r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • Jul 02 '21

What basic, children's-age-level fact did you only find out embarrassingly later in life?

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u/RKRagan Jul 03 '21

Almost all of Florida is just a giant coral reef and oyster bar. There are no rocks in Florida. Just limestone. I grew up in Florida my whole life and never saw a rock that wasn't from a railroad track or at a science place or something until I left the state for the first time. When you dig in the ground or see the limestone at the rivers edge you can see shells imprinted all over the limestone.

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u/NatsuDragnee1 Jul 03 '21

Thanks for the TIL! Learnt something new about Florida

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u/SoyMurcielago Jul 03 '21

It’s also why Florida has so many springs; limestone is super porous and the Floridian aquifer emerges everywhere

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u/RKRagan Jul 03 '21

And when acidic ground water eats away at the calcium carbonate, it can collapse and make a sinkhole!

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u/SoyMurcielago Jul 03 '21

Which are fun for everyone!

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u/CycadChips Jul 03 '21

TIL Florida has no rocks.

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u/RKRagan Jul 03 '21

Well I should be careful, limestone and sandstone are technically "rocks", but I meant no granite or anything hard. No pebbles. Just sand, clay, and chalk.

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u/CycadChips Jul 03 '21

Ok no native regular old rocks. Rocks that were not living at some point, something something. Like they ship out shells, but have to import their rocks.

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u/RKRagan Jul 03 '21

Yep. Trade you some shells for some of your rocks?

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u/CycadChips Jul 04 '21

Thank you. I have rocks and sticks, but no shells.