceanic crust generation m ight have continue through the A p tian —?Cenomanian.
Acknowledgements
I wish to thank C. D r. G . Mill&n, Ing. R . Flores and D r. I. H aid u to v for lecture and com m ents on the Spanish version o f this paper. T hanks a re due to D ocent J. Lefeld for im provem ent o f the English text.
R E F E R E N C E S
•Anderson, T. H. & Schm idt, V. A ., 1983. The evolution o f M iddle A m erica an d the G u lf o f Mexi
c o —C aribbean Sea region during M esozoic time. Geol. Soc. A m . Bull., 94: 941 — 966.
B artók, P. E. R enz, O. & W esterm ann, G . E. G ., 1985. The Siquisique ophiolites, n o rth ern L ara state, Venezuela: A discussion on their M iddle Jurassic am m onites and tectonic im plications.
Geol. Soc. A m . B ull., 96: 1 0 5 0 -1 0 5 5 .
PALEO GEOG RAPHY A N D PALEO TECTONIC EVOLUTION O F CUBA 1 3 7
Bowin, C., 1975. The geology o f H ispaniola. In : A . E. M . N a im & StehI, F . G . (eds.), The Ocean Basins and M argins, Vol. 3 — The G u lf o f M exico and Caribbean. Plenum Press, New Y ork,
pp. 5 0 1 -5 5 2 .
Buffler, R . T., W atkins, J. S., Shaub, F . J. & W orzel, J. L ., 1980. Structure a n d early geologic hi
story o f the deep central G u lf o f M exico basin. In : Pilger, R . H ., jr. (ed.), T he origin o f the G u lf o f M exico an d th e early opening o f the central N o rth A tlantic Ocean. Proc. o f a Sym posium at Luisiana S tate Univ., B aton R ouge, pp. 3 — 16.
Cobiella, J. L ., 1984. Sobre e l origen del extrem o oriental de la fo sa de Bartlett. E ditoral O riente, Santiago de C uba, 43 pp.
D ickinson, W. R . & Coney, P. J., 1980. P late tectonic constraints on the origin o f the G u lf o f Me
xico. In : Pilger, R . H ., jr. (ed.), T he origin o f the G u lf o f M exico and the early opening o f the central N o rth A ltantic Ocean. Proc. o f a Sym posium a t Luisiana S ta te Univ., B aton Rouge, pp. 27—36.
Edgar, N . T., Ewing, J. L. & H ennion, J., 1971. Seismic refraction a n d reflection in the C aribbean Sea. Am . Assoc. Petrol. Geol. Bull., 55: 833—870.
Fonseca, E. & Z elepugin, V., 1981. A sociacion de basaltos sodicos en la region occidental de C uba
^ (Provincia de P in ar del Rio), In : Resumenes. Prim er Simposio Soc. Cub. Geol., 1981, L a H a- b an a, p. 77.
Fonseca, E., Zelepugin, V. & H eredia, M ., 1984. Particularidades de la estructura de la asociacidn ofiolitica de C uba. Ciencias de la Tierra y del Espacio, 9: 31 — 46.
Freeland, G . L. & D ietz, R . S., 1971. Plate tectonic evolution o f C arib b ean —G u lf o f M exico re gion. Nature, 232: 2 0 —23.
Geyer, O. F ., 1973. D as prakretazische M esozoikum von K olum bien. Geol. Jb., B, 5: 1 — 142.
G ose, W. A ., Scott, G . R . & Swartz, D . K ., 1980. The aggregation o f M esoam erica: paleom agnetic evidence. In : Pilger, R . H ., jr. (ed.), The origin o f the G u lf o f M exico a n d the early opening o f the central N o rth A tlantic Ocean. Proc. o f a Sym posium at Luisiana S ta te Univ., B aton R ouge, 51 — 54.
Haczewski, G ., 1976. Sedim entological reconnaissance o f the San C ayetano F o rm a tio n : an accu
m ulative continental m argin in the Jurassic o f W estern C uba, A cta Geol. Polon., 26: 331 — 353.
H aydoutov, I., 1984. M odel for the C retaceous geotectonic evolution o f central C uba. I n : 27 In
ter. Geol. Congress, Abstracts, vol. I l l , M oscow, pp. 223—224.
Im lay, R . W ., 1980. Jurassic paleobiogeography o f the conterm inous U nited States in its conti
nental setting. U. S . Geol. Surv. Prof. Paper, 1062: 134 pp.
