Geology and Geophysics of the Beata Ridge -Caribbean

Interpretation of bathymetric, magnetic and seismic reflection surveys in the Beata Ridge region provide evidence for two distinct geologic provinces: (1) the Beata Ridge system; and (2) a Late Cenozoic deformational fold belt north of Venezuela and Colombia. The Beata Ridge is a structural high produced by at least three periods of differential uplift with the earliest faulting in the Late Cretaceous or Early Tertiary. The western side of the ridge is marked by a prominent fault. To the south the scarp is replaced by a series of smaller horsts and grabens. The deformational fold system parallels the northern coast of South America and may have resulted from the Caribbean plate colliding with the Americas plate. The analytical models of potential faults by Hafner (1951) and Sanford (1959) have been tested on the Beata Ridge. The close agreement between theoretical predictions and the observed structure of the basement underlying the ridge is good enough for application of the model on a regional scale. However, the deformation of the sedimentary veneer is primarily by folding accompanied by secondary faulting. (Modified author abstract)