THE

GEOGRAPHY
PHENOMENON

Name: Aaliyah Dreckett

Grade: 13M
Teacher: Mrs.Williams-Bennett
Subject:Caribbean Studies
 Table of Contents

What is Plate Tectonics…………………………………………………….1

Movement Of Plate Tectonics………………………………………………2-5

Movement Across Caribbean Plates…………………………………………6

What is an Earthquake……………………………………………………….7

Is the Caribbean ready for an Earthquake (essay)…………………………..8-9

What is a Volcano……………………………………………………………10

Impact that most recent volcano had on St.Vincent………………………….11

Impact that hurricanes have on Caribbean society……………………………12

Pictorial Summary of Hurricane Sandy……………………………………….13-15

 What is Plate Tectonics?
Plate Tectonics is a theory explaining the structure of the earth’s crust and many
associated phenomena as resulting from the interaction of rigid lithospheric plates
which move slowly over the underlying mantle. In other words Plate Tectonics
explains the movement of the earth’s surface.

Plate Tectonics is the generally accepted scientific theory that considers the earth’s
lithosphere to comprise a number of large tectonic plates which have been slowly
moving since about 3.4 billion years ago. The model builds on the concept of
continental drift, an idea developed during the first decades of the 20th century. Plate
tectonics came to be generally accepted by geoscientists after seafloor spreading was
validated in the mid to late 1960s.
 Movement of Plate Tectonics
Seismic activities occur at three types of plate boundaries. These are:
 Divergent
 Convergent
 Transform
 Convergent Plate Boundaries

A convergent boundary occurs when two plates come together. The impact of the
colliding plates can cause the edges of one or both plates to buckle up into a mountain
ranges or one of the plates may bend down into a deep seafloor trench. A chain of
volcanoes often forms parallel to convergent plate boundaries and powerful
earthquakes are common along these boundaries. The Pacific Ring of Fire is an
example of a convergent plate boundary.

Diagram showing Convergent Plates

 Divergent Plate Boundaries
A divergent boundary occurs when two tectonic plates move away from each other.
Along these boundaries, earthquakes are common and magma (molten rock) rises
from the Earth’s mantle to the surface, solidifying to create new oceanic crust. An
example is The Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

Diagram showing Divergent Plates

 Transform Plate Boundaries
A transform plate boundary is formed when two plates slide past each other. An
example of the transform plate boundary is the San Andreas fault zone.

Diagram showing Transform Plates

 Movement across Caribbean Plates

The Caribbean Plate is a mostly oceanic tectonic plate underlying Central

America and the Caribbean Sea off the north coast of South America.This slab
(Caribbean Plate) pushes between the North American Plate and the South American
Plate. It moves eastward about 22 millimeters per year in relation to the South
American Plate and creates a destructive plate boundary, or volcanic zone, in the
Lesser Antilles.When two adjacent crustal plates move sideways past each other in a
tearing action, this is called a transform fault. This results in frequent small tremors
and can also possibly cause severe earthquakes. An example of this type of fault is the
Puerto Rico trench, which forms the deepest part of the Atlantic Ocean. The Greater
Antilles and northern South America have been shaped by strike-slip earthquake
zones on the northern and southern boundaries of the Caribbean plate, where there are
transform plate boundaries. A strike-slip fault is made of large cracks, or a fault zone,
that may or may not reach the surface. The combination of uplift as the Caribbean
plates moves and sea-level rise caused by climate change forms some coral islands
such as Barbados and The Bahamas.
 What is an Earthquake?

An earthquake is a rapid and intense shaking of Earth’s surface caused by movements

in Earth’s outermost layer. Due to the movement of the earth’s crust, pressure builds
up at the junction where two plates meet. When the rocks cannot take the force, they
snap into a new position and this vibration is called an earthquake. Some earthquakes
have a volcanic origin, occurring below volcanic vents, and are less destructive.

Earthquakes are unpredictable and strike without warning.  They range in intensity
from slight tremors to great shocks, and may last from a few seconds to five minutes.
Shocks may come in a series over a period of several days.

During an earthquake, damage to property and injuries to persons are usually caused
by falling objects and collapsing buildings. Disruption of telephone, electricity and
water services may also occur.

Earthquakes can trigger other disasters, such as landslides, fires, and tsunamis.
Essay Question: Is the Caribbean ready for an earthquake?

Earthquakes occur when seismic waves pass through the earth’s rocks and results in a
sudden shaking of the earth. These natural disasters may cause severe damage to life
and property, depending on the intensity of the shaking. Caribbean islands are
susceptible to earthquakes because of their position along the fault lines of the
Caribbean plates. Caribbean countries are not considered ready for earthquakes
because of the scarce resources and the impact it will have on Tourism. Cuba is one
Caribbean country that is considered ready for an earthquake as compared to Haiti.

To begin, some countries in the Caribbean are classified as developing countries. This
is because of the scarce resources in comparison to other countries. Earthquakes will
affect these developing countries the most because of the lack of resources and funds
to protect communities effectively and update emergency response plans. To add to
this, some families in the Caribbean do not live in properly designed houses that can
withstand the pressure of earthquakes. Depending on the severity of the earthquake,
agriculture and other industries (such as bauxite) may be totally wiped out. Hence,
with most of the revenue being destroyed, the government may find it difficult to help
the nation bounce back from this natural disaster.

