A space to discuss aspects of the Caribbean geology, ore potential of the ophiolite belts, etc.
Thursday, February 19, 2026
https://youtu.be/Tl9967ldPTc
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Timestamps
0:00 – Intro: 11 “islands” in one country
1:04 – Hispaniola microplate and strike-slip setting
2:07 – Duarte Complex and Caribbean LIP basement
3:23 – Los Ranchos arc and Pueblo Viejo hybrid deposit
4:55 – Maimón Formation, VMS deposits and Cerro de Maimón story
7:31 – Loma Caribe peridotite and Ni–laterite with PGEs
9:15 – Larimar, amber, REE bauxites, AI-driven exploration and conclusions
This video explores the complex tectonic framework of the Dominican Republic, which is not a single landmass but an amalgamation of 11 island-arc terranes and an oceanic plateau terrane accreted during Mesozoic subduction and oblique collision within the North Caribbean strike-slip plate boundary zone. We analyze the geological evolution of these distinct blocks, including the Duarte Complex, the Maimón Formation, and the Tireo Formation, while examining how strike-slip fault systems like the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault shaped the modern Hispaniola microplate. The structural history of the region is defined by an uplifted belt of metamorphic rocks where a major fault separates the Duarte and Maimón Formations, serving as the site for the emplacement of the Loma Caribe peridotite (ResearchGate, n.d.). Our investigation delves into the stratigraphy of the central Dominican Republic, detailing late magmatic emanations of epidote within volcanic rocks and the presence of Lower Cretaceous black limestones (ResearchGate, n.d.). We also contrast the deformation levels of the Cevicos Limestone against older Oligocene formations (Cooke, 1921) and utilize microfossil data from the Tireo Formation to constrain the timing of arc development (Pessagno & Bronnimann, n.d.). Furthermore, this technical overview covers the metallogenic evolution of the island, from world-class high-sulfidation epithermal gold-silver deposits at Pueblo Viejo to the PGE contents found within Ni-laterite deposits at Falcondo (Aiglsperger et al., 2014). By synthesizing data from the SYSMIN Project, we illustrate how transpressive deformation has created characteristic structures such as restraining bends and flower zones that define the island's unique tectonic collage (SYSMIN, n.d.).
The bridge between Academy and Industry!
P. Geo. Ricardo A Valls, M. Sc. and Geo Gadfly
Valls Geoconsultant
ORCID ID- https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5421-0914
Scopus Author ID: 7003369619/35335510700
ResearcherID: S-6604-2018
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Some references
References
Aiglsperger, T., Proenza, J. A., Labrador, M., Zaccarini, F., Garuti, G., & Longo, F. (2011, October). Geochemistry and mineralogy of PGE in the Falcondo Ni-laterite deposits, Dominican Republic [Conference paper]. 11th Biennial Meeting of the Society for Geology Applied to Mineral Deposits (SGA), Antofagasta, Chile.
Bowin, C. O. (1966). Geology of central Dominican Republic: A case history of part of an island arc. Geological Society of America Memoir, 98, 11–84.
GoldQuest Mining Corp. (n.d.). Geodynamic evolution and metallogenic endowment of the Dominican Republic: A comprehensive analysis of crustal architecture and mineral potential [Technical report].
Haldeman, E. G., Buchan, R., Blowes, J. H., & Chandler, T. (1979). Geology of lateritic nickel deposits Dominican Republic [Technical paper]. Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration.
Hine, K., & Jones, M. (2023, March). Discovery of the Cerro de Maimón South VHMS [Conference paper]. 4th AEGC: Geoscience – Breaking New Ground, Brisbane, Australia. https://zenodo.org/record/7980552/files/AEGC_2023_ID182.pdf.
Nelson, C. E. (2005). Pueblo Viejo and highly sulfidized gold and copper deposits of the Caribbean Basin. Prepared for ProExplo 2005, Lima, Peru.
Redwood, S. D., Hall, D. J., Waddell, A. H., MacDonald, C. A., & Gonzalez, N. (2006, May). New gold discoveries in the Central Cordillera of the Dominican Republic by grass-roots geochemical exploration [Conference paper]. SEG Conference 2006: Wealth Creation in the Minerals Industry, Keystone, Colorado.
Valls, R. A. (2023, July 24). La Majagua, Dominican Republic: AI analysis and geochemical study [Report].
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