2. Jurassic Paleogeography of west- central Pangaea: The Origin of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Manuel A. Iturralde-Vinent Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, Cuba

3. Plate Tectonics

4. Understanding the evolution of west-central Pangaea up to the formation of the Caribbean sea, require as starting point a Plate Tectonic framework. Here is chosen the reconstruction of Lawyer and Gahagan (1999) with minor modifications, in order to find a place for the Cuban Southwestern Terranes (Guaniguanico, Pinos and Escambray) and the Peñón-Dagua terrane.

5. Latest Triassic - Early Cretaceous Plate Tectonic Evolution of West Central Pangaea by Larry Lawyer and Lisa Gahagan University of Texas, at Austin, 1999 Latest Triassic - Early Cretaceous Plate Tectonic Evolution of West Central Pangaea by Larry Lawyer and Lisa Gahagan University of Texas, at Austin, 1999

18. Paleogeography of West-central Pangaea: 2. Tectonic and Stratigraphic Framework M. Iturralde-Vinent

19. Tectonic units and terrains related to the Jurassic paleogeography of western Pangaea

20. Stratigraphic-environmental columns of west-central Pangaea

21. Seismic stratigraphy of the southeastern Gulf of Mexico

22. Oceanic crustContinental crust Latest Triassic Lower to Middle Jurassic Upper Jurassic SEISMIC SECTION FROM FLORIDA TO BLAKE BAHAMAS Blake Bahamas Basin Florida Strait Providence channnel A B EARLY RIFT SYSTEM

23. This stage is represented by the evolution from intracontinental to open marine facies during the formation of the Caribbean sea and its continental margins. This was a stage of Latest Triassic- Jurassic rifting and Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous rift. These events are reflected in the stratigraphy of the Cuban southwestern terranes and the Bahamas. Jurassic to Early Cretaceous in the Cuban foldbelt

24. Outcrops of the North American continental margin units along the northern half of Cuba (Bahamian borderland) and as the Cuban Southwestern terranes (former Mayan borderland). Bahamian borderland Mayan (Yucatan) borderland

25. Guaniguanico Pinos Escambray Original position of the Cuban Southwestern Terranes

26. Guaniguanico Terrane: Mesozoic stratigraphy NO EVAPORITES IN THE AREA !!!

27. The Mesozoic stratigraphy of both the Guaniguanico and Escambray terranes are very similar, but the Pinos terrane differ in representing a more continental-ward set of siliciclastic and carbonate rocks. All these terranes present igneous rocks associated with the early rift and later drift of the continents.

28. Stratigraphy of the Bahamian borderland and Proto-Caribbean EVAPORITES

29. Paleogeography of West-central Pangaea: 3. Jurassic evolution of the Caribbean-Gulf of Mexico M. Iturralde-Vinent Paleogeography of West-central Pangaea: 3. Jurassic evolution of the Caribbean-Gulf of Mexico

34. CONCLUSIONS

35. 1. The Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico areas evolved almost simultaneously, but they were structurally isolated from each other until the Late Jurassic 2. The crust of the Caribbean and the Gulf are of Callovian-Oxfordian in age, but the Gulf crust may be slightly older.

36. 3. The Louan salts may be slightly older than Punta Alegre salts of northern Cuba- Bahamas. 4. The oldest marine rocks of the Caribbean area and surroundings are of Bajocian- Bathonian age, but indirect paleontologic evidence suggest that there may be older marine rocks in the area. 5. The Caribbean opened as a seaway probably in the Bathonian, but certainly in the Oxfordian, when was populated by deep marine animals.

37. This is a contribution to IGCP Project 433 Caribbean Plate Tectonics Web Site: www.ig.utexas.edu/CaribPlate/CaribPlate.html Thanks / Gracias