Sediment on Cay Sal Bank (CSB) is characterized by its coarse-grain size, poor sorting, predominance of skeletal fragments, and relatively depleted d18O isotope values. CSB is an incipiently drowned platform in close proximity to the Great Bahama Bank (GBB), a carbonate platform which is not incipiently drowned and characterized by fine-grained, non-skeletal sediment. The GBB has locally well-developed oolitic grainstone facies and coral reef margins, which are both lacking on CSB. Platform-top water depths on the GBB are typically 10 m or less, but CSB depth ranges between 7 and 30 m. CSB is devoid of mud, whereas mud-supported depositional texture on GBB comprises 28% of the dataset. Dominant non-skeletal grains are grapestones and pelletoids, and the latter display evidence of micritization. Non-skeletal types on GBB are primarily grapestones and ooids. Surficial sediments from both platforms are primarily composed of aragonite, but high-magnesium calcite is slightly more prevalent on CSB. Similar to other incipiently drowned platforms in the Caribbean, CSB has been subject to rapid Holocene flooding. Common features between these three platforms are a thin sedimentary cover, a dominance of Halimeda plates, and micritized cryptocrystalline grains. Increased nutrient levels have been shown to be related to platform drowning as well as the reduction of coral and algal growth on Serranilla Bank, but rapid Holocene flooding has been more likely for CSB, and appears to be in the second of a three-stage drowning process, ultimately culminating in carbonate platform “turn off”, preventing further carbonate and reef development at the level of GBB.

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This thesis compares pottery from Ike's Cut, Inagua, Bahamas with assemblages from the site of El Mango, Cuba, analyzed by Ashley Brooke Persons and the site of Ft. Liberte, Haiti, analyzed by Irving Rouse. The Ike's Cut site was a seasonally occupied location on the largest bank on Inagua, and was utilized for its access to marine resources. The migrants living here brought with them Meillacoid ceramics that were manufactured somewhere in the Greater Antilles. The objective of this research was to evaluate whether the ceramics at Ike's Cut share more in common with either the Hispaniolan or Cuban assemblages. These similarities can provide evidence from where these people came. Noting the frequency of certain traits in the distribution allowed me to draw conclusions regarding the similarities and differences in pottery characteristics among these Taíno sites. Upon completing a comparison of decorative modes and an analysis of rim types, I was able to conclude that these sites showed considerable similarities despite being situated in different regions. These results indicate the differences in site purposes and their corresponding ceramics, and also shed light on the continuity between decorative motifs throughout Taíno sites and the Caribbean. This indicates that Rouse’s initial hypothesis, that migration throughout these islands was unilateral, was false and that there was significant interaction between these three sites over time.

Located in the subtropical central-eastern Bahamas, San Salvador Island is impacted by both synoptic-scale weather systems as well as local features and the North Atlantic Subtropical High. This study explores rainfall variability via one year of daily rain gauge observations in relation to daily weather patterns identified from 18 UTC surface analyses. Satellite-derived rainfall estimates are then compared to gauge observations to look at days when gauge data was missing. Though non-synoptic classifications comprised 61.1% of the days and synoptic classifications comprised 38.9% of the days, more rainfall was produced by synoptic days. Unlike other studies done on San Salvador, this study uses multiple observations—in situ, surface analyses, and satellite—to further our understanding of San Salvador’s rainfall. This study also establishes methods to explore synoptic and non-synoptic impacts on the island’s rainfall using additional years as more rain gauge data become available.

A geodatabase and a data management program have been created to store and manipulate cave and karst feature data from the Bahamas. A geographic information system was used to recognize any spatial patterns in the cave and karst data from San Salvador Island. Elevation data for banana holes, vadose pits and flank margin caves were obtained from a digital elevation model and are consistent with values predicted by the Carbonate Island Karst Model. The slope and aspect of the hill on which a flank margin cave is found showed no relationship to cave sizes and shapes, emphasizing the hypogenic nature of flank margin caves. The digital elevation model further demonstrated the position of lakes on San Salvador Island during the last interglacial (OIS 5e) highstand, and the lack of flank margin caves along the shores of these lakes provides evidence for a paleoclimate on San Salvador Island similar to today?s.

Abaco Island is located on Little Bahama Bank at the northwestern extent of the Bahamian Archipelago. Karst features on Abaco include: flank margin caves, karren, blue holes, pit caves, banana holes, and cone karst. As part of this study all known flank margin caves on Abaco were GPS located and surveyed. The presence and locations of the other karst features were recorded as part of the karst inventory of Abaco. The cone karst is of particular interest because cone karst has not been documented on other Bahamian islands. These cones form from the dissection of an eolianite ridge due to karst, fire, and vegetative processes. Tafoni-like recesses, originally believed to be high flank margin caves, were formed during cliffing of an eolianite ridge during the OIS 5e highstand. The geologic evolution of representative depositional sequences on Abaco fits within the accepted Bahamian stratigraphy.

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