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A Hydrogeologic Model of Samana Cay, Bahamas, and Its Implications for the Columbus Landfall Question
Author(s) -
Valdés José J.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
groundwater
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.84
H-Index - 94
eISSN - 1745-6584
pISSN - 0017-467X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-6584.1996.tb02063.x
Subject(s) - landfall , feature (linguistics) , hydrogeology , feature matching , matching (statistics) , geography , meteorology , cartography , archaeology , geology , artificial intelligence , computer science , mathematics , statistics , tropical cyclone , linguistics , philosophy , feature extraction , geotechnical engineering
Samana Cay, Bahamas, is a leading candidate among the sites proposed as the first landfall of Columbus in the New World. One main point of contention against this identification is that Samana lacks a feature matching the laguna observed by Columbus in the middle of his landfall island. However, this argument has failed to consider the paleogeographic aspects of the problem. A hydrogeologic computer model suggests the existence of a sizable surface‐water feature in the medial interior of Samana Cay under conditions theorized to have been present when Columbus arrived in the Bahamas. This feature may correspond to the laguna described by Columbus.