West Central
Florida Karst Field Trip
Basic
Information
Prepared for the International Conference on Karst
Hydrology and Ecosystems
June 3-6th, Bowling Green, Kentucky
Dates: June 8th-10th, 2003
Cost: $400.00
(includes all lodging, admissions, publications, some travel, and some food. See
below.)
Location: Tampa
and Gainesville regions of West Central Florida
Trip Limit: 10
(minimum) - 25 (maximum)
Travel: (not covered) Roundtrip ticket from Nashville to Tampa International Airport (roughly $250) plus shuttle to/from airport.
(covered) All scheduled travel while on trip.
Lodging: (Tampa 6/7 and 6/10) La Quinta Inn USF/Busch Gardens.
3701 E. Fowler Ave.
813-910-7500
(Gainesville 6/8 and 6/9) Holiday Inn, UF Campus
Coordinators:
|
Lee J. Florea, Ph.D. Candidate Department of Geology University of South Florida 4202 E. Fowler Ave. SCA 528 Tampa, FL 33620 813-974-8751 |
Jonathan B. Martin, Associate Professor University of Florida Department of Geological Sciences 241 Williamson Hall P.O. Box 112120 Gainesville, FL 32611-2120 (352) 392-6219 (office) (352) 392-9294 (FAX) |
Summary of Trip:
Like many carbonate terrains, the Florida Carbonate Platform is modified by dissolution processes resulting in karst. Karstification has developed significant tertiary porosity throughout the stratigraphic framework of the platform and is a dominant component of groundwater flow. The complex nature of conduit systems in the Floridan Aquifer is not well understood. This is primarily associated with the difficult nature of exploration of submerged conduits. Only in the recent past has SCUBA technology advanced to the point to which extended exploration is possible with limited danger to life.
Voids and conduits within the vadose zone do exist throughout the Floridan Carbonate Platform and a concentrated primarily in the uplands of the panhandle, along the Cody Scarp and the Ocala Uplift of West Central Florida. These dissolution features can be subdivided into two primary categories: those that form in vadose conditions and those that are a reflection of a prior phreatic surface. These latter voids may serve as a key to understanding present speleogenetic processes below the present water table and may also help link speleogenetic processes to sea level change.
In karst of the Floridan Carbonate Platform, conduit integration and morphology is potentially a reflection of the young diagenetic state of the host rock, mixing zone dissolution, bio-geochemical processes, stratigraphic and tectonic variations in transmissivity, and glacio-eustatic overprinting. We will visit several examples of karst in West Central Florida that illustrate these various aspects of karst development in a partially exposed peninsular carbonate platform, composed of near horizontal sequences of carbonates, evaporates, and clastics ranging in age from the Jurassic to the Holocene.
As the population of Florida grows at an ever increasing pace, stresses on karst aquifers and karst-obligate fauna will also grow. We will see several examples of management practices in karst terrains including watershed protection, water withdrawal regulations, urban land use practices, engineering design, and cave access policies.
Resources Included:
- Karst Waters Institute Special Publication Number 7: Hydrogeology and Biology of Post-Paleozoic Carbonate Aquifers. Published in 2002.
- Southwest Florida Water Management District: Karst Studies in West Central Florida: USF Seminar in Karst Environments 2003. Published in 2003.
- Papers and maps presented in a field trip volume.
Guest Presentations:
- Peter Schreuder, C.P.G., Schreuder, Inc., Water Resources and Environmental Consultants
- Dr. Mark Stewart, Hydrogeology Professor, Department of Geology, University of South Florida
Sites We Will Visit (Site merits):
- Sulphur Springs Karst Basin (Urban karst landscape management)
- Ybor City National Historic Landmark (Historic Cuban culture)
- Danes Cave Area, Withlacoochee State Forest (Vandal, Danger, Peace Sign Caves)
- Haile Limestone Quarry (Exposed epikarst and fossil collecting)
- Rose Creek and Sink (Groundwater recharge along the Cody Scarp)
- Ichetucknee Springs State Park (Classic Florida spring with clear cool waters)
- O’Leno State Park (Sinks of the Santa Fe River)
- Bat Cave, Santa Fe Community College, Geological Field Station (Long dry cave)
- University of South Florida GeoPark (Mantled karst terrain and geophysical studies)
Items to Bring:
- Lights and batteries for caves.
- Change of field clothes for cave visitation (temperature of the caves we will visit averages 24ºC, and they tend to be dirty but not wet).
- Camera and film.
- Sunscreen
- Bug repellant
- Swimwear and towel.
- Money for four (4) breakfasts, four (4) dinners, and one (1) lunch.
West Central
Florida Karst Field Trip
Itinerary
Travel during the trip will be in 15 passenger rental vans.
In order to adhere to the planned schedule and so that we can see all sites, we ask that you are ready to go in the parking lot of the hotels BEFORE the scheduled departure time.
June 7 Afternoon/Evening
Participants arrive in the afternoon and evening at Tampa International Airport. Lodging will be at the La Quinta Inn USF/Busch Gardens near the University of South Florida (USF) Campus in Tampa. You must arrange for transport from the airport to the Hotel.
Dinner near USF Campus.
June 8 Morning
Breakfast near USF Campus.
8:00 - 11:00 AM Sulphur Springs urban karst trip.
11:00AM - 12:30PM Lunch in Ybor City.
June 8 Afternoon
12:30 - 2:00PM Travel to Danes Cave Area in the Withlacooche State Forest.
2:00 - 5:00PM Danes Cave Area, Withlacoochee State Forest.
5:00 - 6:30PM Travel to lodging at Holiday Inn, University of Florida campus in Gainesville.
Dinner near UF Campus.
June 9 Morning
Breakfast near UF Campus.
8:00 - 11:00AM Visit to Haile Quarry.
11:00 - 11:30PM Travel to Ichetucknee Springs State Park.
11:30AM - 12:00PM Box style lunch provided at Ichetucknee Springs State Park.
June 9 Afternoon
12:30 - 3:00PM Ichetucknee Springs State Park.
3:00 - 3:30PM Travel to O’Leno State Park.
3:30 - 5:00PM O’Leno State Park.
5:00PM Return to lodging near UF Campus in Gainesville.
Dinner near UF Campus.
June 10 Morning
Breakfast near UF Campus.
8:00AM - 12:00PM Trip to Bat Cave at Santa Fe Community College Geological Field Station.
12:00 – 1:00PM Box style lunch provided at Bat Cave.
June 10 Afternoon
1:00 - 3:00PM Return to Tampa.
3:00 - 5:00PM University of South Florida GeoPark.
5:00PM Return to lodging at La Quinta Inn USF/Busch Gardens in Tampa.
Dinner near USF Campus.
June 11
Breakfast near USF Campus
Departure from Tampa International Airport
West Central Florida Karst Field Trip
Map of Sites
