A survey of groundwater quality in Tulum region,Yucatan Peninsula,Mexico

The city of Tulum, in the state of Quintana Roo (Mexico) depends almost exclusively on groundwater for water supply. The groundwater is exploited from a coastal aquifer which contains a karst network that is considered as one of the largest ones on earth. Given the nature of karst aquifers, the whole area is very sensitive to contaminants and bacteria transport, because flow paths, residence time and degradation rates differ significantly from what can be observed in the porous aquifer. The present study focuses on isotopes (¹⁸O and ²H), dissolved ions’ concentration and Escherichia coli (E. coli). The result of our survey points out the anthropic impact on groundwater quality. Furthermore, the chloride concentrations illustrate the influence of seawater mixing and geological heterogeneity over the study area. Due to an exponential growth of the tourism industry, the needs in terms of water supply and water treatment increase significantly. Tulum is a coastal city, facing a coral reef and is bordered by the Sian Ka’an biosphere reserve, therefore, an environmental issue is added to the sanitary issue, both being the basis of the local economic development. Our results show that E. coli remains a major issue, as several samples tested were contaminated, in particular those in the city center. Ions’ survey shows an anthropic impact through nitrate, phosphate and fluoride concentrations, but the obtained values are not alarming. Considering the saline intrusion, chloride concentrations indicate that the area below the Tulum city center seems to be less permeable (and maybe less karstified) than the surrounding areas, as groundwater is less subject to seawater mixing than other sampling sites at similar distance to the coast.     

Late Holocene hydroclimate of the western Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico)

Chemical composition, magnetic susceptibility and texture of sediments in a swamp from the Los Petenes Biosphere Reserve provide information about late Holocene hydrological variations on the western margin of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Periods of lower than average amounts of K‐bearing clastics during 2580–2050, 1100–825 and 700–160 cal a BP represent drought intervals. Magnetic minerals were better preserved during these arid intervals, as the swamp was not perennially anoxic. Hydroclimate was unstable during 2580–2050 cal a BP, as several storm‐surge events occurred within an overall arid interval. The drought of 1100–825 cal a BP was contemporary with the Terminal Classic Period and the drought of 700–160 cal a BP was characterized by the lowest erosion as well as highest abundance of authigenic carbonate. Comparison with other climate proxy records from the region suggests that droughts had different geographic coverage. We attribute the different geographic coverage of droughts to variable strengths of polar continental air masses as well as dynamics of the Caribbean Low Level Jet and tropical cyclones that brought precipitation into different parts of the peninsula.

     

On the wind power potential in the northwest of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico

Wind power density, vertical velocity profiles, and other wind characteristics were established using a 51 m meteorological mast located very close to the shoreline on the northwest of the Yucatan peninsula in the Gulf of Mexico. A comparative study of the wind power density was carried out using information obtained between September 2010 and September 2011. The wind speed probability density function was found to be bimodal due to sea-land breezes, a characteristic that becomes less evident as the vertical distance to the ground increases. The distinction between these two wind regimes was used to fit the Weibull-Weibull curve using a linear least-squares criterion in the parameters. In addition, numerical simulations from a mesoscale model are in close agreement with measurements above z = 50 m (z is the vertical distance to the ground). This result suggests that some mesoscale simulations may serve as a preliminary wind energy assessment tool in coastal zones with extended low-lying areas.     

Coral Ba/Ca molar ratios as a proxy of precipitation in the northern Yucatan Peninsula,Mexico

