Florida Sinkholes, Research, and Mitigation Tools

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AGHP Webinar

Florida is well known around the world for its karst landscape and sinkholes. Like hurricanes, sinkholes are natural hazards that pose a risk to the state. Unlike hurricanes, you can’t see sinkholes coming. As such, the Florida Geological Survey has conducted extensive data collection and research on sinkholes in order to educate the public about sinkholes and provide tools supporting mitigation. This webinar will educate you on Florida’s karst landscape, the types of sinkholes present, and the problems they can cause. Finally, we will discuss the research and tools produced by the Florida Geological Survey to help mitigate the effects of sinkholes.

Meet the Panelist

Alan Baker, Florida Geological Survey

Alan Baker is a licensed professional geologist with the Florida Geological Survey, which is part of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Alan leads the FGS Geoscience Information and Data Management Section. They work closely with other sections to maintain logical data library structures, facilitate access to and organize the Survey’s geologic information, provide full database and mapping support for ongoing projects, and provide regular updates of FGS enterprise data related to borehole records and geologic maps. Alan has expertise in GIS modeling and was one of the main authors for the Florida Aquifer Vulnerability Assessment. Alan has been with the FGS for 19 years and has a bachelor’s degree from Florida State University.

Clint Kromhout, Florida Geological Survey

Clint Kromhout is the Assistant State Geologist of Florida with the Florida Geological Survey, which is part of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Clint leads the FGS’s Geological Investigations Section that conducts statewide geological mapping and investigates and updates Florida’s lithostratigraphic nomenclature, and it also conducts near-surface geophysical surveys. Clint has specific expertise in karst hazards, and he and Alan Baker were co-principal investigators on a statewide study, titled, The Favorability of the State’s Geology to Sinkhole Formation, for the Florida Division of Emergency Management’s Mitigation Section in 2016. Clint has worked for the FGS for over 24 years, has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in geology from Florida State University, and is a licensed professional geologist.