Caribbean islands were born from crashing volcanoes
The Caribbean islands were dramatically formed by millions of years of volcanic arc collisions, a violent geological past that continues to shape their diverse landscapes and active geology.
The stunning Caribbean islands owe their existence to ancient, violent collisions of volcanic arcs. Millions of years ago, Earth's tectonic plates shifted, causing fragments of oceanic crust to slide beneath others. This process created chains of volcanoes, or island arcs, which then crashed into continental margins. These dramatic events sculpted the rugged Greater Antilles, including Cuba and Jamaica, and continue to shape the Lesser Antilles today. This geological violence explains the region's diverse landscapes and its vulnerability to earthquakes, like the 2010 Haiti quake. The Caribbean plate still moves westward, promising future reshaping of these vibrant islands.