Type of Rock
The rock coquina is originally a sedimentary rock. Sedimentary rocks are made up of sediments. The sediments are formed by the mechanical or chemical activities of the natural activities like running water, blowing wind, glaciers etc. this which causes disintegration and decomposition of the pre-existing rocks. The products of decay are transported to some depositional sites by the natural agencies, where they get deposited and with subsequent compaction form sedimentary rocks (Hefferan, O’Brien, 2010). . The sedimentary rocks usually accumulate under a great variety of conditions. This shows the variation in rock, chemical structure as well as in texture. Weathering is the most important process that operates in the formation of sedimentary rocks. Weathering takes place by three methods as: mechanical disintegration, rock decomposition, and biological weathering. Mechanical disintegration is due to frost action, thermal expansion and contraction, aided with gravitational forces. Due to mechanical disintegration, the reduction of size and desegregation of rocks takes place. Chemical weathering is the use of the chemical elements of the atmosphere such as moisture, carbon dioxide, and oxygen (Hefferan, O’Brien, 2010). . This depends on the composition of the rock and the size of the particles that make up them. Biological weathering is a form of weathering caused by growth of roots and burrowing of animals. The environment of a sedimentary rock can show the deposition the quality and quantity of the deposition is affected. Sedi¬mentary rocks differ from environment to environment. These environments include the continental environments such as estuarine, lacustrine (fresh and salt water), deltaic, glacial. Anothe...
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...t Florida Atlantic Continental Platform: Barrier Coral Reefs, Nearshore Bedrock, and Morphosedimentary Features." Journal of Coastal Research 24.4 (2008): 823-849. Academic Search Premier. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.
Yunping, Xu, Ralph N. Mead, and Rudolf Jaffé. "A Molecular Marker-Based Assessment of Sedimentary Organic Matter Sources and Distributions in Florida Bay." Hydrobiology 569.1 (2006): 179-192. Academic Search Premier. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.
Pictures:
"Coquina - Google Search." Coquina - Google Search. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.
"GC4K6M9 Castillo De San Marcos Rocks! (Earthcache) in Florida, United States Created by Team Mollymap." Geocaching.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.
"Map of Florida Cities - Florida Road Map." Map of Florida Cities - Florida Road Map. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.
"The Physical Geography of Florida.” Coquina. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.
Illinois State Geological Survey, 2005, Time Talks – The Geology of Starved Rock and Matthiessen State Parks
Floridians lives on top of a limestone foundation that was once upon a time was a shallow coral sea and is now riddled with caves. In the film Water’s Journey: Hidden Rivers of Florida there were divers tracking the path of water through underground caves, specifically Florida’s aquifers. They were navigating through the complicated system of undergrounds rivers from where water disappears underground to where it resurfaces in the springs of Florida.
Place #4 Castillo De San Marcos is a national monument in northeastern Florida. It is the site of the oldest masonry fort in the U.S. It was built by the Spanish (1672–95) to protect St. Augustine. The fort played an important role in the Spanish-English struggle for the Southeast. In the 19th century it served as a U.S. military prison. It is a tourist attraction mainly because it is believed to be haunted. Although, tourists that go are more likely to be taught about the history of the fort by a park ranger than encounter a ghost.
The Everglades, also known as the River of Grass, is one of South Florida's most treasured areas. It is an area still full of wonder and mystery. The Everglades is lined with a specific type of limestone bedrock formed by tiny organisms called byrozoans. These animals, though not related to coral, act like coral by extracting dissolved limestone from the sea water around them and using it to construct protective chambers in which to live. They then attach to various kinds of sea grasses on the ocean floor and coat them as well. Individual chambers combine together to form rock-like structures. Over thousands of years, when South Florida was completely submerged, a vast amount of this limestone combined with other ocean sediments and was laid down over the area now covered by the Everglades. Prior to the draining activities of humans and its use as an agricultural area, the Everglades was flooded about nine to eleven months of the year. It also lost only about 0.03 inches of soil per year. After the drainage the Everglades began losing soil at approximately 1 inch per year. Now, however, it is only losing 0.56 inches per year.
1. Alden, Peter, Rich Cech, and Gil Nelson. 1998. National Audubon Society Field Guide to Florida. New York: Knopf.
The Great Barrier Reef is home to a remarkable number of organisms. The coral itself is made up of the skeletons of tiny, flowerlike water animals called polyps, held together by a limestone substance produced by a type of algae. Hundreds...
Glibert, Patricia M. and Daniel E. Terlizzi. “Nutrients, Phytoplankton, and Pfiesteria In the Chesapeake Bay.” Available: http://www.arec.umd.edu/policy/Pfiesteria/terlizzi/terlizzi.htm (22 Nov. 1999).
Myers, V. (1994, December). The Everglades: Researchers take a new approach to an old problem. Sea Frontiers, 40, 15-16.
This article discusses how important the organisms symbiotic with coral reefs are, as well as how important coral reefs are to our environment. Also explained is how natural and non natural things things like hurricanes and overfishing affects them. A study is quoted about how water acidity also plays a role in the bleaching of corals. Lastly, restoration and conservation efforts are discussed and how we could possibly help our oceans.
Nowlis, J., Roberts, C., Smith, A., and Siirila, E., 1997, Human Enhanced Impacts of a Tropical Storm on Nearshore Coral Reefs: Ambio, v. 26, no. 8, p. 515-521.
Located on the lower east coast of Florida the city of Miami is bordered by the Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Going east from the city the islands of Key Biscayne and Miami Beach help shelter the bay from the Atlantic Ocean, giving Miami a naturally protected harbor. The elevation of the city never rises above 40 feet and within most neighborhoods the elevation stays under 10 feet. The highest undulations are the Miami rock ridge which is found along the coast. A majority of the city lies on the shores of Biscayne Bay which contains hundreds of natural and artificially created islands, the largest being Miami Beach and South Beach.
The Rock Cycle The Rock Cycle is a group of changes. Igneous rock can change into sedimentary rock or metamorphic rock. Sedimentary rock can change into metamorphic rock or into igneous rock. Metamorphic rock can change into igneous or sedimentary rock. Igneous rock forms when magma cools and makes crystals.
Chemical Weathering is when water weakens the structure of the rock and Mechanical Weathering is where water seeps into the rock face causing fragments of rock to break off.
We need coral reefs, and not just to make the ocean look pretty and colourful, they are more than just that…
Coral Reefs need to be preserved for many reasons. In this paper I will discuss a