Geology of the Florida Keys

About this book

Two world-class geologists draw on their prolific fifty-year careers in this comprehensive guide to the geology and biology of the Florida Keys and Florida Bay.

Eugene Shinn and Barbara Lidz dive into the past, present, and future of an area that has long been a natural laboratory for learning about coral reef formation and the origins of limestone. They explain how underlying Pleistocene topography controls the shapes of today's coral reefs, how sea-level rise created Florida Bay, and how hurricanes mold limemud banks and strip vegetation from the Florida Keys. They discuss the recent decline of coral reefs due to overpopulation, pollution, climate change, and other factors. An itinerary is included for a hands-on three-day field trip, guiding visitors to the best places to see the famous reef formations and geologic processes of the Keys.

As glaciers continue to melt and reform at Earth's poles, sea level is currently rising and will fall again at some point in the geologic future. In Geology of the Florida Keys, Shinn and Lidz demonstrate the value of the Keys and immediate surroundings as an environmental laboratory to study past effects of sea-level change and to stimulate ideas for further research.

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Biography

Eugene A. Shinn, courtesy professor of geological oceanography at the University of South Florida, is the author of Bootstrap Geologist: My Life in Science. He is the recipient of the Twenhofel Medal, the highest award given by the International Society of Sedimentary Geology. Barbara H. Lidz is scientist emerita with the U.S. Geological Survey Coastal and Marine Science Center in St. Petersburg, FL.