Mann, PaulAlmatrood, Mohammad2019-01-032019-01-032018-10-18http://hdl.handle.net/10657/3877I have used GIS to compile ~2000 radiometric dates from Cretaceous to Paleogene, island arc related rocks in the circum-Caribbean that formed a single, continuous “Great Arc of the Caribbean". The goal is to test two models for Caribbean plate evolution: an in situ arc that was static between the North and South American plates - or a mobile, Pacific-derived arc. One challenge for the study is deformation and uplift: for example, the Hispaniola arc segment has experienced Neogene deformation and uplift and therefore exposes older levels of the Great Arc. Thus, I emphasize the youngest, arc-related dates in each arc segment as a way to track the location of the Caribbean plate. Ages in Cuba show no particular directional pattern.  Two arc segments show good west to east younging progressions with a lateral change from Cretaceous to Paleogene arc ages and include: 1) a 300-km-long segment from Puerto Rico through the Virgin Islands; and 2) a 500-km-long segment from northern Colombia to the Lesser Antilles arc. The age progressions yield roughly the same rate of west-to-east plate motion inferred from subsidence and from plate models and therefore supports the Pacific origin of the arc.    en-USThe author of this work is the copyright owner. UH Libraries and the Texas Digital Library have their permission to store and provide access to this work. Further transmission, reproduction, or presentation of this work is prohibited except with permission of the author(s).Poster