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The AAPG/Datapages Combined Publications Database

GCAGS Transactions

Abstract


Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies Transactions
Vol. 28 (1978), Pages 681-687

Re-Evaluating the Florida Basement

Russell A. Wicker (1), Douglas L. Smith (2)

ABSTRACT

A generalized representation of the basement and overlying sedimentary rocks of peninsular Florida has been developed utilizing available gravity anomaly values, deep test-well data, and a variation of the Talwani two-dimensional gravity modeling technique. Subsurface density and depth values along ten profiles were adapted to an iterative calculating process to generate gravity anomaly profiles conforming to those observed. Modeled cross sections along these profiles were then used to interpolate basement and sedimentary configurations for the entire peninsula. The final models display the low density (1.95 - 2.1 5 gm/cm3) near-surface rocks of Late Cretaceous to Recent ages extending to depths ranging from approximately 0.8 to 2.6 km. Depths of the underlying Lower Cretaceous rocks (density of 2.30 to 2.55 gm/cm3) extend to approximately 1.4 km in north Florida and to more than 4.7 km in south Florida. An abrupt north-to-south increase in average basement rock density from 2.73 to 3.00 gm/cm3 is evident along a general east-west trending zone passing through the central portion of the peninsula. This supports a concept of a north-to-south transition from continental to oceanic type rocks underlying the thick sedimentary sequences of the central Florida peninsula.


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