page_title: Florida
section_title: Geology
hierarchical_section_title: Florida / Geography / Geology
caption_attribution_description: English: Turbid waters surround southern Florida and the Florida Keys in this true-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image taken by the Aqua satellite on December 2, 2003. Clouds of milky blue, green, and tan sediments and microscopic marine organisms (like phytoplankton and algae) discolor the water in the Gulf of Mexico north of the Keys, but end abruptly in the deeper water of the Straits of Florida. The water north of the Keys is relatively shallow, so sediments are a likely cause of the discoloration—rough waters can churn up the mud from the sea floor, which then clouds the water. But in the deeper water south of the Keys, sediment on the sea floor is much harder to disturb, which keeps the water clearer. The Keys are a collection of islands, islets, and reefs stretching from Virginia Key to the Dry Tortugas, a distance of about 309 kilometers (192 miles). They're made mostly of limestone and coral, and are known for their variety of wildlife, subtropical vegetation, and spectacular diving. Most of the islands are connected to the mainland via the Overseas Highway, making this a popular and easily-accessible destination. However, popularity can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, tourism is one of the economic mainstays of the region, and helps increase public awareness of how fragile this ecosystem is. But on the other hand, those same tourists and their activities can hurt the ecosystem by introducing pollutants and causing physical damage to fragile reefs.
context_page_description: Florida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. With a population of over 21 million, Florida is the third-most populous and the 22nd-most extensive of the 50 United States. The state is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, and to the south by the Straits of Florida. The state's capital is Tallahassee and its most populous municipality is Jacksonville. The Miami metropolitan area, with a population of almost 6.2 million, is the most populous urban area in Florida and the seventh-most populous in the United States. Other urban areas in the state with a population of more than one million are Tampa Bay, Orlando, and Jacksonville. Florida's $1.0 trillion economy is the fourth-largest of any U.S. state, and if it were a country, Florida would be the 16th-largest economy in the world.
  The first European contact was made in 1513 by Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León, who called it la Florida upon landing there. At various points in its colonial history, Florida was administered by Spain and Great Britain. Florida was admitted as the 27th state on March 3, 1845.
context_section_description: The Florida peninsula is a porous plateau of karst limestone sitting atop bedrock known as the Florida Platform.
  The largest deposits of potash in the United States are found in Florida. The largest deposits of rock phosphate in the country are found in Florida. Most of this is in Bone Valley.
  Extended systems of underwater caves, sinkholes and springs are found throughout the state and supply most of the water used by residents. The limestone is topped with sandy soils deposited as ancient beaches over millions of years as global sea levels rose and fell. During the last glacial period, lower sea levels and a drier climate revealed a much wider peninsula, largely savanna. While there are sinkholes in much of the state, modern sinkholes have tended to be in West-Central Florida. Everglades National Park covers 1,509,000 acres (6,110 km²), throughout Dade, Monroe, and Collier counties in Florida. The Everglades, an enormously wide, slow-flowing river encompasses the southern tip of the peninsula. Sinkhole damage claims on property in the state exceeded a total of $2 billion from 2006 through 2010. Winter Park Sinkhole, in central Florida, appeared May 8, 1981. It was approximately 350 feet (107 m) wide and 75 feet (23 m) deep. It was notable as one of the largest recent sinkholes to form in the United States. It is now known as Lake Rose. The Econlockhatchee River (Econ River for short) is an 87.7-kilometer-long (54.5 mi) north-flowing blackwater tributary of the St. Johns River, the longest river in the U.S. state of Florida. The Econ River flows through Osceola, Orange, and Seminole counties in Central Florida, just east of the Orlando Metropolitan Area (east of State Road 417). It is a designated Outstanding Florida Waters.
  Earthquakes are rare because Florida is not located near any tectonic plate boundaries.
caption: The Florida Keys as seen from a satellite.[129]
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