Geology of Isla de Mona, Puerto Rico
Journal of Cave and Karst Studies
By: E.F. Frank, Carol M. Wicks, J. Mylroie, J. Troester, E.C. Alexander Jr., and J.L. Carew
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Abstract
Isla de Mona is a carbonate island located in the Mona Passage 68 km west of Puerto Rico. The tectonically uplifted island is 12 km by 5 km, with an area of 55 km2, and forms a raised flat-topped platform or meseta. The meseta tilts gently to the south and is bounded by near vertical cliffs on all sides. These cliffs rise from 80 m above sea level on the north to 20 m above the sea on the southern coast. Along the southwestern and western side of the island a three- to six-meter-high Pleistocene fossil reef abuts the base of the cliff to form a narrow coastal plain. The meseta itself consists of two Mio-Pliocene carbonate units, the lower Isla de Mona Dolomite and the upper Lirio Limestone. Numerous karst features, including a series of flank margin caves primarily developed at the Lirio Limestone/Isla de Mona Dolomite contact, literally ring the periphery of the island.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Geology of Isla de Mona, Puerto Rico |
| Series title | Journal of Cave and Karst Studies |
| Volume | 60 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Year Published | 1998 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | National Speleological Society |
| Description | 4 p. |
| First page | 69 |
| Last page | 72 |
| Country | United States |
| State | Puerto Rick |
| Other Geospatial | Isla de Mona |
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