Plate Boundaries

Tectonic setting of the northwestern Bahamas. Note proximity of the banks to the North American–Caribbean plate boundary and ancient faults inherited from the late Jurassic rifting phase. 

The Bahamas are a group of 700 islands and cays located in the western Atlantic Ocean. The Bahamas are part of the North American Plate. The North American Plate includes most of North America, Cuba, northeastern Asia, and some parts of Iceland. The Bahamas are also located on the Carribean plate. The North American Plate and the Caribbean Plate have a transform boundary. On the tranform boundaries the two tectonic plates slide past one another along geologic faults known as transform faults. The Bahamas is relatively stable because of its position on the plates. 

Sources:
  • https://www.usgs.gov/centers/whcmsc/science/caribbean-tsunami-and-earthquake-hazards-studies?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects
  • http://www.bahamasb2b.com/news/wmview.php?ArtID=4582
  • Keller, Edward A., and Robert H. Blodgett. Natural Hazards: Earth's Processes as Hazards, Disasters, and Catastrophes. Pearson Prentice Hall, 2008.

Comments

  1. Ana GGFebruary 9, 2019 at 2:46 PM

    You are absolutely right, they are in the southern side of the N American Plate. I found a detailed map that I wanted to share [link below]. FYI. Even if they are not locate din a very tectonically active area, I'm sure they'll have a lot of other natural hazards you'll discover.


    https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321194272_Late_Quaternary_uplift_along_the_North_America-Caribbean_plate_boundary_Evidence_from_the_sea_level_record_of_Guantanamo_Bay_Cuba/figures?lo=1

    ReplyDelete
  2. lauren charisFebruary 10, 2019 at 7:07 PM

    Hi Arriana! I loved your post! It was very clear cut, precise, and to-the-point. I found it interesting to read because my country (Haiti) is also an island, so we've got similar weather hazards and things! And I totally was not aware that the Bahamas were made up of 700 islands! That's pretty cool!
    One other thing I found interesting is although the Bahamas and Haiti are relatively close to each other (in a grand, world map scheme of things), according to you, the Bahamas are relatively safe from danger, whereas Haiti is sandwiched between two tectonic plates, making it extremely vulnerable to natural disasters. Great job!

    ReplyDelete
  3. darcmamasblogFebruary 10, 2019 at 9:16 PM

    Hi Arriana, great post, direct and to the point. So do natural hazards typically not occur in the Bahamas? Sounds like the place to live! Did you have a prior knowledge of the Bahamas and Plate Tectonics prior to this class?

    ReplyDelete

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