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Review: The Yucatán Peninsula karst aquifer, Mexico
Abstract and Figures
The Yucatan Peninsula karst aquifer is one of the most extensive and spectacular karst aquifer systems on the planet. This transboundary aquifer system extends over an area of approximately 165,000 km(2) in M,xico, Guatemala and Belize. The Triassic to Holocene Yucatan limestone platform is located in the vicinity of the North American/Caribbean plate boundary and has been reshaped by a series of tectonic events over its long geologic history. At the end of the Cretaceous period, the Yucatan Peninsula was hit by a large asteroid, which formed the Chicxulub impact crater. The Yucatan Peninsula karst aquifer hosts large amounts of groundwater resources which maintain highly diverse groundwater-dependent ecosystems. Large parts of the aquifer are affected by seawater intrusion. Anthropogenic pollution of the aquifer has been increasing over the past few decades, owing to relentless economic development and population growth on the Peninsula. This review summarizes the state of knowledge on the Yucatan Peninsula karst aquifer and outlines the main challenges for hydrologic research and practical groundwater-resources management on the Peninsula.
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... The Yucatan Peninsula has an extensive underground aquifer formed by the infiltration of rainwater through the porous and fractured limestone rock [23]. The network of underground flooded caves of the Yucatan Peninsula was mainly formed by the karst properties of the geological platform and is also believed to have been shaped by the Chicxulub meteorite impact of 65 million years ago [24]. This network of flooded caves is a complex system made up of cavities and interconnected hydrological conduits embedded in the karst aquifer [24,25]. ...
... The network of underground flooded caves of the Yucatan Peninsula was mainly formed by the karst properties of the geological platform and is also believed to have been shaped by the Chicxulub meteorite impact of 65 million years ago [24]. This network of flooded caves is a complex system made up of cavities and interconnected hydrological conduits embedded in the karst aquifer [24,25]. Groundwater movement through the cave systems is considered to be like that of "underground rivers" [26]. ...
... The porosity that gives rise to the aquifer also makes it susceptible to contamination, as pollutants infiltrate the ground surface, reaching the groundwater [64]. Depending upon groundwater velocity, and the connectivity of the below ground conduits, contaminants may be dispersed throughout the network of underground caves ( Figure 6) [24], eventually reaching the sea [20]. ...
In a relatively short timescale (less than 50 years), urbanization has caused many anthropogenic disturbances that have affected ecosystem health and, directly or indirectly, quality of life for the local human population. Global disturbances, such as climate change, can also have a substantial, overarching impact on ecosystems. In this scenario, natural disturbances, previously considered an integral part of ecosystem dynamics, can now cause irreversible change to the state of ecosystems, and at the same time, negatively impact social and economic systems. The objective of this study was to identify ecosystem disturbances at a site of interest to recommend strategies to improve coastal zone management. We chose the Mexican Caribbean as a case study, because its biological and cultural complexity render it an interesting location from a coastal management point of view. The PRISMA framework was used to conduct a systematic literature review to identify the ecosystem disturbances that affect this area, as well as the main causes and consequences of these disturbances. Additionally, we discuss how disturbances and their impacts, as screened through PRISMA, can be incorporated into a coastal zone management framework. Results need to consider the limitations associated with using this technique e.g., the degree of impact from a current disturbance may vary from that reported in an earlier publication. Despite its limitations, we believe that this methodology proves useful for identifying key ecosystem disturbances and their consequences, providing a useful tool for identifying appropriate actions to inform coastal zone management plans.
... (Bauer-Gottwein et al. 2011). The saline concentrations favor dissolution mechanisms that enhance the formation of large structures(Vizcayno et al. 1980), which in turn modify the spatial distribution of the thermohaline structure of the water inside the dolines in addition to seasonal effects from hydrometeorological events.Despite existing studies for geomorphologically characterizing the karstic depressions in the Yucatan Peninsula (e.g. ...
