Comment on: “Geomorpho-tectonic evolution of the Jamaican restraining bend” by Leomaris Domínguez-González, Louis Andreani, Klaus P. Stanek and Richard Gloaguen [Geomorphology, 228 (2015) 320–334

Abstract

We provide comments on the paper: “Geomorpho-tectonic evolution of the Jamaican restraining bend” by Domínguez-González et al. (2015). The literature review given is lacking in significant elements, particularly recent papers detailing the geology and uplift history of Jamaica. The paper undertakes a GIS analysis of a DEM and produces a drainage network for Jamaica, yet the networks created do not match the actual drainage network of the island. River profiles were extracted using 150m contours and many of the knickpoints identified are not related to tectonics. The recognition of different erosional (and thus evolutionary) stages does not take into account the differing geology and the different geomorphological processes that were in operation, and the proposed model for the progressive uplift of different parts of Jamaica must therefore be treated with caution. This is particularly the case where their uplift model agrees neither with recent models based on provenance analysis or on the origin of Jamaican bauxite deposits. This paper demonstrates the problems of relying on remote sensing using inadequate datasets, no ground truthing and incomplete consideration of previous research.