Florida's Land Then and Now
The land we now call Florida began to form by a combination of volcanic activity and the deposit of marine sediments. It formed along northwest Africa about 530 million years ago. In earliest times, Florida was part of Gondwanaland, the super continent that later divided into Africa and South America. There is evidence that Florida separated from Gondwanaland about 300 million years ago.
Florida eventually found itself wedged between Gondwanaland and North America when they combined to form the super continent Pangea. When Pangea began to break up, Florida remained behind with North America.
Florida slipped slowly beneath the waves to become part of North Americas continental shelf. The landmass that is now Florida remained shallowly submerged beneath the ocean. Coral, shellfish, and fish skeletons piled up. This created a layer of limestone hundreds (in some places thousands) of feet thick.
As the Appalachian Mountains eroded, sand and clay were deposited over Floridas limestone layer. Much of the quartz sand covering the state today came from the rocks of that mountain chain.
Throughout most of its history, Florida has been under water. Portions of the Florida peninsula have been above or below sea level at least four times. As glaciers of ice in the north expanded and melted, the Florida peninsula emerged and submerged.
When the sea level was lowest, the land area of Florida was much larger than it is now. The sea level was as much as 100 feet lower than at present. Floridas west coastline was probably 100 miles further out. As the climate warmed, the glaciers melted. This raised the sea level and flooded the Florida peninsula. The sea level stood at least 100 to 150 feet above the present level. Florida probably consisted of islands.
The formation of the Florida Keys occurred when tiny coral created a 150-mile long chain of underwater coral reefs. As the landmass of southern Florida began its slow rise, the reefs also began to emerge.
The Florida peninsula is the emergent portion of the Florida Platform. This is a wide, relatively flat land formation. The Florida Platform lies between the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Florida's landscape varies widely. Many of Floridas prominent features have resulted from karst, a landscape with a base layer of limestone. Because limestone is porous, freshwater gradually dissolves the rock and forms cracks and passages.
The limestone layer of the state is honeycombed with underground rivers. Where the rivers break through to the surface, springs and sinkholes are found. Lakes and wetlands are abundant.
Although Florida is relatively flat, there are different elevations. They range from 0 to 320 feet above sea level. The highest elevations in the state are in the central highlands, which run down the center of the state.
Florida is classified as a stable geological area. This means that although some areas may experience tremors, severe weather events (such as hurricanes and tornadoes) pose tremendously greater threats to Florida than do earthquakes.
Flood prone areas in Florida are in either low-lying coastal areas or near inland rivers and lakes. Severe flooding problems can result from the storm surge developed as hurricanes approach the shoreline. Floridas shoreline is constantly changing. Sand is being moved around by wind and waves.
Evidence indicates a trend toward global warming. If the worlds temperature warms, this may mean that the sea level will rise along most of the worlds coastlines. Florida has an extended coastline and many major cities are near the coast. Any rise in sea level poses a threat.
Florida has a wide variety of soils:
- red clay soils in the upper Florida Panhandle
- deep sands on the Ridge
- poorly drained, sandy soils in the flatwoods
- organic soils in the northern Everglades
- shallow, limerock-influenced soils in extreme South Florida.
Florida is not generally thought of as a mining state. However, it ranked fifth nationally in the total value of non-fuel minerals produced in 1990. Phosphate rock, crushed stone, and cement are the major commodities produced. Clay, heavy minerals, magnesium compounds, oil, natural gas, peat, and sand and gravel have also been produced in recent years. Florida's land is used as follows:
- 8% for crops
- 30% for pasture and range
- 35% for forest
- 27% for "other" -- transportation, parks, refuges, marshes, defense, industry, urban uses, golf courses, and mining areas.
The continued growth of urban land (cities) puts pressure on land prices and competition for water. In time, much of Floridas agriculture will be replaced by urban land, by specialty fruit and vegetable operations, and by ornamentals. Public agencies are under increasing pressure to manage public lands to support the environment, the water supply, and recreation. Florida is a wonderful land. It is a home to many people and a place to visit for many more. It is also a very fragile land. It is important that wise decisions be made to protect this land of Florida for the generations to come.
FAQs
When humans entered into the Florida landscape, sea level was substantially lower; the Florida Peninsula was approximately twice as large as it is today. Due to natural climate warming since the last glacial maximum (~20,000 years ago), sea level has risen to its modern position.