En Sinaloa, anualmente se utilizan 5.4 mil millones de litros de agua en el riego. El agua residual agrícola (ARA) generada (37%), contiene altos niveles de nutrientes y plaguicidas. En el presente trabajo se evaluó la eficiencia de biofiltros empacados con “barba” de elote y roca caliza para la remoción de fósforo total (PT). Se utilizaron tubos concéntricos en dos configuraciones. En la primera el ARA estuvo en contacto con 87 cm3 de roca caliza y posteriormente con 535 cm3 de barba de elote (RCB). En el segundo biorreactor, el ARA primero se contactó con 149 cm3 de barba de elote y 311 cm3 de roca caliza (RBC). El RCB removió 50% de DQO y 10% de PT, mientras que el RBC removió 45% de DQO y 60% de PT, lo cual se atribuye a que el RBC tuvo mayor superficie y tiempo de contacto con la roca caliza lo que provoca precipitación química del nutriente además de fisiosorción. En el RBC, este proceso se lleva una vez degradada la molécula por la biopelícula bacteriana formada en la barba de elote. En ambos reactores la estabilización del sistema se suscitó a los 15 días de operación y el potencial de óxido reducción incrementó de condiciones anóxicas a aerobias (30-40 mV). Los resultados plantean un potencial uso de biofiltros empacados con medios sustentables para el eficiente tratamiento de ARA. Se recomienda escalar los resultados a nivel piloto e implementar el retrolavado del sistema.
... Analysis of the hydrochemical composition of natural water bodies and their origins is useful in reshaping and predicting the regional hydrogeological environment and the history of hydrogeochemical development, as well as acting as a basis for the evaluation of water resources [1]. Deserts in arid to semi-arid regions of China are water-scarce, and their hydrospheric dynamics have a profound impact on the fragile ecological status of the region [2]. ...
Understanding the effect of flooding on groundwater quality is imperative for oasis vegetation protection and local ecological environment development. We used geochemical and remote sensing inversion methods to evaluate the effects of flood recharge on the groundwater hydrochemical and geochemical processes in the Daliyaboy Oasis. Groundwater samples were collected from 30 ecological observation wells in the study area before (PRF) and after (POF) the flood. Except for small changes in HCO3− and K+ and a decrease in pH, ion levels were higher POF than PRF, and the water chemistry was essentially unchanged. In the POF groundwater, HCO3− was correlated with Cl−, Na+, Mg2+, total soluble solids (TDS), and electrical conductivity (EC), but not with SO42−, Ca2+, K+, or pH, and was positively correlated with all other variables, while the remaining variables, except for pH, were strongly positively correlated with each other. PRF water chemistry was controlled by silicate and evaporite mineral weathering and evaporation processes, resulting in high groundwater TDS, EC, and a major ion content, while POF major groundwater ions were regulated by mineral weathering and flood recharge. We demonstrated the high accuracy of remote sensing inversion, confirming this as a reliable method for evaluating groundwater chemistry. The results of the study help to reshape and predict the history of the regional hydrogeological environment and hydrogeochemical development, and provide a theoretical basis for assessing the rational use of local water resources and protecting the ecological environment.
... Rocks at the surface correspond to northward sequences from the Upper Cretaceous (Paleogene period) to Holocene (Quaternary period) epochs (Butterlin, 1958;Bonet and Butterlin, 1962;López-Ramos, 1975). The Yucatán Peninsula is classified as a well-developed karst given the existence of systems of solutional conduits of considerable diameter in the subsurface, extending in the range of kilometres (Bauer-Gottwein et al., 2011). The state of Yu- catán (hereinafter Yucatán) has four hydrogeological regions: Coastal Area, Inner Cenote Ring, Central Plain, and Valleys and Hills. ...
Groundwater vulnerability maps are important decision support tools for water resource protection against pollution and helpful in minimizing environmental damage. However, these tools carry a high subjectivity along the multiple steps taken for the development of such maps. Additionally , the theoretical model on which they are based does not consider other important parameters, such as pollutant concentration or pollutant residence time in a given section of the aquifer, solely focusing on the theoretical travel time of a pollutant particle from a release point towards a target. In this work, an integrated methodology for the evaluation of potential (intrinsic) and actual vulnerability is presented. This integrated method, named Integrated Karst Aquifer Vulnerability (IKAV), was developed after the analysis of several study cases around the world and the application of multiple intrinsic groundwater vulnerability methods in a selected study area. Also, a solute transport model served as the basis to define additional parameters for vulnerability analysis for areas severely affected by anthropogenic practices. However, the focus of the transport model must not be mistaken to be hazards and risk mapping. A defined workflow and several criteria for parameters and attributes selection, rating and weighting, and vulnerability classification are presented here. The first application of the IKAV method was carried out in the Yucatán karst, demonstrating to be a reliable method for vulnerability estimation. Results demonstrated the scope of the IKAV method in highlighting important regional conditions, minimizing the subjectivity, and expanding the analysis of vulnerability.
