Manuel Enrique Pardo Echarte – författare

The evolution of geological cartography in Cuba in its more than 135 years of history has been possible through the consultation of numerous archival reports, publications, maps and personal interviews with different authors and geologists of vast experience. A brief critical analysis is made of the increase in the degree of geological knowledge of the country since the elaboration of the Geological Sketch of the Cuban Island at a scale of 1: 2 000 000 (Fernández de Castro, 1883), first of Cuba and of Ibero-America, until the most recent Digital Geological Map of Cuba at scale 1: 100 000 (Pérez Aragón, 2016). Cuba and its surroundings are a geological mosaic in the southeast corner of the North American plate with rocks from many different origins, from Proterozoic to Quaternary, extended along the southern border of the plate. From the Eocene, this belt has been dissected by several great faults, related to the development of some great oceanic depressions (Cayman trough and Yucatan basin). The fossil record of Cuba, which covers approximately the last 200 million years of life on Earth, is rich in very varied fossils, witnessing a wide diversity of organisms, both animals and plants, that inhabited the Antillean and Caribbean region; and that constitute the inheritance of the biological diversity that the current Cuban archipelago exhibits. As a result of the preparation of the Cuban Metallogenic Map at scale 1: 250 000, forty-one models and eight sub-models of metallic mineral deposits were identified. These models, of descriptive–genetic type, together with the analysis of their spatial distribution and their relationship with geology, allowed the identification and mapping of ten mineral systems, linked to the geodynamic environments present in the Cuban territory. Cuba has large deposits of limestone, loam, dolomite, kaolin, gypsum and anhydrite, rock salt, marbles, sands and clays of different types, zeolites, peat, therapeutic peloids and many more. Thereare manifestations of decorative and precious rocks such as jasper, jadeite, different varieties of quartz and even xylopals. A compilation of geochemical data of oceanic basalt samples from previous works, together with data of analyzed samples during this study in order to discuss geochemical criteria based on immobile element (proxies for fractionation indices, alkalinity, mantle flow and subduction addition), provide a comprehensive ophiolite classification according to their tectonic setting. This book addresses different facets of the geological knowledge of Cuba: history of its cartography, marine geology, fossil record, stratigraphy, tectonics, classification of its ophiolites, quaternary deposits, metallogeny and minerageny.

A summary of the results achieved in the geological-structural mapping, by potential fields and airborne gamma spectrometry data, of the units of igneous and metamorphic rocks in the western regions (Havana-Matanzas), central (Cienfuegos, Villa Clara-Sancti Spiritus) and central-eastern (Camagüey-Las Tunas-Holguín) of Cuba is presented. In addition, the structural- tectonic regionalization with hydrocarbon exploration purposes, focusing mapping of possible new oil-gas targets in the regions of Land Blocks 9, 23 and 17-18 are detailed in this volume. In certain case study locations (Majaguillar, North Motembo, Guamutas and Maniabón) reconnaissance work by a profile of Redox Complex (complex of unconventional geophysical-geochemical exploration techniques) was performed with positive results.

In an attempt to contribute to the geological-structural mapping of the metamorphic massif Isla de la Juventud, with emphasis on acid magmatism, the gravi-magnetometric data is used. According to the results, the presumed post metamorphic granitic bodies of low density are located, mainly, in the central and southwestern part of the massif. The granitic bodies apparently were introduced through the system of longitudinal faults (syn metamorphic) and transverse (post metamorphic) at the end of the process multyfolding and metamorphism of the massif sequences, taking a leading role the deep longitudinal fracture zones of sublatitudinal direction in the central and southern part of the massif. On the map of the magnetic field vertical derivative  the anomalies, basically, reflected the direction and limits of the folded tectonic structure, the development area of ​​ volcanogenic rocks, the presumed development zones of migmatitic rocks and tectonised rocks in North and center of the massif, respectively, and the prevailing direction of the main tectonic dislocations.