Jurassic and Cretaceous geological history of Cuba

The Mesozoic rocks of Cuba are a key element in reconstructing the geologic al history of the Mesoamerican (Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean) area. Fou r different Jurassic-Cretaceous sections are recorded in Cuba, including th ree from tectonostratigraphic terranes. From north to south they include th e following: (1) a portion of the Mesozoic passive margin of North America, with outstanding zonality, especially in the Middle Cretaceous of central Cuba; (2) the Northern Ophiolitic Belt, also with Upper Jurassic-Lower Cret aceous rocks, which is a huge melange; all members of the ophiolitic suite are tectonically mingled along the northern part of Cuba; (3) the Volcanic Arc Terrane, mainly composed of Cretaceous volcanics, with older, primarily tholeiitic lavas (Aptian-Albian) and younger (Cenomanian-Campanian) calc-a lkaline pyroclastics and lavas, with many sedimentary interbeds; Albian-Cen omanian deposits with a few volcanics separate both sequences, and an Upper Jurassic-Neocomian amphibolitic basement of the volcanic are is present in some places; and (4) the Southern Metamorphic Terranes that contain rocks of a Mesozoic passive margin that experienced several metamorphic episodes during the Cretaceous. The welding of these terranes occurred during the Cretaceous, and ended in the late Campanian and Maastrichtian. In the south, the volcanic terrane wa s emplaced upon the Southern Metamorphic Terranes, while in the north the v olcanics and ophiolites were thrust over the Mesozoic margin of North Ameri ca. In western Cuba, the beds are strongly deformed and thrust to the north or northwest. Nappes also are present in north-central Cuba, but an essent ially Bahamian platform stratigraphy is present. Although the passive paleo margin of North America was deformed in the latest Cretaceous, this event i s masked by the early Tertiary Cuban orogeny. It is suggested that the Jurassic stratigraphy of the Southern Metamorphic Terranes shales features with the southern North American passive margin in western Cuba. The position of the Southern Metamorphic Terranes south of t he ophiolite and are terrane therefore does not support the idea of a Pacif ic origin for the Cretaceous island arcs of the Greater Antilles, but inste ad suggests that a proto-Caribbean genesis is more plausible.