G5-Sinkholes -Lower_02

What do the pictures below have in common? You may notice that both were taken in Florida. One picture shows a home collapsing into a hole. The other picture is of a beautiful lake. Believe it or not, the cause of both are the same!

Now try to imagine holes in the Earth opening up near where you live. That is exactly what happened in the winter of 2010. The area near Plant City, Florida was having an unusual cold spell. To protect the local strawberry crop, farmers sprayed their fields with water. This water would freeze on the plants and fruit. The cover of ice kept the fruit from being damaged. The water the farmers used to spray their fields came from the Florida Aquifer.

An aquifer is a large source of water under the ground. The water flows through certain types of rock. It is something that makes Florida very special.

Under the ground in Florida is a layer of limestone rock. Limestone is porous. Being porous means the rock has many pores and holes. This allows water to flow through the rock. This porous feature is what forms a natural aquifer.

Rainwater travels through the sand and soil before it gets to the limestone rock. This action purifies and cleans the water. The chemicals, acids, and the movement of the water also slowly erodes, or carries away, the limestone rock. This same water is the water that bubbles up into natural springs.

The Florida Aquifer is a large underground supply of water. Much of Central Florida gets its water from this source. Imagine what happens when farmers take a large amount of water from the aquifer? Of course, the level of the water in the aquifer drops. If the water is taken in a short period, it increases the effect. It is the rapid drop in the water level that can cause sinkholes to form.