Florida is a carbonate plateau with limestones in the region comprising one of the best aquifer systems in the world.
Tertiary limestones underlie all of Florida and regionally dip gently toward the south and west.
Miocene and younger clastic sediments blanket the limestones in most areas of Florida. The topography of Florida included within the Landsat image is flat near the coast and becomes gently rolling towards the center. These two characteristics are associated with an integrated subterranean drainage system, high water table, and collapsed depressions. Virtually all depressions seen on the Landsat image are dolines or sinkholes developed on the underlying limestones. The sequence of events that they envision begins with a lowering of the water table either from a drought or from excessive withdrawal of ground water from pumping.