EARTH: A journey through Cuba's culture and geology

Few destinations capture the imagination like Cuba; a forbidden fruit to U.S. citizens since the 1960s. Recently, 14 earth scientists from the U.S.-based Association for Women Geoscientists travelled there to explore its geology and culture.

The expedition is chronicled in the August issue of EARTH Magazine. While Cuba is an intriguing destination as an actor on the global political stage, its geological history captures events that tell scientists even more about the history of the planet.

While there, the scientists studied rocks that captured the extra-terrestrial impact attributed to the demise of the dinosaurs—including shocked quartz and tsunami deposits. The scientists also learned about how local limestone was used to build forts intended to protect Cuba's harbors from pirate attacks. Their guide even took them to sites that represent the breakup of the supercontinent Pangaea. The rocks observed in Cuba have been shown to be closely related to the Mediterranean.

Any earth scientist would agree the geologic history contained on this island is astounding. More importantly, these scientists visited Cuba to experience UNESCO World Heritage sites, and share in "people-to-people" experiences between two cultures that continue to be divided. Read more about the geological diversity of Cuba, including miles of underground cave networks and risks posed by a San Andreas-like fault at: http://bit.ly/152DT0u.

Don't miss other exciting stories this month's issue of Earth available at the Digital Newsstand: http://www.earthmagazine.org/digital. Read about the improvements scientists are making in hurricane forecasts, water challenges faced by a tropical paradise, and the discovery of sauropod embryos in southern China.

Provided by American Geosciences Institute