Iturralde-V inent, M. A ., 1975. Problem s in application o f m odern tectonic hypotheses to C uba an d C aribbean region. A m . Assoc. Petrol. Geol. Bull., 59: 838 — 855.
Iturralde-V inent, M. A. & M ari, T., 1984. B asaltos toleiticos del T itoniano de la Sierra de Cam a- ja n (zona de Placetas), Camagiiey. In : X Jorn. Cient. Inst. Geol. Paleont. A C C . L a H ab a n a ,
p. 57.
Jan sa, L. F . & W iedm ann, J., 1982. M esozoic—Cenozoic developm ent o f the eastern N o rth A m e
rican a n d northw est African continental m argins: a com parison. In : R a d , U ., von, H inz, K ., S am thein, M . & Seibold, E. (eds.), Geology o f the Northwest African Continental M argin.
Springer—Verlag, Berlin, pp. 215—269.
K en t, D . V. & G radstein, F . M ., 1985. A C retaceous an d Jurassic geochronology. Geol. Soc. A m . B ull., 96: 1 4 1 9 -1 4 2 7 .
K esler, S. E ., Sutter, J. F ., Jones, L. M. & W alker, R . L., 1977. E arly C retaceous basem ent rocks in H ispaniola, Geology, 5: 245—247.
K hudoley, K . M . & M eyerhoff, A . A ., 1971. Paleogeography a n d geological history o f G reater Antilles. Geol. Soc. A m . M em . 129: 1 — 199.
K litgord, K . D ., Popenoe, P. & S ch ou ten , H ., 1984. F lo rid a: a Jurassic transform plate boundary.
J . Geophys. Res., 89 (B9): 7 7 5 3 -7 7 7 2 .
L add, J. W ., 1976. R elative m otion o f South A m erica with respect to N o rth A m erica and C aribbean tectonics. Geol. Soc. A m . Bull., 87: 969—976.
1 3 8 A. PSZCZ6LK O W SKI
Leclere-Vanhoeve, A. & Stephan, J. P ., 1985. Evolution geodynam ique des C aralbes dans la system e points chauds, In : Geodynamique des Caralbes, Sym posium Paris. Ed. Technip, Paris, pp.
2 1 - 3 4 .
Le Pichon, X. & F o x , P. J., 1971. M arginal offsets, fracture zones, an d the early opening o f the N o rth A tlantic. J. Geophys. R es., 76 (26): 6294— 6308.
Le Pichon, X ., Sibuet, J.-C . & F ran ch eteau , J., 1977. T he fit o f the continents aro und the N o rth A tlantic Ocean. Tectonophysics, 38: 169—209.
Lopez R am os, E ., 1975. Geological sum m ary o f the Y ucatan Peninsula. In : N airn A. E. M ., &
Steghli F. G ., (eds.), The Ocean Basins and M argins. Vol. 3 — The G u lf o f M exico and the Ca
ribbean. Plenum Press, N ew Y ork, pp. 257—282.
Lopez R am os, E ., 1984. Paleogeografia y tectdnica del M esozoico en M exico. Rev. Inst. Geol.
Univ. Nac. A u t. de M exico , 5 (2): 158 — 177.
M alfait, B. & D ink elm an , M ., 1972. C ircum —C aribbean tectonic and igneous activity and the evo
lution o f the C aribbean plate, Geol. Soc. A m . Bull., 83: 251 — 272.
M aresch, W. V., 1974. Plate tectonics origin o f the C aribbean M ou ntain System o f n orth ern South A m erica: D iscussion an d proposal. Geol. Soc. A m . B ull., 85: 669—682.
M aresch, W . V., 1975. The geology o f n o rtheastern M argarita Island, Venezuela: A contribution to th e study o f C aribbean m argins. Geol. Rundsch., 64: 846—883.
M aresch, W. V., 1983. The n o rth ern Andes. In : M oullade, M. & N airn , A. E. M . (eds.), The Pha- nerozoic Geology o f the World', The M esozoic, B. Elsevier, A m sterdam , pp. 121 — 149.
M attson, P. H ., 1973. M iddle Cretaceous n appe structures in P uerto R ican ophiolites a n d their relation to th e tectonic history o f G reater A ntilles. Geol. Soc. A m . B ull., 84: 21 — 38.
M attson, P. H ., 1979. Subduction, buoyant braking, flipping, and strike-slip faulting in the n o rt
hern C aribbean. J. Geol., 87: 293 — 304.
