GEOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN FLORIDA: A FOUR DECADES RETROSPECTIVE

For many decades, geological research in Florida focused on mineral resources, paleontology and stratigraphy with few investigations of the State's water resources. By the 1940s, investigations into groundwater resources began to come to the forefront as the State's population began to expand. In the 1960s, USGS geologists warned of impending groundwater problems but were largely ignored. As Florida's population increased from nearly five million in 1960 to more than 17 million today, the State's water resources have become a critical commodity and geologists are investigating alternative water sources. As projects related to water resources were conducted, government, academic and private sector geologists continued to investigate other aspects of our geologic framework through field mapping, drilling (cores and cuttings) and geophysical methods. Highlights of the research efforts over the past forty years will be discussed.