Mogote

Dome-like rounded mogotes in Viñales Valley, Cuba.

Mogotes are geomorphologic structures encountered in the Caribbean, especially in Cuba. They appear as hills of limestone which generally occur along shorelines.

Mogotes are characterized by their rounded, tower-like structure. The heights of these towers are generally less than 25m; diameters range from 10 to 200m. The structure forms are elongated with a pronounced long axis orientation. They have a classification of a tropical karst topography. Mogotes are remnants of eroded limestone sedimentary layers. These layers are originally formed in shallow waters, then folded and faulted during orogenic cycles. Tectonic upraising exposes the limestone layers to the surface where they can be eroded by rainfall, wind, and wave energy.

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  Two mogotes showing they typical rounded shape growing up in the valley.
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  View of Viñales Valley in Pinar del Rio Province, Cuba.
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  Eastern view of the mogotes in Viñales.

References

• Day,M.J, 1978 Morphology and distribution of residual limestone hills (mogotes) in the karst of northern Puerto Rico: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v.89, p.426-432.