Islas de Puerto Rico y de Culebra: regularidades geomoríológicas de su relieve costero y submarino

The littora~s rnorphodynamic survey, its correlation with the main tectonic designs and the coastal morpho- stnictural analysis of Puerto Rico, and especially of the Culebra island. allowed to differentiate and assess the significant influence of island tectogenesis upon the configuration of geomorphological patterns at the land-sea interface as well as its submarine surroundings. The major tectogenetic peculiarities of island morphostructure and lts littoral morpho-sculpture include: the morphotectonic alignment of small groups of islands as well as their interna1 morpho-sculptural features; the appearance and alignment of abrasive rock outcrop ranges; the littoral's parailel and interrupted alignment; the tectonic control of the coastal configuration and its accidents derived from the orthogonal design of the prevailing NW- SE and NE-SW diagonal disjunctive systems; tombolos development by fauiting parallel to the coastline and uprising of small contiguous island biocks; ample distribution of microbays and microinlets generated by a high faulting density and parallel transversal cracking, the diffusion of concave shell-shaped coasts of a cumulative and biogenic nature between discreet abrasive projections; and the presence of alternating homt and graben systerns as a conditioning factor for the alternation of abrasive (ends, capes and pramontories) and cumulative coastc (beaches. marches and