KARST DEVELOPMENT IN FLORIDA: SPATIAL ANALYSES BASED ON SUBSURFACE AND SURFICIAL KARST DATABASES IN GIS

Most research on karst geomorphology of Florida has been based on surficial karst features primarily because cave data has not been easily accessible especially in digital format. In order to provide a centralized repository for cave data in Florida, the Florida Geological Survey - Hydrogeology Section (FGS-HS) initiated the Florida Cave Database project in 2001. The purpose of the project is to compile and synthesize all available maps and data for caves in Florida into a centralized GIS-compatible database.

To date, the Florida Cave Database includes 31 of the largest underwater caves in Florida that constitute more than 130km of conduits. The cave files were digitized from maps and survey data provided by the National Speleological Society – Cave Diving Section and the Global Underwater Explorers – Woodville Karst Plain Project. Location, conduit trend, conduit dimension, water quality, flow direction, ownership, and land use include some of the data fields underlying point and line based shapefiles fully documented by metadata. The water quality component of the database will be rendered compatible with the Florida Springs database (also being developed by the FGS-HS).

This paper explains the database structure; shows the results of conduit trend analyses; and presents the extent of subsurface karst development in Florida by statistical summaries of morphometric data on cave passages such as length, width, and depth. Comparing the cave distribution to the previously prepared GIS database of some 25,000 sinkholes, this study also attempts to investigate the connection between subsurface and surficial karst development. Further information about the Florida Cave Database can be obtained from www.hazlett-kincaid.com/FGS/.