--> ABSTRACT: Deep Geological Structure of the Southern Shelf of Cuba: New Implications, by R. Rodriguez, J. R. Sanchez, S. Toucet, G. Hernandez; #91020 (1995).

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Deep Geological Structure of the Southern Shelf of Cuba: New Implications

R. Rodriguez, J. R. Sanchez, S. Toucet, G. Hernandez

In the last fifteen years approximately 3800 kilometers of seismic lines have been shot across the southern shelf of Cuba, in order to study its deep geological structure. For this purpose seismic investigations using Common Depth Point (CDP) with 3000 percent fold were made. New seismic data confirms a great sedimentary thickness on the southern shelf which was not previously believed by several Cuban geologists.

Seismic sections across the Ana Maria Gulf and Guacanayabo Gulf clearly show the Tertiary back-arc basins with sedimentary thickness of more than 5 kilometers. At the borders of these basins, seismic anomalies have been observed which can be associated with reefial facies of Tertiary age, mainly Middle Eocene. These anomalies reach several square kilometers in aerial extent.

This paper reviews the seismic reflections up to 10 kilometers in depth of some areas underlying the back-arc basins. The geological interpretation of the seismic reflection events may be consistent with either the volcano sediment or with the open marine basin facies of the continental margin. In the first interpretation the evolution and age of the back-arc basins needs to be reviewed.

The second correlation leads to confirmation that the allochthonous position of the cretaceous volcanic arc and consequently its emplacement in the present position is much older than the origin of the Tertiary back-arc basins. Authors believe that the second interpretation is confirmed using the seismic data and the regional geological information.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #91020©1995 AAPG Annual Convention, Houston, Texas, May 5-8, 1995