Caribbean Geology: Extended and Subsided Continental Crust Sharing History with Eastern North America, the Gulf of Mexico, the Yucatán Basin and Northern South America

摘要

The geology of Middle America is complicated by its dispersal over many geographic elements (Fig. 1). Some are well studied (Gulf of Mexico and Colombia – Venezuela – Trinidad hydrocarbon provinces). Others remain poorly known because of lack of study, difficult access, tropical vegeta- tion/weathering or large submarine extension. The area is largely subma- rine but there is no clear evidence of ‘oceanic spreading’ (ridges, magnetic anomalies) apart from the centre of the Cayman Trough. So, is the area composed of allochthonous oceanic crust or in situ continental crust, extended in place between the Americ- as?