M aurrasse, F ., H ustler, J., Georges, G ., Schm itt, R . & D a m o n d , P., 1979. U praised C aribbean sea floor below acoustic reflector B ” a t the Southern Peninsula o f H aiti. Geol. M ijnb., 58:
7 1 - 8 3 .
M eyerhoff, A . A . & H atten , C. W ., 1974. B aham as salient o f N o rth A m erica: Tectonic fram ew ork, stratigraphy, a n d petroleum potential. A m . Assoc. Petrol. Geol. B ull., 58: 1201 — 1239.
M ill£n, G . & Myczynski, R ., 1978. F a u n a jurasica y consideraciones sobre la edad de las secuen- cias m etam orficas del Escam bray. Inf. Cient.-Tecn. Ac. Cien. Cuba., 80: 1 — 14.
Mill&n, G . & S o m in , M . L ., 1982. Los com plejos m etam6rficos de C uba, In : I X Jorn. Cient. Inst.
Geol. Paleont. A C C , L a H ab a n a , pp. 28 —33.
M illdn, G . & S om in, M . L., 1984. C ontribuci6n a la geologia de las m etam orfitas y al desarrollo paleotect6nico del sur de C uba central. In : X J o rn . Cient. Inst. Geol. Paleont. A C C , L a H ab a n a , p. 60.
Mill&n, G ., Som in, M . L., & D ia z , C., 1984. G eologia del m acizo m ontanoso de la Sierra del Pu- ria l (extrem o oriental de C uba). In : 'X Jorn. Cient. Inst. Geol. Paleont. A C C , L a H ab an a, p. 61.
M oore, G . W. & D e l C astillo, L ., 1974. Tectonic evolution o f the Southern G u lf o f M exico. Geol.
Soc. A m . Bull., 85: 607—618.
M yczynski, R ., (in press). Sobre las correlaciones paleobiogeogr&ficas del conjunto de los am m o
nites del Jur&sico Superior y del Cret&cico Inferior de C uba. In : Contribucion a la Geologia de la Provincia de Pinar del Rio.
M yczynski, R . & Pszczolkowski, A ., 1976. T he am m onites a n d age o f the San C ayetano F o rm a tio n from the Sierra del R osario, western C uba. A cta Geol. Polon., 26: 321 — 329.
N agle, F ., 1974. Blueschist, eclogite, paired m etam orphic belts and early tectonic history o f H is
paniola, Geol. Soc. A m . Bull., 85: 1461 — 1466.
N agy, E ., 1972. Perfil transversal esquem atico de O riente desde el pun to de vista de la tect6nica de placas. A cta A c. Cien. Cuba, Inst. Geol., 2: 63 — 6 6.
P ardo, G ., 1975. Geology o f C uba. In : N airn , A . E. M . & Stehli, F . G . (eds.), The Ocean Basins and M argins, Vol. 3 — The G u lf o f M exico and the Caribbean. Plenum Press, New Y ork, pp.
5 5 3 -6 1 5 .
Pszczolkowski, A ., 1978. Geosynclinal sequences o f the Cordillera de G uaniguanico in western
PALEOGEOGRAPHY A N D PALEOTECTONIC EV OLUTION O F CUBA 1 3 9
C uba; their lithostratigraphy, facies developm ent, an d paleogeography. A cta Geol. Polon., 28: 1 - 9 6 .
Pszcz61kowski, A ., 1982. C retaceous sedim ents and paleogeography in the western p art o f the C uban miogeosyncline. A cta Geol. Polon., 32: 135—161.
Pszczolkowski, A ., 1984. Sobre la edad del m etam orfism o y la estructura tect6nica de la faja Can- gre, provincia de P in ar del R io. In: X Jorn. Cient. Inst. Geol. Paleont. A C C , 66, L a H ab an a, p. 66.
Pszcz61kowski, A ., 1986. Secuencia estratigrafica de Placetas en el area lim itrofe de las provincias de M atanzas y Villa C lara (Cuba). Bull. Pol. Ac. Sci., Earth Sci., 34: 6 7—79.
Pszczdlkowski, A . & A lbear, J. F. de, 1983. La secuencia vulcanogeno-sedim entaria de la Sierra del R osario, provincia de P in ar del R io, C uba. Ciencias de la Tierra y del Espacio, 6:
4 1 - 5 2 .
Rigassi, D ., 1961. Quelques vues nouvelles sur la geologie cubaine. Chron. M ines et de la Rech.
