posted on 2016-06-21, 12:17authored byAlan R. Hastie
The Early Cretaceous island arc lavas in the Caribbean region are frequently assigned to the primitive island arc (PIA) series
and not to the island arc tholeiite (IAT) series. However, this review demonstrates that the Caribbean PIA rocks have immobile
trace element abundances, trace element ratios and Nd–Hf isotope systematics which are indistinguishable from modern IAT lavas.
Thus, it is proposed that the term PIA series be discarded and that the Early Cretaceous island arc rocks in the Caribbean
be classified as IAT rocks.