A structural, geochronologic and palaeomagnetic study has been undertaken on volcanic rocks of eastern Cuba in order to test current tectonic hypotheses on the origin and horizontal motion of crustal units to which these rocks belong. Several tectonic models have been proposed for the Caribbean region but most are highly speculative and controversial, and there is no agreement despite years of research and meetings regarding key aspects in the evolution of the Caribbean region such as, for instance, the polarity of subduction zones that generates the Cretaceous and Palaeogene arcs. Our results will provide new constraints on the evolution of the Caribbean realm in Cretaceous and Tertiary times and will also contribute to a better understanding of accretionary processes.
Ophiolite mélange, eastern Cuba.
Foliated and folded gneiss from the Jicaya river, central Cuba.
Amphibolite blocks intruded by granites in the Yacabo river.