Geology of Jamaica and the Nicaragua Rise

Abstract

Topographic features of submerged oceanic areas have received less attention from geographers than have inhabited islands or economically important fishing banks, with the result that geographic names are slow to become established and some areas may have several designations. This has been the case in the western Caribbean where the suboceanic ridge extending eastward from Central America to Jamaica and beyond—the Nicaragua Rise—is called by different names on recently published maps. Current practice seems to favor the direct use of a nearby land name for the oceanic feature without an adjective modification. Examples are Colombia Basin, Barbados Ridge, Grenada Trough, and Puerto Rico Trench. Where a name has not already become firmly established, this practice will be followed here.