SLEUTh Academy

Sinkholes are the most common natural disaster in Florida. About 500 new sinkholes open each year, mostly small ones in the north and central part of the state. Why? Florida has a porous (holey), soluble (dissolves relatively easily, especially with slightly acid water), rock called limestone very close to the surface. This limestone surrounds the “hidden rivers” of Florida – the aquifer system that runs under the state and is our main source of drinking water. Sinkholes not only cause structural damage to roads and houses, but more importantly provide a direct hole that all ground pollution can get directly to our drinking water. Here are some websites with more information about sinkholes and Florida’s aquifers.

• Southwest Florida Water Management Authority:
  http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/hydrology/sinkholes/
• Information on Sinkholes in Florida from Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection:
  http://www.dep.state.fl.us/geology/geologictopics/sinkhole.htm
• A USGS site about how sinkholes form:http://wwwga.usgs.gov/edu/earthgwsinkholes.html
• CBS News story from Nov. 2002 – “Florida Sinkhole Swallows Barn, Horses”
  http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/11/15/tech/main529599.shtml
• A page with links to information about sinkholes in other states:
  http://www.stoptranspark.org/sinkholes.html
• The 2004 hurricane season causes a huge sinkhole in Deltona, FL: http://www.local6.com/news/4009492/detail.html
• A great PBS production about the “Hidden Rivers of Florida”. In this movie cave divers travel under golf courses, homes and restaurants through the Floridan aquifer in central Florida. Movie clips are available on this website: http://www.karstproductions.com/watersjourney.html