... Yucatan peninsula is in the southwest of Mexico. Its terrain is composed principally by limestones, dolomites and evaporate and for its geological conditions the water storage and the groundwater flow occur in the karstic zone (Bauer-Gottwein, et al. 2011). Yucatan has 3 primordial karst zones, the hill region, the central and the coast, all of them with different types of cavities from voids with 50cm of diameter to huge caves of 50m of diameter and some of them are flooded (Finch 1968). ...
Design of the road infrastructure must be sustainability for any geotechnical challenge caused for the different natural hazards. In the case of the karst terrains, the material dissolution develops many cavities in the ground that finishing generally in a surface subsidence or in the soil failure. In this way, a solution is to add geogrids in a road structure to mitigate the road failure. This paper presents a numerical study of the geogrid addition behavior in the road structure considering the effects of the cavities in the soil in a karst environment. The methodology to model cavities in Plaxis 2D ® was to model it as a tunnel, iterating the internal pressure until the minimum pressure to avoid collapse. Road structure was modelled in four steps in order to add geogrids between the four road layers, corresponding to the subgrade (divided in two thickness), base course and the asphalt concrete. Additionally, a static load was applied in the road surface. The results indicate that the best geogrid inclusion position is in the subgrade layer generating less tensile stress in the road structure because in that position the geogrids have an increase in their normal stiffness, improving the road structure despite cavities. Furthermore, it is presented the variation of the stresses in the road structure considering the best enhance with geogrids and without geogrids, to compare stress paths in the road structure. In conclusion, the geogrids are a satisfactory reinforcement for the road in a karst environment.
... Phylogeny of the Yucatán clade. ML and BI analyses of six concatenated genes (6 Partitions: (1) COI + CYTB, 1st Codon/(2)COI + CYTB, 2nd Codon/(3)COI + CYTB, 3rd Codon/(4)16S + H3, 3rd Codon/(5) 18S + H3 1st Codon/(6) 28S + H3, 2nd Codon) recovered two main clades within Typhlatya, each with fully supported subclades (ML Bootstrap, BS 100; Bayesian Posterior Probability, BPP 1), and non-conflicting topologies between analyses: Clade I, Typhlatya sp. A + (T. ...
The Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico is a carbonate platform well-known for extensive karst networks of densely stratified aquifer ecosystems. This aquifer supports diverse anchialine fauna, including species of the globally distributed anchialine shrimp genus Typhlatya (Atyidae). Four species (T. campecheae, T. pearsei, T. dzilamensis and T. mitchelli) are endemic to the Peninsula, of which three are federally listed in Mexico. This first integrative evaluation (i.e., molecular, morphological, broad geographic and type locality sampling, and environmental data) of Yucatán Typhlatya reveals considerable species identity conflict in prior phylogenetic assessments, broad species ranges, syntopy within cave systems and five genetic lineages (of which two are new to science). Despite sampling from the type locality of endangered T. campecheae, specimens (and molecular data) were indistinguishable from vulnerable T. pearsei. Ancestral/divergence reconstructions support convergent evolution of a low-salinity ancestor for a post-Paleogene arc Yucatán + Cuba Typhlatya clade within the anchialine Atyidae clade. A secondary adaptation for the coastal-restricted euryhaline (2–37 psu), Typhlatya dzilamensis (unknown conservation status) was identified, while remaining species lineages were low-salinity (< 5 psu) adapted and found within the meteoric lens of inland and coastal caves. This study demonstrates the need for integrative/interdisciplinary approaches when conducting biodiversity assessments in complex and poorly studied aquifers.
