Notes From Underground David Owen Summary

In Notes From Underground: Florida’s Sinkhole Peril, David Owen elaborates on sinkholes in Florida. Owen discusses, among other things, examples of specific Florida sinkholes, the dangers of sinkholes, anthropogenic activities and their influence on sinkhole development, and the history of sinkholes in Florida. Overall, the article provides an overview of sinkholes in Florida and provides the reader with important information related to this topic. This review will discuss the major ideas covered in the article and will summarize common themes found throughout the text.
Owen begins by discussing Lake Jackson. Located in north Florida, this lake has drained and refilled because of an underlying sinkhole. The author then segues into discussing the dangers of sinkholes and elaborates on the sinkhole-related death of Jeffrey Bush in Seffner, Florida. The text states that Florida has a large number of sinkholes. Indeed, Florida’s karst terrain is conducive to sinkhole formation. Another example discussed is the sinkhole that formed …show more content…
The author asserts that desalination of seawater is a promising way of reducing freshwater shortages, but it is expensive, complex, and can have environmental consequences. The author claims that groundwater is sensitive to external forces such as tides, hurricanes, and climate change. According to the text, insurance issues related to sinkholes are a problem in Sinkhole Alley near Tampa, Florida. One problem mentioned in the article is that there is no law that requires developers to test the ground before building. Owen concludes by insisting that anthropogenic activities have altered Florida’s Karst processes: lowering groundwater levels, increasing development, and so forth. Overall, this article provides much information on sinkholes in Florida and shines a light on an important