The Geology of the Caribbean Sea

My project is on the Caribbean Sea, my section is on the Geology of the Caribbean Sea. I will give a summary of what i have so far.

Intro.: The Caribbean Sea is one of the largest salt water seas and has an area of about 2,754,000 km² (1,063,000 square miles). The Caribbean Sea is a tropical sea in the western hemisphere; it is a part of the Atlantic Ocean, bounded on the south by South America, on the west and south by Mexico and Central America, and on the north and east by the Antilles. Atlantic Ocean enters the Caribbean through the Anegada Passage lying between the Lesser Antilles and Virgin Islands and the Windward Passage located between Cuba and Haiti. The Greater Antilles islands of Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico lie to the north, and a plethora of Lesser Antilles bound the sea on the east situated southeast of the Gulf of Mexico. It is a Mediterranean Sea that covers most of the Caribbean Plate. The entire area of the Caribbean Sea, the numerous islands of the West Indies, and adjacent coasts, are collectively known as the Caribbean. The sea's deepest point is the Cayman Trough, between Cuba and Jamaica, at 7,686 m (25,220 feet) below sea level. The Caribbean coastline has many gulfs and bays: the Gulf of Venezuela, Gulf of Darien, Golfo de los Mosquitos and Gulf of Honduras.

Geology: The Caribbean sea floor is divided into five basins that are seperated from each other by underwater mountain ranges and ridges. The sea's age has been estimated to be anywhere from 20,000 years to 570 million years. The Cayman Trough is where the deepest points in the sea lie, with depths reaching 7,686m or 25,220 feet (approximately), inspite of this the Caribbean Sea is considered relatively shallow compared to other bodies of water.

The Hispaniola and Puerto Rico trenches are the two oceanic trenches that are found on the Caribbean Sea floor, these put the area at a higher risk of earthquakes. These underwater earthquakes pose a threat of generating tsunamis that could have devastating effects on the Caribbean Islands. Scientific data reveals that over the last 500 years the area has seen a dozen earthquakes above 7.5 magnitude. Volcanic activity is also common in the Caribbean, as well as destructive hurricanes that originate over the sea or in the Atlantic.