The “top 100” list includes sites spread across 56 countries. Its publication begins an effort to designate geological sites around the world that are iconic and recognized by the entire geoscientific community by virtue of their impact on the understanding of the planet and its history.

The IUGS Executive Committee has endorsed these 100 sites as “the first and inspiring steps towards a broader program that will recognize those geosites with the highest scientific importance in the world.”

In the certificate of the International Union of Geological Sciences that includes the terraces of Maisí in the list of The First 100 Geological Heritage Sites of the IUGS, it is read that:

“An IUGS Geological Heritage Site is a key location with geological features and/or processes of international scientific relevance, used as a reference, and/or with a substantial contribution to the development of geological sciences throughout history.”

More than 200 specialists from almost 40 nations and 10 international organizations, representing different disciplines of Earth sciences, have participated in the selection.

As part of the process, 181 candidate sites in 56 countries were proposed, then evaluated by 33 international experts who defined the IUGS Top 100 Geological Heritage Sites list.

On the IUGS website, the Maisí terraces are presented as “one of the best preserved sequences of elevated marine and coral terraces in the world due to the interaction of the global sea level and tectonics.”

It is considered that they are “an important source of information to reveal the tectonics of the Greater Antilles within the Caribbean geological domain during the Quaternary period (…) The marine terraces in Cuba can be correlated with global changes in sea level in the Quaternary.

“In addition to being in an area regularly hit by hurricanes, this area is important for studying wave energy during those weather events.”

The Maisí terraces share space on the world list with iconic places such as the Grand Canyon or the Yellowstone volcanic and hydrothermal system (USA), the Perito Moreno glacier (Argentina), the Iguazú falls (Argentina-Brazil), Torres del Paine (Chile), the caldera of Santorini (Greece), the inselberg or mount island Mount Uluru (Australia), the sea of ​​sand in the Namib desert (Namibia), the Victoria Falls (Zambia-Zimbabwe) or the Shilin Stone Forest (China).

There are also sites with some of the oldest rocks on Earth (South Africa), traces of primitive life from Australia and China, some of the best dinosaur fossil remains from Canada, the earliest evidence of early hominin development from Tanzania and the sea rocks of the top of the world (Mount Everest).

IUGS Top 100 Geological Heritage Sites List:

Interglacial coralline and raised marine terraces of the Quaternary of Maisí

Geological period:

Quaternary

Main geological interest:

Geomorphology and active geological processes

Stratigraphy and sedimentology

Location:

Punta de Maisi, Guantanamo province, Cuba

20° 08′ 10” N, 074° 13′ 59” W

In a note signed by the Geology Directorate of the Ministry of Energy and Mines and the Institute of Geology and Paleontology of Cuba, it is highlighted that “the recognition of the IUGS gives visibility to these sites, identifies them as of maximum scientific value.

“These are sites that served to develop the science of geology, especially its early history. They are the world’s best demonstrations of geological features and processes. They are the places of fabulous discoveries of the Earth and its history”.

It is also recalled that the scientific community has long called for the establishment of a world program with global standards for the recognition of sites of great international importance.

“The IUGS Geological Heritage Sites project, approved by IUGS and UNESCO, has created the right conditions for collaboration towards this great milestone, which will inspire the work of this ambitious program in the near future.”

They also point out that many of the “top 100″ are well protected in national parks, geoparks, geosites and nature reserves, “but many are not.”

They add that “recognition and visibility of the IUGS Top 100 Geological Heritage Sites can lead to their increased appreciation, their use as educational resources and, most importantly, their preservation.”

On the left, shaded relief superimposed on a satellite image showing the terraces. On the right, topographic profile showing the inner edge of each terrace level in the Maisí area. Image: IUGS.

Currently, Maisí is a protected natural area. In the future, considering its internationally recognized geological value, it could become a geopark, as part of a process that began in 2021 with the Viñales Geopark.

According to specialists, due to its remarkable geological diversity, there is potential in Cuba for the creation of around 20 geoparks.

According to reports from the Minem Geology Directorate, in the first quarter of 2023 the geological-morphological study will be completed to assess the creation of a geopark in La Gran Piedra (Santiago de Cuba). Likewise, next year a similar study will begin in the Sierra de Cubitas (Camagüey).

Another study, with a start date in the last quarter of 2022, will have the same objective in the Guamuhaya massif, in the center of the Island.

The International Union of Geological Sciences is one of the largest scientific organizations in the world, with 121 national members, including Cuba, bringing together more than a million geoscientists.

Some information about the terraces of Maisí:

-The marine and coral terraces are formed by coral limestones with abundant fossil remains, ranging from the Upper Pleistocene Jaimanitas formation (marine isotope stage 5e, 122 ± 6,000 years. In short: about 122,000 years) and older units within the Pleistocene.

-Some 28 levels of terraces are observed, with an elevation of up to 560 m.

-Most of the terraces are very well preserved. Fossil tidal niches, caverns, and other karst features are found. These represent approximately two million years’ worth of sea level fluctuations.

-The zone is tectonically linked to the Oriente transform fault zone in eastern Cuba, which is the boundary between the North American and Caribbean plates, where block uplifts of 0.33 mm/year are recorded.

