Greater Antilles island arc

Greater Antilles island arc
Name	Greater Antilles island arc
Location	Caribbean Sea
Countries	Cuba; Hispaniola (Dominican Republic; Haiti); Jamaica; Puerto Rico; Cayman Islands
Coordinates	18°N 72°W
Length km	1200
Type	Volcanic island arc
Age	Late Cretaceous–Holocene

Greater Antilles island arc

The Greater Antilles island arc is a long-lived magmatic and tectonic chain that generated the islands of Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico and shaped regional circulation between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. Its history ties together episodes recorded in the stratigraphy of Cuban orogeny localities, the accretionary complexes of Hispaniola, the uplifted terrains of Jamaican Blue Mountains, and the volcanic provinces of Puerto Rico Trench margins. Studies of the arc integrate data from expeditions by institutions such as the United States Geological Survey, the Smithsonian Institution, the Geological Society of America, and universities including University of Havana, University of Puerto Rico, and University of the West Indies.

Geologic setting and tectonic framework

The arc lies at the interface of the North American Plate, the Caribbean Plate, and the Cocos Plate subduction system near the Puerto Rico Trench, the Hispaniola Collision Zone, and the Cayman Trough. Regional structures include the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden Fault, the Septentrional Fault, the Pedro Bank Fault, and the Muertos Trough, which connect to basins like the Nicaraguan Rise and platforms such as the Bahama Bank. Plate reconstructions invoke interactions with plates referenced in studies of the Farallon Plate, the Phoenix Plate, and the Caribbean Large Igneous Province that influenced arc segmentation near the Sierra Maestra, the Cordillera Central (Dominican Republic), and the Sierra de los Órganos.

Evolution and volcanic history

Arc evolution spans Late Cretaceous initiation through Paleogene reorganization to Neogene–Quaternary reactivation, with volcanic episodes recorded in provinces like the Sierra Maestra volcanic complex, the Guaniguanico Range, the Ponce volcanic complex, and the Mona Rift. Volcanism relates to subduction changes documented in comparisons with the Lesser Antilles volcanic arc, the Central American volcanic arc, and the Andean orogeny influences on lithospheric stress. Key events include Cretaceous arc magmatism contemporaneous with the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event aftermath, Paleogene terrane accretion during intervals correlated with the Eocene–Oligocene transition, and Neogene arc uplift parallel to movements recorded at the Isthmus of Panama closure.

Stratigraphy and lithology

The arc comprises sequences from ophiolitic ultramafic suites to island-arc tholeiites, calc-alkaline andesites, dacites, and associated sedimentary basins. Notable stratigraphic units include ophiolites analogous to the Rincon Complex, carbonate platforms similar to the Cayos Group, turbidites comparable to the María Chiquita Formation, and volcaniclastic successions like the Canímar Formation. Lithologies preserve high-pressure metamorphic blocks reminiscent of blueschist occurrences and greenschist facies assemblages tied to units in the Cordillera Septentrional. Biostratigraphic and radiometric frameworks employ fossils from faunas such as those studied in the Burdigalian and Miocene sequences and isotopes used in papers from laboratories like Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Paleogeography and plate reconstructions

Reconstructions place the arc near continental fragments including the Yucatán Block, the Bahama Platform, and the Aves Ridge during Cretaceous spreading episodes that shaped the Caribbean Large Igneous Province. Paleogeographic models reference terrane translations like those invoked for the Great Caribbean Arc Hypothesis and compare with rotations documented for the Sierra de los Tuxtlas and translations of the Chortis Block. Sea-level changes during the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum and the Messinian Salinity Crisis influenced carbonate deposition on platforms such as the Cancún Platform and reefal systems recorded near the Gulf of Batabanó.

Magmatism, metamorphism, and mineral resources

Magmatic suites include island-arc tholeiites, calc-alkaline suites, adakitic signatures, and granitoid intrusions akin to those in the Sierra de Santa Cruz. Metamorphic belts host schists, amphibolites, and eclogite lenses comparable to assemblages from Puerto Rico highlands exposures; metamorphism grades reflect burial and exhumation histories tied to subduction documented for the Eurasian Plate collisions analogues. Economic mineralization comprises ore systems with epithermal gold-silver veins, porphyry-style copper deposits, barite and manganese occurrences, and bauxite hosted on karstified limestones like deposits mined near Baracoa. Exploration results by companies listed on exchanges such as the Toronto Stock Exchange have targeted nickel laterites and polymetallic deposits within the arc’s basement.

Seismicity and geohazards

The arc is seismically active with earthquakes sourced along faults including the Enriquillo Fault and trenches like the Puerto Rico Trench; historic events include the 1766 Hispaniola earthquake and the 1787 Cayman earthquake analogues recorded in paleoseismic studies. Tsunami hazards arise from submarine landslides, volcanic flank collapse as in studies of the Cumbre Vieja analogue, and offshore thrusting near the Puerto Rico Trench. Hazard assessment involves agencies such as the International Seismological Centre, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, and national observatories like the Instituto Geológico y Minero de España collaborating with regional civil protection authorities.

Research history and methods

Research draws on geochronology (U–Pb zircon, Ar–Ar), geochemistry (Nd–Sr–Pb isotopes), structural mapping, seismic reflection profiling, multibeam bathymetry, and drilling campaigns by projects such as the International Ocean Discovery Program and national surveys by the USGS. Historical fieldwork by geologists associated with institutions including the Geological Society of London, the Royal Society, University of Cambridge, and the National Autonomous University of Mexico established foundational maps; recent work employs thermochronology, paleomagnetism, and plate kinematic modeling with software referenced in studies from the Institute of Geological Sciences (Poland). Collaborative programs integrate museum collections at the American Museum of Natural History and the Natural History Museum, London with regional repositories like the Museo Nacional de Historia Natural de Cuba.

Category:Island arcs