Genetic Relations Between the Aves Ridge and the Grenada Back?Arc Basin, East Caribbean Sea

The Grenada Basin separates the active Lesser Antilles Arc from Aves Ridge, described as a Cretaceous-Paleocene remnant of “Great Caribbean.” Although various tectonic models have been proposed for opening Basin, data on which they rely are insufficient to reach definitive conclusions. This study presents, large set deep-penetrating multichannel seismic reflection and dredge samples acquired during GARANTI cruise in 2017. By combining them with published including data, wide-angle well dredges, we refine understanding basement structure, depositional history, deformation vertical motions its margins follows: (1) rifting occurred late Paleocene-early Eocene NW-SE direction led seafloor spreading middle Eocene; (2) this newly formed oceanic crust now extends across eastern between latitude Martinique; (3) asymmetrical pre-Miocene depocenters support hypothesis that southern originally extended beneath present-day probably partly into forearc before Oligocene-Miocene rise Arc; (4) Ridge has subsided along since at least Eocene, general subsidence slowdown or even an uplift Oligocene, sharp acceleration southeastern flank Miocene. Until subsidence, several bathymetric highs remained shallow enough develop carbonate platforms.