-Geomorphologically, the area is a large ring about 75 km long that covers the eastern coastal zone of Cuba like a ladder that is narrow to the north and south, and wider in the eastern corner. The steps are cut by rivers that form gorges with large transverse outcrops. Due to tilting and folding, the same step changes altitude along the coast. The lower terrace has blocks overturned from the sea by hurricanes and features of landslides such as crowns are observed.

-This area of ​​Maisí, like other marine terraces on the coast of Cuba, is part of an international collaboration research project between the Institute of Geology and Paleontology (IGP) of Cuba and several French universities. Researchers take coral samples and carry out measurements in the field and analyzes in laboratories to determine in greater detail how and when the marine terraces of the archipelago formed.

(By: Deny Extremera San Martin/Cubadebate)

Perhaps all these attributes caused the wrath of Seth (Egyptian God of drought and the desert), which fell upon this porous calcareous plateau composed of red fersialitic soil.

The truth is that Punta de Maisí is becoming drier and hotter. No one can confirm this better than Arsenio Chávez Navarro, who has dealt with the region’s fickle weather for years. The seventy-year-old describes it like this: “The sun wants to crack the rocks open. It rains very little and it gets hotter every year.”

Meteorologist Rolando Baza Pacho puts figures to Arsenio’s description: “Punta de Maisí has an average temperature of 27 Celsius degrees, and precipitation over 700 millimeters, but evaporation from the ground is over 2,300 millimeters, in other words, the soil loses more humidity than it gets.” These weather conditions explain the water stressed soil and the troubles faced by the inhabitants. Just a few months ago, when the drought was at its worse, authorities in Maisí were obliged to juggle the supply water to nearly 1,800 residents.

Water scarcity causes plenty of distress.

“The water trucks would come every three days, and I would fill three 25-litres containers. Then I had to wait until it came again or carry the water from a well that is far away. It was tough,” remembers Yamiris Pérez, a teacher and mother of two children.

Something similar happened to 27-year-old Giorvis Ortiz Matos, who lives with his spouse and four young children. “We can’t wait for the water truck to come again, so I’d carry water from a neighbor’s house 300 meters from here. Many times it was rainwater.”

These problems are now told in the past tense on this plateau in the easternmost part of Cuba. An investment of 2,000,000 Cuban pesos and over 300,000 euros – donated by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) – through the Russian Federation, made possible the construction of a desalination plant to restore the supply of drinking water to Punta de Maisí.

The plant pumps seawater from wells 40 meters deep, drilled on the coastline and, after a complex process, the water is ready for human consumption. Seawater is processed with reverse osmosis, a highly reliable technology with low energy consumption.

The plant, which is expected to operate for 20 years, can process 17 cubic meters of water an hour. The Cuban government plans to set up 80 plants with similar characteristics across the country.

This is one of the initiatives of the Cuban state has taken to tackle climate change, as part of a program known as Tarea Vida (Life Task.” “It has made our lives easier. No more waiting for the water truck and no more carrying water on my shoulders,” Giorvis Ortiz says.

Dr. Daimé Matos Durand, specialist in Comprehensive General Medicine who serves the community of Punta de Maisí, is happy for another reason: “The symptoms of diarrhea and parasites have decreased significantly since the people began drinking desalinated water.”

“Drinking boiled water is not a habit for most of the people here. They are not used to boiling the water from water trucks. But desalinated water is innocuous, and its quality means that no other treatment is required.”

PROSPECTS FOR AGRICULTURE

“The talk is that a lot of crops are going to be grown here, like before,” Erasmo Matos Legrá, another local, says. He then points toward a field ready to be planted and then to some metal scaffolding: “This used to be for the covered crops. We used to harvest lettuce, cucumbers, and tomatoes. Over there, yucca grew very well.”

And he is right. Fidencio Oliveros Martínez, president of the Municipal Assembly of People’s Power, told Granma that from the Maya river, located at a distance of 20 kilometers, an aqueduct will be built to support the reanimation of food self-sufficiency in Punta de Maisí.

In addition, William Romero Frómeta, development specialist for the Agroforestry Enterprise, revealed that the plan is to resume protected cultivation of vegetable crops, yucca, beans, and a compact area for Cajon nut, in addition to micro-milking and cattle ranching.

The wrath of the god of drought and the desert may continue to be felt on the most beautiful maritime terraces here. But it won’t stop the impressive calcareous plateau from greening the landscape. Another challenge for Maisí, once the water returns to La Punta.

(Granma)

The population of this easternmost point of Cuba lived practically isolated for centuries, in the most terrible economic misery, with almost complete illiteracy due to the lack of schools and teachers, with scarcely a doctor in its vast geography, without roads or transport, without social infrastructure or utilities, and with housing in very poor conditions. The greatest irony was to call a place abandoned due to misgovernment the “Gran Tierra” (Great Land), where that resource, the land, was in the hands of two landowners, who dispossessed its peasants.

