Northeast- or southwest-dipping subduction in the Cretaceous Caribbean gateway?

Most of the Caribbean plate, which currently lies between American continents, represents a mantle plume-derived 8–20 km thick Cretaceous oceanic plateau that was formed in Pacific region and moved eastwards. The northern islands are largely made up dismembered island arc located along western entrance to inter-American (termed Great Arc Caribbean) mid-late Cretaceous. Importantly, timing lithospheric movement into is controversial, with one hypothesis advocating it happened Hauterivian-Albian (132.9–100.5 Ma), second proposing Turonian-Campanian (93.9–72.1 Ma). In order investigate this problem, rocks studied on St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, Barremian (127 Ma) Santonian (83.6 age. Immobile trace element NdHf radiogenic isotope ratios demonstrate derived from partial melting an Atlantic MORB-like source has been variably contaminated slab-derived fluids composed continental detritus slow sediment clay components. We argue lack plume geochemical signature supports idea lithosphere occurred late (post-Santonian) due subduction polarity reversal caused by collision Caribbean.