Cinturón Deformado de Los Muertos (Noreste de la Placa Caribe): Análisis Morfotectónico y Procesos Activos.

Abstract

The Muertos Deformed Belt (MDB) is a tectonic feature located within the Northeastern Caribbean Plate Boundary Zone. This deformed belt is occupying a broad band of active compression regime with an east-west trend along the south of Hispaniola and Puerto Rico islands. In our survey area, the deformed belt is limited to the south by the Muertos Trough (>5500 m depth), where the Venezuelan Basin oceanic crust is being underthrusted beneath western Puerto Rico and eastern Hispaniola areas. Here, we present the morphotectonic interpretation from the multibeam systematic survey in Muertos Deformed Belt area (from GEOPRICO-DO marine geophysical survey (2005)) and the relationship with seismicity and kinematic data (GPS). Active deformation features have been widely found in the area from bathymetry model and Chirp sub-bottom seismic profiles (TOPAS). These features include: folded and faulted recent sediments (Holocene), submarine landslides scars associated with faults (tsunamogenic potential) and submarine canyons deflected by fault traces. All these features are well preserved and show a little erosion. Future works will integrate potential field data and deep seismic data, which will allow us to elaborate complete tectonic models for this active and complex plate boundary.