Mammals are important sources of nutrients to cave ecosystems, and in some circumstances, caves may be an essential resource for mammals. Few studies, however, have focused on the use of caves by terrestrial mammals. The Yucatán Peninsula encompasses an extensive carbonate karst region that includes the world's largest underwater cave system. Forest in the region overlies fractured limestone bedrock, so flooded caves known regionally as cenotes represent the only reliable source of free‐standing water for much of the Peninsula's wildlife. We used camera traps at 17 cenotes on the Yucatán Peninsula to determine patterns of use by mammals. Eighteen non‐volant mammal taxa were identified using cenotes, the most commonly occurring being lowland paca (Agouti paca), opossums (Didelphis spp.), white‐nosed coati (Nasua narica), gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), tayra (Eira barbara), and gray four‐eyed opossum (Philander opossum); collectively these taxa accounted for 76% of all mammal records. We also recorded several felids using cenotes, including jaguar (Panthera onca) and puma (Puma concolor). Activity patterns at cenotes usually matched normal activity schedules, but some species were nocturnal in the forest but diurnal at cenotes. Mammals mostly accessed cenotes to drink, but a range of activities were recorded including foraging, nesting, mating, resting, and bathing. The Yucatán region has experienced continued population growth and economic development over many decades which directly threatens cenotes. Because our work has revealed that cenotes are important to the Yucatán's mammals, we believe protection of cenotes should be a central issue for regional wildlife conservation. Abstract in Spanish is available with online material. Los mamíferos son importantes fuentes de nutrientes para los ecosistemas de cuevas y, en algunas circunstancias las cuevas pueden ser un recurso esencial para los mamíferos. Sin embargo, pocos estudios se han centrado en el uso de las cuevas por mamíferos terrestres. La Península de Yucatán abarca una extensa región cárstica carbonatada que incluye el sistema de cuevas submarinas más grande del mundo. La selva de la región se superpone al lecho de roca caliza fracturada, por lo que las cuevas inundadas, conocidas como cenotes, representan la única fuente de agua para gran parte de la fauna de la Península. Utilizamos cámaras trampa en 17 cenotes de la Península de Yucatán para determinar los patrones de uso por los mamíferos. Se identificaron 18 taxones de mamíferos no voladores que utilizaban los cenotes, siendo los más frecuentes: el tepezcuintle (Agouti paca), las zarigüeyas (Didelphis spp.), el coatí de nariz blanca (Nasua narica), el zorro gris (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), el tayra (Eira barbara) y la zarigüeya gris de cuatro ojos (Philander opossum); en conjunto, estos taxones representaron el 76% de todos los registros de mamíferos. También se registraron varios félidos en los cenotes, como el jaguar (Panthera onca) y el puma (Puma concolor). Los patrones de actividad en los cenotes suelen coincidir con los horarios normales de actividad, aunque algunas especies que son nocturnas en la selva presentaron hábitos diurnos en los cenotes. Los mamíferos accedieron a los cenotes principalmente para beber, pero se registraron diversas actividades, como la búsqueda de alimento, la anidación, el apareamiento, el descanso y el baño. La región de Yucatán ha experimentado un crecimiento demográfico y un desarrollo económico continuo durante muchas décadas que amenazan directamente a los cenotes. Dado que nuestro trabajo ha revelado que los cenotes son importantes para los mamíferos de Yucatán, creemos que la protección de los cenotes debería ser un tema central para la conservación de la fauna regional. Jungle on the Yucatán Peninsula overlies fractured limestone bedrock where flooded caves known regionally as cenotes represent the only reliable source of free‐standing water for much of the Peninsula’s wildlife. Using camera traps we showed that at least 20 mammals use cenotes to accessing drinking water, as well as for foraging, nesting, mating, resting and bathing. Because cenotes appear to be so important to the Yucatán’s mammals, we believe protection of cenotes ‐ threatened by population growth and economic development ‐ should be a central issue for regional wildlife conservation.
This chapter presents research findings on the present-day relationships between three Maya communities and their subterranean waters. We situate this work within a broader interdisciplinary overview of cultural history, environmental change, and regional trends in order to provide the context needed to understand how these relationships fit within larger temporal and geographical scales. The research is based primarily on community mapping and ethnographic fieldwork in three neighboring Mayan communities (2012–14) combined with participant observation and interviews in one of these communities (2014–16). This was complemented by site visits of cenotes in the surrounding region to better understand the changing uses of cenotes that are related to tourism. The story that emerges—at least, the one based on our interpretation as non-Maya, academic geographers—is one of an intimate relationship between people and subterranean waters. It is also a story of continuity and of reworking that includes traditional practices as well as more recent socio-environmental relations.
The NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA; formerly the Defense Mapping Agency or DMA) and The Ohio State University have collaborated to produce EGM96, an improved degree 360 spherical harmonic model representing the Earth’s gravitational potential. This model was developed using: (1) satellite tracking data from more than 20 satellites, including new data from GPS and TDRSS, as well as altimeter data from TOPEX, GEOSAT and ERS-1. (2) 30’ x 30’ terrestrial gravity data from NIMA’s comprehensive archives, including new measurements from areas such as the former Soviet Union, South America, Africa, Greenland, and elsewhere. (3) 30’ x 30’ gravity anomalies derived from the GEOSAT Geodetic Mission altimeter data, as well as altimeter derived anomalies derived from ERS-1 by KMS (Kort and Matrikelstyrelsen, Denmark) in regions outside the GEOSAT coverage. The high degree solutions were developed using two different model estimation techniques: quadrature, and block diagonal. The final model is a composite solution consisting a combination solution to degree 70, a block diagonal solution to degree 359, and the quadrature model at degree 360. This new model will be used to define an undulation model that will be the basis for an update of the WGS-84 geoid. In addition, the model will contribute to oceanographic studies by improving the modeling of the ocean geoid and to geodetic positioning using the Global Positioning System (GPS).
