This conference will discuss the geology of the area from the southern onshore of N America and the Bahamas Platform to the northern onshore of S America, including the intervening Gulf of Mexico, Yucatán, Caribbean (Colombia, Venezuela), Grenada and Tobago marine basins, and the adjacent Atlantic.

While the onshore areas of N and S America are highly explored, others are less so, for reasons of lesser interest/perceived commercial value and poor exposure/access.

The Gulf of Mexico is also well known, yet sophisticated geophysics and drilling continue to reveal new data, understanding and rewarding hydrocarbons plays. The area shows a Mesozoic – Recent history of intracontinental extension.

The Yucatán, Caribbean (Colombia, Venezuela basins), Grenada and Tobago basins are not well known. Prevailing understanding is that they originated in the Pacific Ocean and became engulfed by westward-migrating Americas since the late Cretaceous. They would carry only Cenozoic hydrocarbon potential above Mesozoic oceanic crust. This model arose along with Plate Tectonic theory in the mid 60’s.

Alternative understanding is that they evolved by intracontinental extension. They share history of with the Gulf of Mexico and offshore eastern N America. In this case, Mesozoic stratigraphy would include red beds, salt, source rocks and thick carbonate sections offering hydrocarbon potential in addition to the Cenozoic section.

Is this important? It is anomalous that after 50 years of discussion we still have not determined the origin of the large area between the hydrocarbon-rich Gulf of Mexico and northern South America, where continuing exploration and discovery show that much remains to be learned. For geological and commercial reasons, Middle America merits integrated, regional study.

After debate in the AAPG Explorer (Historical Highlights, Explorer Magazine August 2012, July 2013, July 2015 and Readers’ Forum, September 2013) on the geology and origin of the Caribbean it is appropriate to move to a "round table", where latest data may be presented, different understandings and ways to distinguish among these are discussed, and perhaps a most likely model defined.

Recent learning from the S Atlantic (Brazil and west Africa), Central Atlantic (Ivory Coast and Guyana/Surinam), offshore E Africa (Mozambique Channel) and the eastern Mediterranean, the Scotia Sea and even New Zealand are also highly relevant. Improved knowledge will assist countries and companies to consider the geology and resources of an area strategically located between N and S America. It should also feed back to global understanding.

• Geology of onshore southern United States and Mexico.
• Geology of the Greater and Lesser Antilles, Central America, northern S America.
• Geology of eastern offshore N America, Bahamas Platform, deep Gulf of Mexico, Cayman Trough, Yucatan, Caribbean, Grenada, Tobago Basins, Barbados.
• Palaeontology, stratigraphy.
• Metamorphic and igneous geology, ophiolites.
• Seismic, Gravity, magnetic, satellite data, tomography, zircon studies.
• Geology of Atlantic margins.
• Evolution/synthesis of Middle America/Caribbean.
• Hydrocarbon geology, recent offshore discoveries northern S America, Atlantic, eastern Mediterranean, east Africa