With the dawn of January 1, 1959, a radical change commenced in the lives of the people of Maisí, who were provided with teachers and doctors, schools and health centers, electricity, communication services, water supplies, cultural, sports, recreational, commerce and gastronomy facilities and parks, as well as transportation and roads that ended their isolation.

An unforgettable moment for the municipality was the execution of the so-called “Plan Fidel,” through which five children’s day-care centers, the Santa Rita and Santa Martha boarding schools, the Cayo dairy, La Máquina laundry service, the benchmark Vertientes coffee plantation, the Maya pipeline, and the community of Los Arados, were all built. An electrical plant was also located in La Máquina and a barbershop-hairdressing-cafeteria complex in La Asunción. These facilities, built in just two years, were inaugurated by the Comandante en Jefe, in July 1967.

These unquestionable advances brought about in Maisí by the Revolution were consolidated over the last 15 months, through the recovery process following the severe damage caused by Hurricane Matthew to the municipality in 2016. The works have left the community with more beautiful and comfortable facilities today than before the storm struck.

The repairs to housing and state facilities were accompanied by the emergence of important works to improve the socio-economic infrastructure of the territory and the population’s living standards.

Among these constructions are the Yumurí-Jobo Claro road, the sand and gravel mill, the concrete production plant, the Faro de Maisí Hotel, a photovoltaic park, seven telephone exchanges, a store and sales points, mini-industries for the production of construction materials, and the placement of new pipelines to improve the water supply service in several communities, all of which, added to what was previously built by the Revolution, makes for a striking contrast between Maisí before 1959, and the municipality of today.

(Granma)

The UN representative also emphasized the impact of donations benefiting both children and communities in affected regions; noting the gratitude expressed by recipients.
The Unicef official went on to state that fund-raising actions to support recovery efforts in Guantánamo will continue.

Colamarco led a delegation of Unicef representatives in Cuba who visited areas affected by the hurricane, in order to strengthen coordination efforts with local governments and follow-up on the distribution of resources donated to the four most severely affected municipalities.

We are pleased with the control, seriousness and discipline with which Cuban government authorities, and in particular those of this eastern province, have distributed resources donated by Unicef for victims of Hurricane Matthew, stated Colamarco.

The delegation also visited schools and communities in Baracoa, Maisí, Imías and San Antonio del Sur, where they spoke with children, teachers and residents.

In addition, representatives met with local government officials responsible for the region’s health, water and education sectors.

During their visit the delegation also received an explanation regarding the distribution of supplies obtained through the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), and their impact on families and schools.

These donations included early child development kits, with materials and games designed to stimulate learning capabilities in infants and young children; recreation kits supporting the psycho-social recovery of children affected by the hurricane; as well as crates of school supplies, which contain books, chalk, erasers, paint brushes, and pencils among other resources.

(Granma)

The President of the National Defense Council was accompanied by Army Corps General Ramón Espinosa Martín, deputy minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, who is currently based in the most affected areas together with other national and local leaders, overseeing the measures implemented in the recovery stage.

Denny Legrá Azahares, president of the Guantánamo Provincial Defense Council, informed the Army General of the major damages caused and the actions currently underway.

He noted that it is estimated that over 90% of homes in the area were severely damaged, as well as the majority of state facilities. Vital services for the population, such as communications, electricity and water supply, were also severely affected.

During the meeting, the negative impact of the atmospheric phenomenon on access routes to this municipality and on agriculture, mainly coffee plantations (Maisí is the largest coffee producer in the country), were also discussed.

Given this situation, Raúl emphasized the urgency of seeking alternatives to ensure the people are provided with necessary resources. Likewise, he stressed the importance of recording all the experience gained from the passage of this weather event, to be used in future scenarios.

The Army General participated in the meeting during which Lina Pedraza Rodríguez, minister of Finances and Prices, informed the presidents of the eight people’s councils in this municipality on how to implement the sale of construction materials to those whose homes had been affected. Photo: Estudio Revolución
The President of the National Defense Council also participated in the meeting which took place at the municipal Party headquarters, where Lina Pedraza Rodríguez, minister of Finances and Prices, informed the presidents of the eight people’s councils in this municipality on how to implement the decision of the revolutionary government as regards the sale of construction materials to those whose homes had been affected.

“You received a heavy blow, but we will recover,” Raúl assured as he shook hands and received embraces. Meanwhile, the people expressed their thanks over and over again to Fidel and Raúl himself for their constant support.

“This visit strengthens us, it encourages us to keep going,” stated Erodis Fuente López, who offered his home to shelter almost 40 people.

“Trust in us that we will succeed! The most important thing is that we are alive! Send our greetings to the Comandante! Take care!” These some of the messages expressed by the population as Raúl toured the area. Meanwhile, the Cuban President thanked those gathered for their continued resistance and called on them to return to their normal daily activities as soon as possible, in particular the resumption of classes, which he reiterated could take place in any adequate space.

Again there were scenes of emotion and hope as those gathered offered and received advice, anecdotes, and took photos alongside their President.

“I congratulate you because you are courageous, composed and very revolutionary. I’m proud of Cuban women and men across the country, but above all of you, because this has been a very tough test,” Raúl stated in response to the excited cheers of residents.

(Granma)