Apalachicola Reserve, Florida

Geology

The Apalachicola embayment is the major structural feature that dominates the geology of the reserve and river system. This feature represents the downfallen block of land that is a relatively shallow basin between the Ocala and Chattahoochee uplifts. The large cusp of the entire Apalachicola coast is believed to have been built out by the Apalachicola River during the late Tertiary and Quaternary periods and has subsequently been modified by waves and longshore drift. The present structure of the bay system is considered to be less than 10,000 years old and the general outline of the bay has been stable over the last 5,000 years, except for the southward migration of the delta into the estuary. The present barrier island chain formation is thought to have occurred approximately 5,000 years ago when sea level reached its modern position.

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