The beach is a common Florida land feature.
Each state in the United States is, of course, different in its own way from all the other states. But Florida has some land features that set it apart in many ways. With most of its land area at 150 feet or less above sea level, and more miles of coastline than any of the other contiguous 48 states, according to the Smithsonian Marine Station, Florida's land features are distinctive.
Barrier Islands
Along Florida's east coast you will see a series of elongated, north-south oriented barrier islands that are just off-shore from the Florida mainland. According to the Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce, Florida, these islands formed during the Pleistocene period, a geologic epoch from 1.75 million to 11,000 years ago. Because these islands are between the mainland of Florida and the open ocean, they serve to protect mainland areas from the brunt of storm surges.
Sand Dunes
The dunes of Florida are ever-changing land forms.
Florida is host to many sand dunes. You may think a dune is simply a simple heap of sand and not much more, but the dynamics of sand dune formation and the processes at work as dunes form and evolve over time are intricate. The interaction of wind and the various particles of sand -- combined with obstacles like tufts of plants and their roots that interfere with or redirect sand movement -- make for constantly changing dune conditions.
Beaches
As a peninsula, Florida is replete with shoreline and beaches. The sand on Florida's beaches varies in composition, depending upon its source material, which comes from either the Appalachian Mountains or calcium-rich seashells from millions of years of sea life. Conditions much of the time favor the building up of beaches by wave action, but severe storms can wash away beach sand.
Karst Topography
Florida contains calcareous material, a naturally occurring compound calcium carbonate in rocks like limestone, in its land base. Water, especially water with some acidity to it, can easily dissolve calcium carbonate. Over time, the natural ground water, which is supplied by rain, dissolves the rock underground and creates cavities. Some cavities connect to the surface and form sinkholes, while others develop into caves.
Hammocks
Florida's inland areas have characteristics as distinctive as its coastal areas. The hammock, which is an area of land that is somewhat higher than the surrounding landscape, is one such area. Evergreen tropical hardwoods are the prevailing vegetation type in hammocks, and some hammocks are near the coast while others are more inland. Hammocks were more common in the past than in present-day Florida due to the encroachment of human development.
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