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Geologic History of Florida: Major Events that Formed the Sunshine State
The saga of Florida’s geological development started approximately 700 million years ago. It began as the state’s basement rocks migrated nearly 12,600 kilometers from their position within a supercontinent at the Earth’s South Pole to their present location north of the equator, participating in the assembly and disassembly of one of Earth’s greatest supercontinents, Pangea.
In this complete geologic history of the Sunshine State, Albert Hine takes the reader on a journey that begins with the breaking apart of Pangea and ends with the emergence of south Florida and the Keys; explaining the shape and form of the state as we know it today. Geologic History of Florida chronicles the creation of the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, the western Atlantic Ocean, and other major events in Florida’s geologic past. It looks back 160 million years, to a time when the ancient igneous and metamorphic basement rocks were covered by a large sedimentary carbonate platform nearly 3 miles thick, known as the Florida Platform. Today, Florida still rests upon this larger geologic feature, fifty percent of which is submerged. Consequently, the geologic story of the state includes what lies beneath the seafloor as much as it involves the land surface.
Writing in a clear and accessible manner, Hine discusses the geologic changes of the Florida Platform, from dissolution tectonics, which formed great underwater caverns and sinkholes, to the plate collision with Cuba. Hine explains geological phenomenon like the influx of quartz-rich sand from the southern Appalachian Mountains that made Florida’s white-sand beaches a destination for tourists from around the world. He examines the state’s phosphate-rich deposits, which account for thirty percent of the world’s phosphate production, and other hot-button issues such as oil drilling and climate change.
With a glossary of essential terms at the end of each chapter, Geologic History of Florida will be an invaluable resource for geologists, students of Earth history, and anyone interested in how the Sunshine State physically came to be.
In this complete geologic history of the Sunshine State, Albert Hine takes the reader on a journey that begins with the breaking apart of Pangea and ends with the emergence of south Florida and the Keys; explaining the shape and form of the state as we know it today. Geologic History of Florida chronicles the creation of the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, the western Atlantic Ocean, and other major events in Florida’s geologic past. It looks back 160 million years, to a time when the ancient igneous and metamorphic basement rocks were covered by a large sedimentary carbonate platform nearly 3 miles thick, known as the Florida Platform. Today, Florida still rests upon this larger geologic feature, fifty percent of which is submerged. Consequently, the geologic story of the state includes what lies beneath the seafloor as much as it involves the land surface.
Writing in a clear and accessible manner, Hine discusses the geologic changes of the Florida Platform, from dissolution tectonics, which formed great underwater caverns and sinkholes, to the plate collision with Cuba. Hine explains geological phenomenon like the influx of quartz-rich sand from the southern Appalachian Mountains that made Florida’s white-sand beaches a destination for tourists from around the world. He examines the state’s phosphate-rich deposits, which account for thirty percent of the world’s phosphate production, and other hot-button issues such as oil drilling and climate change.
With a glossary of essential terms at the end of each chapter, Geologic History of Florida will be an invaluable resource for geologists, students of Earth history, and anyone interested in how the Sunshine State physically came to be.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published June 11, 2013
3 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
About the author
Albert C. Hine
3 booksProfessor in the College of Marine Science at the University of South Florida, has participated as co-chief scientist on over seventy-five research cruises at numerous sites around the world, including two legs on the DSRV JOIDES Resolution scientific, ocean drilling vessel. He is a winner of the prestigious national Francis P. Shepard Medal for outstanding research contributions to marine geology.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 8, 2026
I knew nothing about Florida when I read this book - I'd never even been to the state - so I came in with zero context. I really like that the author broke this into themes based on geological movements and time-blocks, rather than progressing in a purely chronological manner. This helps the reader conceptualize what is happening in Florida and recognizing the continuities.
The book is divided into 10 chapters. The Intro and Chapter 1 are about basic earth system cycles plus defining Florida (and in particular, the fact that the State of Florida resides atop the much larger Florida Platform).
Chapter 2 is about the Paleozoic, wandering, and Pangaea breaking up.
Chapter 3 is about the oceans opening, the basement rock forming, and the Jurassic-Triassic.
Chapter 4 is about carbonate production in Florida from the Jurassic to the present.
Chapter 5 is about the West Florida escarpment. There is an unconformity between shallow-water carbonates and deep-water carbonates as West Florida was drowned due to sea level rise.
Chapter 6 is about colliding with Cuba during the Paleogene, and the relationship between Florida and the other caribbean platforms.
Chapter 7 is about karst geology and sinkholes from the Cretaceous through present.
Chapter 8 is about quartz sands coming from the northern river systems during the Oligocene and onwards. Apparently the quartz does not come as strong today, which is why Florida imports sand to its beaches.
Chapter 9 is about Phosphate, sharks, and plankton during the Neogene.
Chapter 10 is about South Florida, the Ice Age, and the Everglades.
This is an excellent book with illustrations, maps, time charts, diagrams, and every chapter includes a bullet-point summary, keywords, and citations. This is a phenomenal guide for anybody interested in Florida geology.
The book is divided into 10 chapters. The Intro and Chapter 1 are about basic earth system cycles plus defining Florida (and in particular, the fact that the State of Florida resides atop the much larger Florida Platform).
Chapter 2 is about the Paleozoic, wandering, and Pangaea breaking up.
Chapter 3 is about the oceans opening, the basement rock forming, and the Jurassic-Triassic.
Chapter 4 is about carbonate production in Florida from the Jurassic to the present.
Chapter 5 is about the West Florida escarpment. There is an unconformity between shallow-water carbonates and deep-water carbonates as West Florida was drowned due to sea level rise.
Chapter 6 is about colliding with Cuba during the Paleogene, and the relationship between Florida and the other caribbean platforms.
Chapter 7 is about karst geology and sinkholes from the Cretaceous through present.
Chapter 8 is about quartz sands coming from the northern river systems during the Oligocene and onwards. Apparently the quartz does not come as strong today, which is why Florida imports sand to its beaches.
Chapter 9 is about Phosphate, sharks, and plankton during the Neogene.
Chapter 10 is about South Florida, the Ice Age, and the Everglades.
This is an excellent book with illustrations, maps, time charts, diagrams, and every chapter includes a bullet-point summary, keywords, and citations. This is a phenomenal guide for anybody interested in Florida geology.
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October 29, 2019I'm not going to rate this book because my rating would be unjust. It's probably an excellent book. It just doesn't happen to meet my needs at the moment. It never reaches the time period I wanted it to.
December 3, 2024
For a hard rock geologist, this was a great presentation.. I moved to Florida and wanted to understand what I was standing on. Dr. Hine did that. I now have a piece of the clam reef on display in my apartment.
June 24, 2025
Revisiting this book and I love it- will be keeping this as a go-to reference for teaching my students about our local geology.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews