Geography

School based assignment

Topic: The development of the palisades tombolo

Subject: Geography
Candidate Names: Maliaka Chen, Breanna Carridice, Laken Malcolm, Brittania Myrie and Sarah
Thompson
Candidate Number:
Teacher: Miss. Robinson

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 Table of Content
Introduction……………………………………………………..3

Aim of Study…………………………………………………….4

Location of Study………………………………………………..5

Methodology…………………………………………………….6

Map of Jamaica………………………………………………….7

Presentation and Analysis of Data……………………………....8

Conclusion………………………………………………………..

Bibliography………………………………………………………

Appendix………………………………………………………….

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 Introduction

The Palisadoes Tombolo is a geographical formation located in Kingston, Jamaica. It is a long,

narrow strip of land that connects the mainland of Jamaica to the Port Royal cays and Norman
Manley International Airport. The tombolo stretches for over 12 and is oriented in an E direction.
It varies in width between 20-250m and ranges in height between 0-7m; it also serves as a
natural protection for Kingston Harbour, Jamaica. According to a 2005 paper by Edward
Robinson of the Marine Geology Unit at UWI, the spit is about 4000 years old. Port Royal was
once an island among a group of small, sandy cays until early coastal engineer’s added wooden
palisades to the cays to trap the sand of the longshore drift, building up the spit eventually called
the Palisadoes. Always part land and part sea, Palisadoes came and went over millennia,
nourished by sediment from the Hope and Cane rivers, torn away by storms, rent by earthquakes,
ever in motion. In 1772 a hurricane with a five-metre storm surge made Port Royal an island
again and breached the spit in four places which are: Harbour View Caribbean Terrace, Harbour
Head, Gunboat Beach Area and Fort Rocky.

For nearly sixty years, the groins protected the thin part of the Palisadoes, men fished from them,
the Palisadoes road was built, widened, the airport was constructed, and the road led through
sand dunes and cacti and wetlands to the by then quiet fishing town of Port Royal. In addition,
the Palisadoes Tombolo played an important role in Jamaican history. It was the site of several
naval battles between the English and Spanish in the 17th century, and was also used as a
quarantine station during the yellow fever epidemic of the 19th century. Today, it is a symbol of
Jamaica’s rich cultural and natural heritage.

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 Aim of Study
To describe and explain the factors contributing to the development of the Palisadoes Tombolo.

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 Location of Study
Location 1
Parish Name- St Andrew
Name of area- Harbour View Caribbean Terrace 

Location 2
Parish Name- St Andrew 
Name of Area- Harbour Head

Location 3
Parish Name- Kingston 
Name of Area- Gun Boat Beach

Location 4
Parish Name- Kingston
Name of Area- Forth Rocky

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 Methodology 
This study was conducted on February 8, 2023 between 9:30-3:00. The specific area that was
studied is located in Harbour view, palisadoes stretch St. Andrew Jamaica. 
A data sheet was provided at the beginning of the field trip for information from the specified
places/locations. The first stop was at Harbour View and the second stop was Airport Road,
Palisadoes Stretch. After the investigation a number of coastal features were discovered. A timer
was then set to time the waves frequency at each location shore line, by counting the number of
waves ‘broke’ in an (60) seconds time frame. 
Rock shape and size was acknowledged and placed on the data sheet by collecting (30) rocks at
random, along the coastline and using observation for the shape. The gradient was calculated
using a makeshift clinometer out of string, rock and a protractor.

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 Map of Jamaica showing parish of study

Key

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 Presentation and Analysis of Data

Location 1

Harbour View Caribbean Terrace

Scatter Graph 1

Harbour View Caribbean Terrace Rock Size

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5
Short Axis (cm)

0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Long Axis (cm)

Figure 1: Scatter graph showing sample rock’s size at Habour View Caribbean Terrace

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Bar Graph 1

Harbour View Caribeean Terrace Rock Shape

Sub-Rounded

Sub-Angular

Rounded

Well-rounded

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Number of Rocks

Figure 2: Bar Graph showing rock samples and their shape

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Pie Chart 1

Rocktypes Found
Igneous New Castle
Volcanic
4%

Igneous
34%

Sedimentary
41%

Matamorphic
21%

Figure 3: Pie chart showing types of rocks collected at Habour View Caribbean Terrace

Location 2
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 Harbour Head

Scatter Graph 2

Harbour Head Rock Size

16

14

12

10
Short Axis (cm)

0
0 5 10 15 20 25
Long Axis (cm)

Figure 4: Scatter graph showing sample rock size in Harbour Head

Bar Graph 2

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 Harbour Head rock shape
Number Of Rocks

Sub-Angular 4

Sub-rounded 4

Well-Rounded 15

Rounded 7

Figure 5: Bar graph showing Harbour Head rock shape

Pie Chart 2
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 Rocktypes Found
Volcanic
Sedimentary 3% Igneous
Limestone
23% 13%

Metamorphic
13%

Igneous New Cas-

tle Volcanic
23% Sedimentary
23%
Volcanic Igneous Metamorphic Sedimentary Igneous New Castle Volcanic
Sedimentary Limestone

Figure 6: Pie chart showing a collection of rocks from Harbour Head

Location 3

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 Gun boat Beach
Scatter Graph 3

Gun Boat Beach Rock Size

10
9
8
7
Short Axis (cm)

6
5
4
3
2
1
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
Long Axis (cm)

Figure 7: Scatter graph showing rock sizes at Gun Boat Beach

Bar Graph 3

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 Gun Boat Beach Rock Shape

Sub-Angular

Well-Rounded

Sub-Rounded

Rounded

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Number of Rock

Figure 8: Bar graph showing Rock Shape at Gun Boat Beach

Pie Chart 3
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 Rocktypes Found
7%
20%

23%

27%

23%

Metamorphic Igneous Sedimentary

Igneous new castle volcanic Sedimentary Limestone

Figure 9: Pie chart showing rock types at Gun Boat Beach

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