What are the 3 main parts of the Floridan aquifer?
In the southern half of the study area, including most of central and southern Florida, the Upper Floridan aquifer is thick and can be differentiated into three distinct zones, namely the uppermost permeable zone, the Ocala Lower-Permeability Zone, and the Avon Park Permeable Zone.
What is the Floridan aquifer made of?
limestone
A thick sequence of carbonate rocks (limestone and dolomite) of Tertiary age comprise the Floridan aquifer system. The thickest and most productive formations of the system are the Avon Park Formation and the Ocala Limestone of Eocene age (fig. 49).
What is the Floridan aquifer and why is it important to Florida spring ecosystems?
Stormwater runoff An aquifer is an underground layer of rock that is porous enough to allow water to flow through it and acts as a reservoir. In Florida, our primary aquifer system is the Floridan Aquifer. This aquifer feeds water to all of Florida’s springs, and provides the state with 90% of its drinking water.
How does the Floridan aquifer work?
Salt water is present everywhere in the aquifer deep below the freshwater. Saltwater intrusion occurs when wells are drilled too deep or when too much freshwater is pumped from the aquifer, allowing salt water to replace freshwater. The water stored in the aquifer is replenished, or recharged, by rainfall.
What are the layers of an aquifer?
There are two general types of aquifers: confined and unconfined. Confined aquifers have a layer of impenetrable rock or clay above them, while unconfined aquifers lie below a permeable layer of soil.
What is the upper confining layer for the Floridan aquifer?
The upper confining layer for the Floridan aquifer is derived form Appalachian erosional sediments.
What are some issues facing the Floridan aquifer?
Water resource managers are faced with several problems and issues with respect to the availability of groundwater from the FAS including (1) groundwater depletion, (2) saltwater intrusion, and (3) migration of groundwater divides.
How is the Floridan aquifer recharged?
The Floridan aquifer is replenished in a natural process called recharge. Recharge occurs when water seeps from the land’s surface down through the layers of earth into an aquifer, such as after it rains.
What are the three types of aquifers?
Figure 2 is a simple cartoon showing three different types of aquifers: confined, unconfined, and perched. Recharge zones are typically at higher altitudes but can occur wherever water enters an aquifer, such as from rain, snowmelt, river and reservoir leakage, or from irrigation.
Which is the best aquifer?
Gravel. Gravel makes a good aquifer because it is extremely permeable and porous. The large pieces of sediment create significant pore spaces that water can travel through. Often, gravel must be surrounded by a less permeable soil type, such as rich clay or impenetrable rock.
Is the Floridan aquifer confined or unconfined?
In general, the Upper Floridan aquifer is confined over most of the central and southern portions of the District. However, the relatively thin and discontinuous clay confining units in the northern portion of the District result in the Upper Floridan aquifer becoming unconfined in nature over large areas.
Where does the Floridan aquifer get its natural recharge?