M in., 29 (302): 3 — 7. English translation in: Benchmark Papers in Geology, v. 33 (1977) W est Indies Island Arcs. D ow den, H utchinson and Ross, Inc., Stroundsburg, Pennsylvania, pp. 134—
140.
R yabukhin, A. G ., Tchekhovich, V. D ., Zonenshain, L. P. & K hain, V. E., 1984. D evelopm ent o f the C aribbean basin a n d th e western p a rt o f the Tethys. In : 27 Inter. Geol. Congress, Coll.
03-Palaeoceanography, Repts., vol. 3. M oscow, pp. 104—113.
Salvador, A . & G reen, A. R ., 1980. Opening o f the C aribbean Tethys (origin and developm ent o f the C aribbean an d the G u lf o f M exico). In : Geoiogie des chaines alpines issues de la T6thys.
M em . B. R . G. M ., 115: 2 2 4 -2 2 9 .
Saunders, J. B., 1980. The developm ent o f the C aribbean with special reference to the southern m argin an d the Venezuela basin. In : Geologie des chaines issues de la TSthys. M im . B. R . G. M ., 115: 2 3 7 -2 4 3 .
Schlager, W ., Buffler, R . T ., A ngstadt, D . & P h a ir, R ., 1984. Geologic history o f the southeastern G u lf o f Mexico. In : Buffler, R . T. & Schlager, W. et al., Init. Rept. DSDP, vol. LX X V II. U . S.
G ovt. Printing Office, W ashington, pp. 715—738.
Sheridan, R . E., Crosby, J. T., Bryan, G . M. & Stoffa, P. L., 1981. Stratigraphy a n d structure o f southern Blake Plateau, n o rth ern F lorida Straits, an d n o rth ern B aham a P latform from m ul
tichannel seismic reflection data. A m . Assoc. Petrol. Geol. Bull., 65: 2571—2593.
Sim6n M endez, A ., 1986. Algunas ideas sobre la evolucion geologica del archipielago cubano. (U n
published). Em presa G eol6gica de P inar del R io. S anta Lucia, C uba, p. 39.
Som in, M. L. & M illan, G ., 1981. Geologija metamorficheskikh kom pleksov Kuby. (In Russian).
N au ka, M oskw a, pp. 1—219.
Som in, M . L. & Mill&n, G ., 1982. Algunos aspectos de la paleotect6nica de C uba fundam entados en el estudio de sus rocas m etam6rficas. In : I X Jorn. Cient. Inst. Geol. Paleont. A C C , L a H a b an a, pp. 51 — 59.
Tchounev, D ., Tzankov, T. & Y anev, S., 1984. A m odel o f the C retaceous island arc in central C uba. In : 24 Inter. Geol. Congress, Abstracts, vol. III. M oscow, pp. 432—433.
Vignali, M ., 1979. E stratigrafia y estructura de las Cordilleras m etam6rficas de Venezuela oriental (Peninsula de A ray a—Paria e Isla de M argarita). Geos, 25: 19—66.
Vila, J.-M ., B utterlin, J., Labesse, B. & M ercier de Lepinay, B., 1982. D onnees nouvelles sur les roches m etam orphiques de File de la T ortue (H ispaniola, G randes Antilles). C. R . A c. ScL Paris, 294 (Ser. II): 1 1 0 3 -1 1 0 6 .
Viniegra-O., F ., 1971. Age a n d evolution o f salt basins o f southeastern M exico. A m . Assoc. Pe
trol. Geol. Bull., 55: 4 7 8 -4 9 4 .
W alper, J. L., 1980. The tectono-sedim entary history o f C aribbean basins an d their hydrocarbon potential. In : M iall, A. D . (ed.), F acts a n d principles o f w orld petroleum occurrence. Cana
dian Soc. Petrol. Geol. M em ., 6: 887—911.
Zelepugin, V., Fonseca, E. & D iaz Villalvilla, L., 1982. Asociaciones vulcan6genas de C uba occiden
ta l (provincia de P in ar del Rio). In: I X Jorn, Cient. Inst. Geol. Paleont. A C C , L a H a b a n a , pp. 98 — 101.
1 4 0 A. PSZCZ6LK O W SKI
R e s u r a e n
PALEOGEOGRAFIA Y EV O LU C IO N PALEOTECTONICA D E CUBA Y DE LO S AREAS ADYACENTES
E N EL JURASICO — CRETACICO TEM PR ANO
Andrzej Pszczolkowski
E x t r a c t o : En el trabajo se presentan los rasgos generales de paleogeografia y paleotectonica de C uba durante el Jur&sico — Cretacico T em prano, en el fondo de la evolucion del area del Caribe.
