Landslides in Jamaica

Landslides in Jamaica

Landslides are the most common natural hazard in Jamaica. When natural disasters are mentioned, most people think about earthquakes, hurricanes or flooding rather than landslides. Even the historic records seem to indicate that landslides are less important than earthquakes, hurricanes or floods. In fact, they are often overlooked and forgotten because they frequently coincide with other disasters by which they are often triggered. Port Royal, was almost wiped off the map when a major landslide triggered by the 1692 earthquake,it took a large part of the town below sea level.

Most people tend to regard landslides as accidents, as something that only happens to others because, in comparison with earthquakes, hurricanes and floods, landslides affect relatively small and sharply delineated areas. Landslides often move so slowly that even the people living in the affected area are not aware of it. They might only notice that from time to time, especially during or shortly after unusually wet periods, cracks develop in the walls of their houses. After a while they fix these cracks and forget about it.

Jamaica’s mountainous terrain, its high precipitation due to its geographic location in belt of tropical storms, its location the plate boundary fault zone, all combine to make the island particularly susceptible to landslides.

 Portland Parish, Jamaica.

Sources:

http://www.mona.uwi.edu/uds/Land_Jam.html

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Caribbean-needs-help-to-combat-climate-change_15698499

http://go-jamaica.com/blog/2008/09/18/effects-of-rainfall-associated-with-tropical-storm-gustav/

VOLCANOS

Jamaica and the other islands of the Antilles evolved from an arc of ancient volcanoes that rose from the sea millions of years ago. During periods of submersion, thick layers of limestone were laid down over the old igneous and metamorphic rock. In many places, the limestone is thousands of feet thick. The country can be divided into three landform regions: the eastern mountains, the central valleys and plateaus, and the coastal plains.

The Blue Mountains extend over the eastern part of the island. Jamaica's main mountain system contains two ranges. The northerly one includes Blue Mountain Peak, which rises to 7,402 feet, the country's highest elevation. The second range, known as the Port Royal Mountains, extends south-eastward from the principal range, reaching elevations of up to about 4,000 feet. The John Crow Mountains rise in the extreme northeast of the island, between the Rio Grande and the sea. 

Vestiges of volcanic activity occur in Jamaica in the form of hot springs.

Some of these springs may have dried up over the years, but there was a time when authoritative scientists were able to identify as many as ten including:

(1) Silver Hill in St Andrew: The waters of which were described as chalybeate, aerated, cold and tonic: beneficial in cases of debility.

(2) Moffatt on the White River in the Blue Mountain Valley: The water is sulphuric, cold and purgative, useful in itch and cutaneous diseases.

(3) A similar spring near the source of the Cabaritta River in Hanover.

(4) At Windsor near St Ann's Bay, reputed for the healing of ulcers.

(5) Warm springs at Garbrand Hall in the Morant River and the Adams River in St. Thomas; and in the Guava River in Portland.

(6) A spring at New Brighton in St Catherine; a mineral spring at Mannatee Bay, also in St Catherine; Golden Vale in Portland; Salt Springs at Ferry on Spanish Town Road, and also at Salt River in Vere.

The Windsor Mineral Spring (more commonly known as "Fire Water") is a small pool of water with a very unusual quality. The pool contains water which can catch fire! This phenomenon is believed to be caused by a high concentration of sulphur in the water.

http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com