What is the history of the land in Florida? ›
The land we now call Florida began to form by a combination of volcanic activity and the deposit of marine sediments. It formed along northwest Africa about 530 million years ago. In earliest times, Florida was part of Gondwanaland, the super continent that later divided into Africa and South America.
What type of land does Florida have? ›
Florida is home to 45 terrestrial ecosystems that range from small islands of subtropical hammocks and rocklands to vast dry prairies, sandhills, scrubs, flatwoods and floodplain forests.
What did Florida look like millions of years ago? ›
During the early part of the Cenozoic Era, Florida was submerged under a warm, shallow, ocean which explains why our entire state has hundreds to thousands of feet of limestone beneath it! Land emerged from the ocean as sea level fell during the Oligocene Epoch.
What will happen to Florida in 50 years? ›
Polsky said that by 2050, under high greenhouse gas emission scenarios, Florida will have more than 50 days per year with temperatures over 95 degrees, and a “feels=like” heat index temperature increase of 8 to 15 degrees—the highest in the country.
What will happen to Florida in 2100? ›
Coastal areas are Florida's most at-risk, and by the year 2100, many of them could be underwater. Sea levels along U.S. coastlines are projected to rise 10 to 12 inches, on average, during the next 30 years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
What was Florida first called? ›
Augustine. He called the area la Florida, in honor of Pascua florida ("feast of the flowers"), Spain's Eastertime celebration. Other Europeans may have reached Florida earlier, but no firm evidence of such achievement has been found.
How did Florida get its land? ›
Minister Onís and Secretary Adams reached an agreement whereby Spain ceded East Florida to the United States and renounced all claim to West Florida. Spain received no compensation, but the United States agreed to assume liability for $5 million in damage done by American citizens who rebelled against Spain.
How much land is lost in Florida? ›
The analysis projects the loss to agricultural land due to those influences will ultimately wipe out a collective 2.2 million acres of Florida farmland by 2070. That would negate thousands of agriculture-based jobs in Florida.
Who founded Florida? ›
European Exploration and Colonization
Written records about life in Florida began with the arrival of the Spanish explorer and adventurer Juan Ponce de León in 1513.
For nearly the next 100 million years Florida remained submerged. In the Oligocene Epoch about 30 million years ago, when global cooling caused sea levels to fall, northern Florida emerged from the sea. The oldest known fossils of terrestrial vertebrates were found near Gainesville and date from this time.
How did Florida get its name? ›
FLORIDA: In 1513, Ponce de Leon landed here on Easter Sunday, the Spanish Pascua de Flores, meaning "Feast of Flowers," for which the State is named. GEORGIA.: Named by and for King George II of England.
What animals lived in Florida 10,000 years ago? ›
Imperial Mammoth vs Saber-Tooth Cat
As some of the largest mammals ever to roam Florida, the Imperial mammoth stood over 14ft (4m) tall and the Saber-toothed cat was the size of a modern Siberian tiger! Both of these animals vanished from Florida around 10,000 years ago due to hunting and climate change.
Is Florida hotter now than 20 years ago? ›
It's not just you, Florida really has gotten hotter recently. In the last fifty years, South Florida has experienced a lot more heat. Days are hotter than they used to be, there are more hot days than ever and nights, in particular, are far warmer than they were last century.
Was Florida underwater until 23 million years ago? ›
About 23 million years ago sea level dropped enough that portions of Florida became dry land and land animals occupied the area for the first time. This was well after the Age of Dinosaurs, which explains why there are no dinosaurs in Florida, even in the deep subsurface.
How big was Florida 20,000 years ago? ›
During the last glacial maximum, about 20,000 years ago, sea levels were 300 feet lower which caused Florida to have 3 times its present land mass, mainly by the peninsula extending way west. Basically the land mass extended to the east and west almost to the edge of the continental shelf.
Was Florida bigger in the past? ›
The Florida coastline along the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico was very different 14,000 years ago. The sea level was much lower than it is today. As a result, the Florida peninsula was more than twice as large as it is now.
Was Florida bigger back then? ›
Florida was a much bigger, drier place when American Indians first arrived near the end of the Ice Age. The colossal amounts of water tied up in glaciers left sea levels more than 320 feet lower than they are today, making Florida about twice its current size.
What was it like 20,000 years ago? ›
20,000 YEARS AGO. Last Glacial Maximum- a time, around 20,000 years ago, when much of the Earth was covered in ice. The average global temperature may have been as much as 10 degrees Celsius colder than that of today. The Earth has a long history of cycles between warming and cooling.
