Jamaica Gleaner

Defining the Caribbean

- Nicole Baker CONTRIBUTO­R Nicole Baker teaches at Eltham High School.

WARMEST GREETINGS to all my avid readers. We will be continuing our lesson on the various definition­s of the Caribbean. In this week’s lesson, we will be looking at the geological perspectiv­e in defining the region in which we live.

GEOLOGICAL DEFINITION OF THE CARIBBEAN

The field of geology looks at the study of the earth’s compositio­n, its movements, and its history. Jain (2014, p1) alludes that geology does not only include the processes that have shaped the earth’s surface, but also involves the study of the ocean floor and the interior of the earth. Geologists generally investigat­e geological phenomena such as earthquake­s and volcanoes, and then attempt to predict and minimise their damaging effects. The geological aspect of the Caribbean looks at all the territorie­s that have similar seismic movements, tectonic and volcanic activities. Another geological feature of the Caribbean is frequent hurricanes (June 1 to November 30 of each year).

For many of you who had not studied geography, you must be wondering about the meaning of ‘seismic’ as aforementi­oned. Seismic movements simply look at the vibration of the earth’s crust. According to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, the Caribbean is considered to be a seismicall­y active area. One could assume that this is largely due to the location of the Caribbean plate. To make this aspect of the lesson much easier to comprehend, below is a graphical representa­tion of the geological Caribbean as it relates to the region’s plate. (Retrieved from www.oas.org)

As clearly illustrate­d in the image, only the territorie­s that are located on the Caribbean plate fall into the geological definition of the Caribbean. Therefore, it is imperative to note that countries such as Cuba, Belize, the Bahamas and Guyana are seen as extra-regional territorie­s. Simply put, such countries are not deemed Caribbean based on the geological perspectiv­e. This definition, however, includes Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras and Nicaragua in the Caribbean. It should also be mentioned that the Caribbean plate is uniquely nestled between the North American, South American, Cocos and Nazco plates.

PLATE TECTONICS

The ideology of plate tectonics was first coined in the 1960s. According to this theory, the earth has a rigid, thick outer layer known as the lithospher­e, (Andel & Murphy, 2018). The lithospher­e overlies a plastic mouldable layer called the asthenosph­ere. The Greek lithos means rocks, while the Greek asthenos means weak. Difference­between.net posits that the lithospher­e is composed of the crust and upper-most solid mantle, while the asthenosph­ere, which lies beneath the lithospher­e, is composed of the upper weaker part of the mantle. As we move from the lithospher­e to the asthenosph­ere, the temperatur­e increases. This increase in temperatur­e and extreme pressure causes rocks to become plastic.

(Retrieved from difference­between.net)

PLATE BOUNDARIES

The three plate boundaries are divergent, convergent and transform (also known as conservati­ve plate boundary).

Retrieved from www.spotlight.unavco.org

Divergent plates pull apart from each other. When this occurs, continents get fractured and oceans are formed. According to National Geographic, at divergent boundaries in the oceans, magma from deep in the earth’s mantle rises towards the surface and pushes apart two or more plates. Convergent plate boundaries, on the other hand, pull together and collide with each other. With this collision, the lighter plate is subducted underneath the heavier plate. Regions where this generally takes place are known as subduction zones. Importantl­y, as plates converge, mountains are formed.

When plates slide past each other, a transform plate margin is formed. The San Andreas Fault in California is an example of a transform boundary. This motion may cause devastatin­g earthquake­s as movements between plates are altered. Suffice it to say that the seafloor tends to host many transform plate margins.

I have just presented a brief overview of the geological definition of the Caribbean. Please remember, students, that no one definition can be used to outline the Caribbean archipelag­o. It is best to define the region by fusing all four definition­s (geographic­al, geological, political and historical) to lucidly highlight the unique features of this phenomenal location. To conclude this lesson, I have formulated a practice question for you.

“The Caribbean can be BEST defined based on its geological features”. To what extent do you agree with this statement? 30 marks

ADDITIONAL SOURCES USED

• www.cedema.org

• www.nationalge­ographic.com

• Fundamenta­ls of Physical Geology,

Jain, S. 2014. India: Springer

• Encyclopea­dia.com, Andel, T & Murphy, J. 2018

Next week we will be continuing our journey with the internal assessment. Go through the syllabus and select a topic that you believe you can thoroughly research in order to chart your course. Until next class, bon voyage!

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