Virtual Field Trip to the Florida Keys

Upper Keys: Location 6 - Windley Key

Map provided courtesy of TopoZone.com

Location map - click to enlarge

The quarries on Windley Key exploited Pleistocene reef limestones, and were used to build Flagler's Overseas Railroad along the Keys to Key West.

• These limestones, belonging to the Key Largo Limestone Formation, form the bedrock for most of the Upper and Middle Keys.
• The limestones represent similar reef environments to those seen offshore of the Florida Keys today
• However, the outcrops at Windley Key have been interpreted as part of a large patch reef complex, rather than a shelf-edge barrier reef

The thumbnail images below link to larger versions of the images, with additional information and exercises. Key images are highlighted with a red border; you should also take the time to study the other images, to see different aspects of this location.

Links

• Windley Key Fossil Reef - History
• Windley Key Fossil Reef - Trails
• Windley Key Fossil Reef - 360° views
• Dedication of State Park
• Windley Key Fossil Reef State Geological Site (site under construction)
• The Overseas Railroad
• History and Background: The Overseas Railroad

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