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Special Rock Formations

Limestone Formation Within Biscayne Aquifer

  • A fragment of the Biscayne Aquifer located on Broward College's North Campus. Demonstrating limestone formation with the aquifer, it is a perfect example of the touching-vug porosity that facilitates much of the ground water flow in this unconfined aquifer located in south Florida.
    Fragment of the Biscayne Aquifer located on Broward College, North Campus
  • A fragment of the Biscayne Aquifer located on Broward College's North Campus. Demonstrating limestone formation with the aquifer, it is a perfect example of the touching-vug porosity that facilitates much of the ground water flow in this unconfined aquifer located in south Florida.
    Closer view Biscayne Aquifer fragment located on Broward College, North Campus. Evidence of limestone formation within the aquifer.
  • Close-up of Limestone Formation within the Biscayne Aquifer (with marker cap for scale)
    Close-up of Limestone Formation within the Biscayne Aquifer (with marker cap for scale).
  • Close-up of Limestone Formation within the Biscayne Aquifer (with marker cap for scale)
    Close-up of Limestone Formation within the Biscayne Aquifer (with marker cap for scale). Example of the touching-vug porosity that contributes to the porosity and permeability of this rock.
  • Close-up of Limestone Formation within the Biscayne Aquifer (with pen cap for scale)
    Close-up of Limestone Formation within the Biscayne Aquifer (with pen cap for scale). Example of the touching-vug porosity that contributes to the porosity and permeability of this rock.
  • Map showing the location of the Biscayne Aquifer in South Florida
    Map showing the location of the Biscayne Aquifer in South Florida (Source: SFWMD, 2000)

This is a fragment of the underground layer of porous limestone that is a part of the Biscayne Aquifer. The voids present in the rock are a perfect example of touching-vug porosity, a subtle karst feature characteristic of this limestone and facilitates much of the ground water flow in this unconfined aquifer located in South Florida (Cunningham, 2009). This feature makes the Biscayne Aquifer one of the most permeable aquifers in the world (Parker et al., 1955) and provides much of the water for Broward and Miami Dade counties.

Limestone is a sedimentary rock that forms in areas that are covered by ocean water. You can often see calcareous shells of marine organisms in this type of rock. If these rocks experience weathering at or near the earth’s surface, dissolution can occur. This process results in the formation of karst features, such as the holes seen here, as acidic water selectively dissolves some of the calcium carbonate that forms this type of rock. A process that continues even today!

Aquifer Sample courtesy of Professor William Opperman