Secondly, most Caribbean islands are best known for their tourist destinations. For
example, Dominican Republic is known for its white-sand beaches while diving and
fishing on Andros Island is a popular practice in The Bahamas.In addition, this
economic activity is what generates most of these countries incomes and essentially
aids in the development. A negative effect of earthquakes is the destruction of life and
property. Therefore when tourist attractions and facilities are destroyed, the number of
tourists that visit these sites will be greatly reduced. Individuals working in the
tourism sector may also be affected since less workers will now be needed. This poses
a negative impact on Caribbean countries since tourism is closely related to the
sustainable development of the economy and is referred to as “the engine of their
growth”. Tourism also plants a sense of cultural exchange between foreigners and
locals, and some aspects of our culture such as food and dance will be shared with
these tourists. This will aid to enhance cross cultural understanding and preserve the
heritage and culture of Caribbean countries. If an earthquake should cause damage to
this sector, they may find it difficult to build back and hence the Caribbean is not
ready for an earthquake.

Finally, Cuba can be considered prepared for an earthquake in comparison to Haiti. If

both countries should experience an earthquake, then they would be affected in
different ways. This is because the economy of Cuba is more developed than Haiti’s
and so Cuba is able offer training and education enhancement programmes to ensure
the citizens resilience to earthquakes. Locals are also advised on the proper guidelines
to build their houses and if is assisted by the government is there is any difficulty.
Cubans, therefore, have better infrastructure and houses as compared to Haiti who
does not have resources to ensure this. There is also a highly effective risk-
communication system and Cuba also has the highest population of educated
individuals trained to deal with such natural disasters. These reasons, and more, depict
why Cuba is better prepared country for earthquakes than its neighbour, Haiti.

In conclusion, the Caribbean is not ready for an earthquake because of the negative
impact it will have on Tourism and the economy. Caribbean countries also have
scarce resources and may not be able to adequately prepare for an earthquake or to
“bounce back”. Cuba can be classified as a better prepared country for an earthquake
in comparison to Haiti.
 What is a Volcano?

A volcano is an opening in the earth’s crust through which lava, volcanic ash, and
gases escape. Volcanic eruptions are partly driven by pressure from dissolved gas,
much as escaping gases force the cork out of a bottle of champagne. Beneath a
volcano, liquid magma containing dissolved gases rises through cracks in the Earth’s
crust. As the magma rises, pressure decreases, allowing the gases to form bubbles.
How the magma (lava) behaves when it reaches the surface depends on both its gas
content and chemical composition. Lavas with low silica contents have low viscosities
and flow freely, allowing any gas bubbles to escape readily, while lavas with high
silica contents are more viscous (resistant to flow), so that any trapped gases cannot
escape gradually.

In other words,a volcano on Earth is a vent or fissure in the planet's crust through
which lava, ash, rock and gases erupt.Volcanoes are also mountains formed by the
accumulation of these eruptive products. 
 
 Impact that the most recent volcano
had on St.Vincent

The La Soufriere volcano in St.Vincent began a series of eruptions on April 9, 2021.

Populations, assets and infrastructure were all affected by this eruption.To begin, the
explosions, ashfall and pyroclastic flows have caused damaged to crops and livestock
which in turn leads to an impact an the economy and the environment. It has also
created immediate humanitarian needs. These humanitarian needs include hygiene
and sanitation, access to safe and drinking water, emergency food assistance and
shelter to name a few. In addition to this, houses were destroyed and roads blocked
leaving hundreds of families being displaced.
 Impact that Hurricanes have on the
Caribbean Society

Hurricanes are one of the most frequent natural disasters that affect the Caribbean.
Whenever an hurricane takes place in the Caribbean, the ecology is thrown out of its
normal cycle, topography shifts, agriculture is set back, infrastructure is ruined and
preventative measures must be implemented.

When the ecology is thrown out of its normal cycle, a number of things happen as a
result. Strong winds and intense rainfall can uproot plants and kill animals and they
may also be impacted indirectly through changes in habitat and food availability.

Topography is the arrangement of physical features in an area.

One of the main economic activity of Caribbean countries is tourism. Both ecology
and topography will have a negative effect on this activity, because when the ecology
is disturbed, the quantity of wild animals that tourists enjoy viewing may decrease or
become extinct completely. To add to this, when topography shifts, natural sites such
as mountains may also be affected. Therefore, the number of tourists visiting the
Caribbean islands will decrease which will also cause a decrease in the income
generated from this economic activity.

When agriculture is set back, trading may also be affected as there will be less goods
to supply to other countries.

These factors, discussed above, along with resources to build back roads and
buildings (etc), will put a strain on the economy and may in turn cause an economic
recession.

With an economic recession, other problems may arise such as poverty and
unemployment.
Pictorial Summary
Of Hurricane
Sandy(2012)