Geology of Jamaica

During the Eocene, limestone deposition started across the whole of the Nicaraguan Rise. In Jamaica the main limestone unit is the White Limestone Group, which dominates the surface exposure of the island, particularly its central parts and consists of pure limestones and dolomites. Locally the lowermost limestone is the Yellow Limestone Group, which consists of interbedded limestones and other clastic rocks.^[1]

During the Late Miocene, the northeastern margin of the Caribbean Plate began to collide with the Bahamas Platform. This caused the formation of a two new strike-slip fault zones between the island of Hispaniola and the Mid-Cayman Spreading Center west of Jamaica, the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault zone and the Walton fault zone.^[2] These fault zones now form part of the southern boundary of the Gonâve Microplate. The major right-stepping offset between the fault zones formed a restraining bend and led to transpression and uplift that is still active today and is the reason that the island of Jamaica is now well above sea level.^[3]