GEOLOGIST – GEOMORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF THE CAUTO RIVER DELTA IN EASTERN CUBA

Abstract

The Cauto River forms at its mouth, together with the southeastern marine platform, the largest deltaic system in Cuba and one of the most important in the Insular Caribbean. It is categorized as a Ramsar site and frames the Delta del Cauto Fauna Refuge. In order to contribute to the integrated management of this protected area, it was determined to study its geological-geomorphological constitution, as well as the lithomorphogenetic processes and factors present in it and its spatio-temporal evolution. For this, the processing of the preceding information, the interpretation of satellite images and field itineraries were carried out. The following results were obtained: 1) cartography and characterization of the types of relief such as the upper and lower plain of the delta, with subordinate forms of the relief such as coasts, tidal channels, estuaries, coastal lagoons, marshes, active and inactive distributor channels, in addition of gravitational and anthropic forms; 2) delimitation and description of the marine, palustrine and alluvial Holocene deposits, which cover the Cauto and Bayamo Formations of the early Upper Pleistocene and Upper Pliocene – early Lower Pleistocene, respectively; 3) identification of the acting lithomorphogenetic processes and factors (fluvial, hydrogenic, tectonic, climatic, biogenic, hydrogeological, wind and anthropogenic); 4) description of the geological evolution of the area and the potential for mineral resources and 5) identification of the dangers and anthropogenic actions that may affect the ecosystem due to the great vulnerability resulting from its geological youth (less than 11,000 years). For the cartographic illustration of the results, the geological map at a scale of 1:100,000 and the geomorphological map at a scale of 1:50,000 were prepared.