The Ocean basins and margins (Volume 3): the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean eds A. E. M. Nairn and F. G. Stehli Plenum Publishing Corporation 706 pages $59.30

Abstract

Of the seven volumes planned for this series, two were published before this one (South Atlantic, 1973; North Atlantic, 1974) and four are in preparation (Mediterranean, Arctic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean). This third volume follows the general plan in presenting critical and up-to-date reviews of the geological and geophysical data for the region, especially in the context of seafloor spreading and the general theory of plate tectonics. The Caribbean region has had an extremely complex geological history and is critical in a global sense. Its evolution is related to the openings of the North and South Atlantic and to differential movement between the two major parts of the ‘Americas Plate’, but important discrepancies remain between observed geological features and seafloor-spreading models. Fourteen chapters, each by noted authorities, deal with various regional topics embracing the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, the Appalachians and their southern termination, the Andes and their northern termination, Mexico, Central America, the Greater Antilles (Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico), and the Lesser Antilles. A final chapter, by T. W. Donnelly , summarizes the critical problems regarding the geological evolution of the whole region. The coverage in each chapter varies according to the major problems currently under investigation in that region. This ranges from extensive physiographic and geophysical work in the Gulf of Mexico to detailed descriptions of the land stratigraphy and structure of Cuba (chiefly from unpublished data in the Gulf Oil Corporation files). The emphasis throughout the book is on stratigraphy, structure, geophysical observations and tectonic history. The geochemistry of the key magmatic products is hardly considered, with one notable exception (the Lesser Antilles) where the useful analytical data seem almost out of place in view of the book’s bias. Clearly there is much geochemical (including age determination) and petrological work to be done on the igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic suites as an extension of previous, dominantly field geological observations. The book contains a wealth of well-presented and valuable information, provided at a stage when none of the expert contributors can be confident about the evolution of the region as a whole. It provides an excellent framework from which geologists and geophysicsts can plan future research into one of the most complex regions of the Earth’s crust.