Analysis of 500 km of multichannel seismic reflection data in the Southern Lagoon of Belize reveals that its Tertiary structural evolution has been punctuated by two major transtensional episodes. A comparison between the deep structure and the present bathymetry of the lagoon suggests that Quaternary reef foundations are deeper than previously thought, and that structure exercised a major control on sedimentation throughout the Tertiary evolution of the Southern Lagoon. -from Author
Upper Cretaceous and Tertiary sediments cover more than half of Guatemala and were deposited in the Chapayal basin, an extension of the Gulf Coast embayment. The basin's foredeep lies between a southern borderland and the Yucatan foreland. Deposition in the Caribbean was connected during late Mesozoic and early Cenozoic time with the deposition in the Chapayal basin by the Sarstun portal. The first age-identifiable sediments are the Carboniferous and Permian. The earliest Gulf Coast embayment deposition in the Chapayal basin was probably that of the late Jurassic Todos Santos Formation, followed by the thick Lower Cretaceous carbonates and evaporites of the Coban Formation. Overlying the Coban, the Upper Cretaceous units--which have an aggregate thickness of approximately 1,750 meters--include Senonian limestones of the Campur Formation and younger clastics of the Verapaz group. The latter consists of the Chemal, Sepur, and Lacandon Formations deposited in early episodic Laramide stages, with the Chemal and Sepur in the foredeep region and the Lacandon on the foreland. The Chemal and Sepur are an argillaceous facies, but the Chemal was deposited only in the region of the present-day Cuchumatanes Mountains and is preserved under distinct environmental conditions in synclinal and downfaulted valleys at elevations exceeding 10,000 feet. The shelfal Lacandon Formation is detrital limestone. Five early Tertiary and six late Tertiary formations occur in the Chapayal basin and Amatique embayment, and cover more than one-third of Guatemala. Previously, only the Rio Dulce and Toledo have been mentioned formally in the literature. The Sepur, thought by Sapper (1937) to be Eocene, is now known to be Cretaceous at the type locality and in other areas. The early Tertiary formations are assigned to the lower Eocene Peten Group. They were deposited contemporaneously and are differentiated on lithology and basin position. The Reforma, Cambio, and Toledo are the shaly formations in the foredeep region. The Toledo occurs only in the Amatique embayment. Shales with conglomeratic lenses characterize the Cambio, and softer clay shales identify the Reforma. The shelfal formations are the anta Amelia and Buena Vista, defined separately by an extensive basal gypsum bed in the overlying Buena Vista. Carbonates and evaporites occur in both formations, but evaporites predominate in the Buena End_Page 425------------------------------ Vista. The thickness of the Peten Group is 1,500 meters. Mid-Tertiary non-deposition divided Tertiary sedimentation into early and late periods. Late Tertiary sedimentation is represented by Oligocene to Pliocene deposits in the Chapayal basin and by Miocene to Pliocene(?) deposits in the Amatique embayment. The Chapayal basin formations are the Desempeno conglomerate, the Lacantun, and the Caribe which have an aggregate thickness of 1,500 meters of terrestrial and deltaic claystones, sandstones, and conglomerates. The Amatique embayment is a graben continuation of the Bartlett trough. The Miocene Rio Dulce Limestone is its oldest late Tertiary formation. Following late Miocene uplift, clastics of the Pliocene(?) Herreria and Armas Formations were laid down. The Rio Dulce has a thickness in excess of 1,000 meters, the Herreria 240 meters, and the Armas 2,500 meters. The seas withdrew at the end of the Pliocene. Quaternary depo its mask older rocks in some areas.
A regional tectonic feature extending in a 100km long and 30 to 40km wide belt, the Holbox fracture zone, crosses the flat, karstified terrain of the NE Yucatan Peninsula controlling development of large, elongated, flat-bottomed swales. The swales evolve from solution corridors whose floors reached the local water table which inhibits further deepening of these forms and controls their lateral expansion to produce the typical shape of the swales with flat floors and steep walls. The swale floors reached the level of the water table by a process that combined solution deepening with Holocene rise of sea level and consequent rise of the water table. A few of the deeper solution corridors were submerged providing elongated lake basins. Continuous swales that intersect the northern coast support periodic and/or episodic water flow. -from Authors