Tectonic Reorganization and Transient Connectivity in the Northeastern Caribbean

The northeastern Caribbean is a key region for understanding how subduction dynamics, internal plate deformation, and paleogeographic change interact to shape long-term Earth surface systems. Traditionally modeled as part of a rigid Caribbean plate, this region is now recognized as having undergone substantial internal deformation since the Eocene. Integrating paleomagnetic constraints with kinematic and paleogeographic reconstructions reveals a far more dynamic tectonic evolution than previously assumed. Significant vertical-axis rotations and relative translations affected major tectonic domains of the northeastern Caribbean throughout the Cenozoic. These rotations, reaching several tens of degrees, occurred in multiple phases and reflect the cumulative effects of oblique subduction, arc-parallel shearing, and progressive reorganization of plate-boundary structures. Deformation was distributed across rotating blocks rather than localized along discrete plate boundaries, fundamentally modifying regional geometry and challenging rigid-plate models. Incorporating these kinematic constraints into plate reconstructions highlights a highly variable paleogeographic history. Subduction-related uplift, subsidence, and arc migration episodically altered the extent and connectivity of emerged landmasses in the eastern Caribbean. During the Eocene and Oligocene, tectonic uplift and shallow platforms likely formed transient land connections or island chains between northern South America and the northern Caribbean islands. These connections were later disrupted by tectonic fragmentation and subsidence as convergence dynamics evolved. Overall, this integrated framework demonstrates that deep geodynamic processes exert a first-order control on Caribbean landscape evolution and ecological connectivity, emphasizing the need for interdisciplinary approaches linking tectonics, paleogeography, and Earth surface processes.