To
understand how the Virgin Islands were created it is necessary to
understand the plate tectonics underneath them. The Virgin Islands are located
along the northern edge of the Caribbean plate, where it meets the North
American Plate. These plates are moving west at different speeds. North
American Plate is moving at a faster rate creating a convergent boundary
causing subduction (Joyce, 5). Evidence of this subduction is the Puerto Rican Trench that
runs parallel to the Virgin Islands. As the North American Plate sunk below the
Caribbean plate energy was released melting parts of the upper mantle into
magma. This allowed it to form laccoliths that pushed land up and expose the
Virgin Islands from the sea.
Evidence
of the tectonic birth is all over the Virgin Islands. The location of the
islands in relation to the Puerto Rican Trench is a great example of a subduction
zone. The effects of subduction gave the islands some unique features. As magma
cooled and solidified, erosion revealed plutons. On the island Virgin Gorda one
of the main attractions is The Baths, which are batholiths or a collection of
plutons.