Se plantea que la F orm acion San C ayetano en C uba y los sedim entos jurasicos de los grupos C a
racas y Ju an G riego en Venezuela se depositaron en distintos m argenes continentales. La form acion de la corteza ocednica en el area del Caribe empczo ya en el Jurasico M edio. L a conexion entre el A tlantico y el G olfo de M exico, a traves del ir e a de C uba, existia desde el O xfordiano M edio a T ar- dio. La actividad volc&nica en las A ntillas M ayores (C uba, La E spanola) fue relacionada con el proceso de subduccion de la corteza oceanica iniciado en el Cretacico T em prano, P re —A ptiano m as probable.
En el trabajo se presentan los rasgos generales del desarrollo paleogeografico y paleotectonico de C uba durante el Jurasico—Cretacico Inferior, en el fondo de la evolucion del area del Caribe, en particular de su parte noroccidental. Las con- figuraciones de los continentes en el Triasico, propuestas por D ickinson y Coney (1980) y p o r Salvador y Green (1980) se aceptan aqui com o la basis p ara las recon- strucciones paleogeograficas y paleotectonicas de las A ntillas M ayores. En el Ju rasico, el area de C uba (Fig. 1) fue vinculado estructuralm ente con el bloque de Y u
catan, m ientras que con la plataform a de Florida-Baham as contactaba a lo largo de una fractura nom brada “ falla transform ante de Florida” (M oore & Del Castillo, 1974). La posicion paleogeografica de los sedimentos de la Form acion San Cayetano (Jurasico ?Inferior—Oxfordiano Medio) y de sus equivalentes metamorfizados en Cuba, senalada aqui (Fig. 2) se diferencia de la asum ida en algunos trabajos recien- tes (Anderson & Schmidt, 1983; K litgord et al., 1984; R yabukhin et al., 1984).
En estos trabajos los sedimentos clasticos de la Form acion San Cayetano se ubi- caron a lo largo del m argen septentrional del continente de la America del Sur. N o obstante, la correlation de la Form acion San Cayetano con los sedimentos clas
ticos metamorfizados de los grupos Caracas y Juan Griego en Venezuela no es cierta.
La form acion de la corteza oceanica en el area del Caribe fue iniciada ya en el Ju rasico M edio, lo que se sustenta por el hallazgo de los amm onites del Bajociano—
Bathoniano Inferior en el complejo ofioh'tico de Siquisique en Venezuela (Bartók et a i, 1985). Algunas rocas del complejo ofiolitico en C uba central estan datadas como 160 millones de anos (Millan & Somin, 1982). Del analisis de los datos exis- tentes resulta que la Form acion San Cayetano en C uba y los sedimentos clasticos de los grupos Caracas y Juan Griego en Venezuela se depositaron en distintos m ar
genes continentales (Fig. 2).
Los movimientos horizontales del bloque de Y ucatan se term inaron antes del Cretacico (Schlager et al., 1984), probablem ente en el O xfordiano (Anderson &
Schmidt, 1983). U na parte del area de C uba tam bien pudo estabilizar su posicion
PALEOGEOGRAPHY A N D PALEOTECTONIC EVOLUTION O F CUBA 1 4 1
paleotectónica antes del Kimmeridgiano. Al sur del m argen continental de la Ame
rica del Norte se extendia la nueva corteza oceanica creada a lo largo de una hipo- tetica zona de expansion oceanica del Caribe (M oore & Del Castillo, 1974;
Sanders, 1980). En el Kimmeridgiano, en C uba occidental y central se depositaban los sedimentos carbonatados de facies somera (Fig. 3). En el T ithoniano este ex
tenso banco carbonatado fue hundido y cubierto por los depositos carbonatados periplataformicos y pelagicos de poco espesor. En la cuenca de Cam ajuani se for- m aron los sedimentos periplataformicos de un espesor hasta de 300 m (Fig. 4). El m aterial resedimentado en las calcarenitas provenia probablemente de la plata- form a de Bahamas. En la secuencia de Placetas los sedimentos terrigenos y terri- geno-carbonatados del Tithoniano se form aron sobre el supuesto basam ento gra- nitoide-metamórfico (Pszczółko wski, 1986). En la Sierra de Cam ajan (Fig. 1) las calizas tithonianas(?) de la secuencia de Placetas sobreyacen a los basaltos toleit- icos (Iturralde & M ari, 1984).
