The Processes that Account for the Landform Features in South Florida (Essay Sample)

Student’s Name
Professor’s Name
Course
Date
Reflection Essay # 3
The Processes that Account for the Landform Features in South Florida
This week’s topic involves the study of landforms, which are defined as natural features covering the landscape of the earth. such as mountains, plains, valleys, and plateaus. Based on the content covered, various processes impact the formation of the mentioned landforms: tectonic plate movement, changing sea level, and soil erosion by water and wind. By using this information, the article summarizes the major processes that account for landform features in South Florida, where I live.
The main landforms in the region (South Florida) are: karst landforms, ridges, coastal features, highlands, lowlands, and Everglades. Karst landform is a landscape formed due to chemical weathering of limestone, leading to the formation of caves, channels, and sinkholes. By visiting the State of Florida, one will not fail to notice long ridges, which run from north to the south. The other noticeable features in South Florida are the highlands and lowlands, which are shown in the diagram below. In addition, South Florida is located on a long coastline that consists of dunes, mangrove swamps, and saline marshes. Lastly, one of the most iconic features in South Florida is the Everglades, which is a great spreading wetland.
Figure 1. Landforms of Florida. FLGS Map Series No.112 Credits: U.S.G.S (Allen and Main 2005: 2).
The region of South Florida lies on top of Florida’s plateau that was formed approximately 530 million years ago due to volcanic activities and marine sedimentation during the Ordovician times (Allen and Main 2005: 1). Before the split of Pangea, Florida was located between Laurasia and Gondwana. However, because of the tectonic plates movement, Florida was dragged on the Laurasia side. Notably, at the end of the ice age, sea level rose, leading to a development of a more balanced climate. Changes in climate caused habitat alterations, for example, the formation of Everglades, which are low-lying wetland found in South Florida (Allen and Main 2005: 2). In this regard, the aforementioned changes also affected the formation of various landscapes.
Besides, the changing sea level resulted in a formation of Florida’s topographic features and surficial sediments (Allen and Main 2005: 2). It caused waves and currents, which eroded sediments that were then spread over wide areas. In addition, the rising and falling of the sea level resulted in a formation of sedimentary limestone bedrock (Allen and Main 2005: 2). Notably, the erosion of the limestone bedrock by water and wind led to the development of the karst land...