Florida's hydrogeologic environment ( FGS: Poster 5, rev. )

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PAGE 1

Florida's population growth creates ever-increasing pressures on the state's springs and other fragile water resources.This drawing illustrates many ofthe complex relationships that exist between a Florida community and the environment which sustains it.Water for various uses is withdrawn from subsurface limestones which are extremely porous and permeable.Ground water which resides in these limestones is naturally protected from various types ofcontaminants by a widespread confining layer (intermediate confining unit) which is predominantly clay.The situation is complicated by the presence ofdiscontinuous carbonate lenses (the intermediate aquifer system) and fractures within the confining layer.Limestone is vulnerable to extensive dissolution leading to the development ofsinkholes which may breach the confining unit in the process oftheir formation.This same dissolution process results in the formation oflarge springs and the conduit systems that supply water to them.Springs are highly prized features ofFloridaÂ’s environment that discharge large amounts ofground water.The spring pictured here includes as part ofits recharge mechanism,a newly formed sinkhole,ostensibly distant from it. Precipitation over a large area moves down through soil and sand into fractures that eventually are connected to springfeeding conduits.Surficial sands and clayey sands which blanket the confining layer are subject to major impacts resulting from human activities.Subsurface storage tanks will be buried within them,municipal solid waste will be disposed into them and locally,small domestic wells may be drilled into them where their permeability and porosity make them a viable surficial aquifer (surficial aquifer system).At the same time,precipitation moving down into these shallow materials may locally enter sinkholes or fractures within the confining layer,contributing to recharge ofthe underlying Floridan (limestone) aquifer system and the abundant water that flows from FloridaÂ’s springs. The Florida Geological Survey may be contacted at 903 W. Tennessee St.,Tallahassee,Florida,32304;telephone (850) 488-4191,or accessed on the web through the www.MyFlorida.com or http://www.dep.state.fl.us/geology websites for a list ofsurvey publications and additional information on hydrogeological relationships and environmental geology in Florida.The reference list provided here gives examples ofFlorida Geological Survey publications which address topics related to hydrogeology and the environment. FLORIDAÂ’S HYDROGEOLOGIC ENVIRONMENT F L O R I D A G E O L O G I C A L S U R V E Y PAULETTE BOND 2002Storage Tank Sinkhole Recharge Floridan Aquifer System Intermediate Aquifer SystemSurficial Aquifer SystemDirection ofGround Water Flow Fracture System Sanitary LandfillS e w a g e T r e a t m e n t P l a n tSpring Wetland Wetland Runoff Mining Irrigation Precipitation Evaporation Conduit Flow Municipal Well FieldP r i n t e d o n r e c y c l e d p a p e r . Bond,P.A.,1987,Geology and Waste Disposal in Florida:Florida Geological Survey Map Series 112. Hoenstine,R.W.,and Lane,B.E.,1991,Environmental Geology and Hydrogeology ofGainesville Area,Florida: Florida Geological Survey Special Publication 33,70 p. Lane,B.E.,2000,The Spring Creek Submarine Springs Group,Wakulla County,Florida:Florida Geological Survey Special Publication No.47,34 p. Scott,T.M.,Means,G.H.,Means,R.C.,and Meegan,R.P.,2002,First Magnitude Springs ofFlorida:Florida Geological Survey Open File Report No.85,138 p. REFERENCESBuried Karst Surface Infiltration Discharge Evaporation TranspirationFLORIDA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY POSTER NO.5 (REVISED).Intermediate Confining Unit