Geology of New Providence Island, Bahamas

Research Article| February 01, 1984 Geology of New Providence Island, Bahamas PETER GARRETT; PETER GARRETT 1R.F.D. 2, Box 5115, Eames Road, Winslow, Maine 04902 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar STEPHEN JAY GOULD STEPHEN JAY GOULD 2Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information PETER GARRETT 1R.F.D. 2, Box 5115, Eames Road, Winslow, Maine 04902 STEPHEN JAY GOULD 2Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 Publisher: Geological Society of America First Online: 01 Jun 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2674 Print ISSN: 0016-7606 Geological Society of America GSA Bulletin (1984) 95 (2): 209–220. https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1984)95<209:GONPIB>2.0.CO;2 Article history First Online: 01 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation PETER GARRETT, STEPHEN JAY GOULD; Geology of New Providence Island, Bahamas. GSA Bulletin 1984;; 95 (2): 209–220. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1984)95<209:GONPIB>2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGSA Bulletin Search Advanced Search Abstract Contrary to the popular notion that the Bahama Islands are built of eolianite deposits, at least New Providence Island consists principally of elevated marine sand-flat and protected lagoon deposits. Narrow eolianite ridges separate such deposits from reef-tract deposits capped by prograding beach deposits on the northern (bank-margin) side of the island.All exposed depositional phases are Quaternary. The most extensively exposed deposits we correlate with the ∼125,000-yr high sea level, recognized world-wide. Elevations of keystone vugs in beach deposits of that depositional phase indicate paleo–mean sea levels of as high as +10 m.Deposits of an earlier depositional phase suggest that there was then no island, but only a barrier sand shoal and reef tract. Holocene additions to the island's area have been minor and in the form of prograding beach deposits.Classical superpositional stratigraphy has limited value in the elucidation of New Providence geology due to the nature of the deposits, which are partially overlapping thin facies sheets and lenses. Therefore, we have also used a morphostratigraphic approach and, as paleontological markers, species of Cerion, a very rapidly evolving genus of land snail. Limited radiometric dating is reported.Islands on Bahama-type banks of earlier geologic periods were probably built almost entirely of beach deposits, rather than the eolianites and elevated marine deposits of which New Providence is built. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.