Schlager et ah, (1984) plantearon una conexion m arina profunda entre el Golfo de Mexico y el A tlantico durane el Jurasico—N eocom iano a traves de Cuba. Esta conexion fue establecida ya en el O xfordiano M edio o Tardio, pero durante el K im meridgiano no funcionaba, pues los sedimentos con amm onites de esta edad no se conocen en Cuba. La cuenca del Caribe comunicaba directamente con el Golfo de Mexico durante el Tithoniano, porque en Cuba occidental y central existen los sedimentos carbonatados de esta edad, con ammonites y tintinidos (Kantchev et ah, 1978; Pszczółko wski, 1978, 1982).
En el Cretacico Inferior (Pre-Aptiano), al sur de la plataform a de F lorida—Ba
ham as y al este de Yucatan se depositaban los sedimentos pelagicos con intercala- ciones de turbiditas (Fig. 5). El m aterial clastico fue transportado desde NW , es decir, del bloque de Yucatan. En Cuba oriental los sedimentos metamorfizados de la edad tithoniana-infracretacica se conocen en la Sierra del Purial (M ilian et ah, 1984). Las rocas mas antiguas del arco volcanico en Cuba y La Espanola fueron da- tadas paleontológicamente como el A ptiano—A lbiano; no obstante, en Cuba central la parte inferior de la potente secuencia volcanica pre-cenom aniana no contiene fósiles. Algunos autores han sugerido incluso la edad Jurasico Superior de estas rocas volcanicas mas antiguas en Cuba, sin embargo, no se presentaron datos concretos al respecto. Aquf se acepta la idea de que la actividad del arco volcanico Z aza fue iniciada en el Cretacico Tem prano. Se expresaron diversas opiniones sobre la supuesta posición de zona de subducción en Cuba durante el Mesozoico (Mal- fait & Dinkelman, 1972; Iturralde-V inent, 1975; M attson, 1979; Haydoutov, 1984). Varios elementos de la estructura geológica de Cuba apoyan una u otra de las hipóteses contradictorias sobre el buzam iento de la antigua zona de subducción y p o r el momento seria dificil elim inar una de ellas. Sin embargo, los datos existen- tes sobre la edad del metamorfismo de las secuencias sedimentarias en Cuba (Somin &
M ilian, 1981; Milian el ah, 1984; Pszczółkowski, 1984) no son compatibles con el concepto de dos zonas de subducción sucesivas y con buzamientos opuestos entre el Jurasico Superior y el Cretacico Inferior (M attson, 1979).
El proceso de generación de la nueva corteza oceanica en la parte ncrcccidental
2 — A nnales S o cietatis 3-4/87
1 4 2 A . PSZCZÓŁKOW SKI
del Caribe pudo continuar hasta el Cenomaniano(?). Dicha posibilidad se basa en la presencia de los basaltos toleiticos en el area de Bahia H onda, en Cuba occiden
tal (Fonseca & Zelepugin, 1981; Zelepugin et al., 1982). Las secuencias vulcano- geno-sedimentarias con basaltos toleiticos de Cuba occidental tienen algunos rasgos comunes con la F o rm atio n Dumisseau en H aiti, considerada como el fondo del M ar Caribe emergido en el Terciario (M aurrasse et al., 1979).
S tr e s z c z e n ie
PALEOGEOGRAFIA I EW OLUCJA PALEOTEKTONICZNA KUBY I OBSZARÓ W SĄ SIE D N IC H
W JU R Z E I W C ZE SN EJ K REDZIE
Andrzej Pszczółkowski
W pracy są przedstawione główne rysy paleogeografii i paleotektoniki K uby w jurze i wczesnej kredzie n a tle ewolucji obszaru karaibskiego. W jurze środkowej i w oksfordzie utwory formacji San Cayetano na Kubie i osady klastyczne grup Caracas i Juan Griego w Wenezueli osadziły się na różnych brzegach kontynental
nych. Skorupa oceaniczna zaczęła powstawać w basenie karaibskim ju ż w jurze środkowej. Połączenie między A tlantykiem i Z atoką M eksykańską przez obszar K uby istniało od oksfordu środkowego lub późnego. D ziałalność wulkaniczna w rejonie Wielkich Antyli (Kuba, La Espanola) była związana z subdukcją skorupy oceanicznej, której początek m ożna określić na wczesną kredę (przed aptem).
