Caves, sinkholes, and fractures in the eogenetic karst of Florida, a GIS-based spatial analysis

Abstract

The correlation between surface and subsurface karst development was explored by comparing the directionality and spatial distribution of karstic depressions around twenty-two select caves in the eogenetic karst of Florida. Orientations of cave passages and major axes of depressions around cave centrelines imply varying degrees of correlation between them. Spatial distribution of karstic depressions was studied by standard deviational ellipses of sinkhole centroids and nearest neighbour orientations around caves using spatial statistics tools of ArcGIS. An overall analysis of the data shows close connections between some caves and the surrounding sinkholes in terms of their orientation and spatial distribution, suggesting the importance of fracture systems in the development of karst.