Upper Cretaceous stratigraphy of the forearc deposits outcropping in the Oriental Cordillera (Dominican Republic)

J. García-Senz; J. Monthel; J.A. Díaz de Neira; P.P. Hernaiz Huerta; J.P. Calvo; J. Escuder Viruete

doi:10.21701/bolgeomin.118.2.006

Authors

J. García-Senz Dept. de Geodinàmica i Geofísica, Fac. de Geologia, Univ. de Barcelona
J. Monthel BRGM
J.A. Díaz de Neira GEOPRIN
P.P. Hernaiz Huerta INYPSA
J.P. Calvo Instituto Geológico y Minero de España
J. Escuder Viruete Dept. de Petrología y Geoquímica, Univ. Complutense

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21701/bolgeomin.118.2.006

Keywords:

forearc basin, Greater Antilles, Upper Cretaceous, volcanoclastic deposits

Abstract

The Upper Cretaceous succession in the Oriental Cordillera of Dominican Republic contains near 6 km of secondary and primary volcaniclastics, deposited in a slope-apron system developed on the extinct lower Cretaceous volcanic-arc. It conforms a depositional sequence, bounded by two angular unconformities: the base unconformity is submarine and results from mass-wasting processes operating in the nascent, oversteeped slope; the top unconformity results from the subaerial truncation of contractive structures. The stratigraphical succession is comprised of three depositional episodes: (1) Cenomanian-Santonian (Las Guayabas Fm and related members) composed of an association of volcanogenic greywackes, pyroclastic rocks, lava flows, silicified lime and pelagic limestones, indicating the proximity of the arc, (2) Santonian episode, made of thin beds of radiolarian chert (Arroyo La Yabana Fm) pointing to the cease of the clastic input from the slope, and (3) Santonian-Maastrichtian composed of calcilutites and coarse-redeposited limestones (Río Chavón Fm and Las Auyamas Mb) and, only in the Maastrichtian, coastal calcarenites and rudist patch reefs lying on serpentinite seamounts (Loma de Anglada Fm). The subsidence curve for the Late Cretaceous starts with an acceleration around the Cenomanian, peaks in the Santonian, decelerates in the Campanian-Maastrichtian, and ends with an important uplift at the base of the Paleocene. The location of the Oriental Cordillera deposits in respect to the other geotectonic units of the northern Caribbean Plate boundary suggest deposition in a fore-arc basin.

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