The Yucatan Peninsula consists of a karstic terrain that allows the aquifer to directly recharge from rainfall. Due to the various dissolution/precipitation reactions occurring during groundwater flow, the groundwater discharge in the coastal zone becomes a source of trace elements including Ba. The aim of this study was to use the coralline Ba/Ca record as a proxy of precipitation under the consideration that rainfall rates vary at inter-annual time scales. Annual Ba/Ca ratios, both the total content (Ba/Ca_TC) and the Ca-substitutive fraction (Ba/Ca_CaF), were quantified in a 52-a old coral colony of Montastraea annularis from the Punta Nizuc Reef, Mexican Caribbean. Average Ba/Ca_TC (5.90 ± 0.56 μmol/mol) was ∼20% higher than Ba/Ca_CaF (4.85 ± 0.33 μmol/mol) indicating that Ba is also incorporated in other fractions. Correlation between annual precipitation and Ba/Ca_TC time-series is significant (r = 0.77, p < 0.05), allowing the use of the Ba/Ca_TC ratio as a proxy of precipitation, and hence, enabling the reconstruction of precipitation patterns through time. Likewise, the Ba/Ca_CaF ratio can be used for the reconstruction of dissolved Ba in coastal seawater.     

Unmanned aerial vehicle observations of water surface elevation and bathymetry in the cenotes and lagoons of the Yucatan Peninsula,Mexico

Observations of water surface elevation (WSE) and bathymetry of the lagoons and cenotes of the Yucatán Peninsula (YP) in southeast Mexico are of hydrogeological interest. Observations of WSE (orthometric water height above mean sea level, amsl) are required to inform hydrological models, to estimate hydraulic gradients and groundwater flow directions. Measurements of bathymetry and water depth (elevation of the water surface above the bed of the water body) improve current knowledge on how lagoons and cenotes connect through the complicated submerged cave systems and the diffuse flow in the rock matrix. A novel approach is described that uses unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to monitor WSE and bathymetry of the inland water bodies on the YP. UAV-borne WSE observations were retrieved using a radar and a global navigation satellite system on-board a multi-copter platform. Water depth was measured using a tethered floating sonar controlled by the UAV. This sonar provides depth measurements also in deep and turbid water. Bathymetry (wet-bed elevation amsl) can be computed by subtracting water depth from WSE. Accuracy of the WSE measurements is better than 5–7 cm and accuracy of the water depth measurements is estimated to be ~3.8% of the actual water depth. The technology provided accurate measurements of WSE and bathymetry in both wetlands (lagoons) and cenotes. UAV-borne technology is shown to be a more flexible and lower cost alternative to manned aircrafts. UAVs allow monitoring of remote areas located in the jungle of the YP, which are difficult to access by human operators.     

Groundwater-flow modeling in the Yucatan karstic aquifer, Mexico

The current conceptual model of the unconfined karstic aquifer in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, is that a fresh-water lens floats above denser saline water that penetrates more than 40 km inland. The transmissivity of the aquifer is very high so the hydraulic gradient is very low, ranging from 7–10 mm/km through most of the northern part of the peninsula. The computer modeling program AQUIFER was used to investigate the regional groundwater flow in the aquifer. The karstified zone was modeled using the assumption that it acts hydraulically similar to a granular, porous medium. As part of the calibration, the following hypotheses were tested: (1) karstic features play an important role in the groundwater-flow system; (2) a ring or belt of sinkholes in the area is a manifestation of a zone of high transmissivity that facilitates the channeling of groundwater toward the Gulf of Mexico; and (3) the geologic features in the southern part of Yucatan influence the groundwater-flow system. The model shows that the Sierrita de Ticul fault, in the southwestern part of the study area, acts as a flow barrier and head values decline toward the northeast. The modeling also shows that the regional flow-system dynamics have not been altered despite the large number of pumping wells because the volume of water pumped is small compared with the volume of recharge, and the well-developed karst system of the region has a very high hydraulic conductivity. Electronic Publication     

The integrated impacts of human activities and rising sea level on the saltwater intrusion in the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula,Mexico

Natural Hazards - Saltwater intrusion is a major hazard to coastal communities as it causes degradation of fresh water resources. The impact of rising sea level on the saltwater intrusion into...     

Water management by early people in the Yucatan,Mexico

The Yucatan Peninsula is a coastal plain underlain by permeable limestone and receives abundant rainfall. Such hydrogeologic conditions should provide major supplies of water; however, factors of climate and hydrogeology have combined to form a hydrologic system with chemical boundaries that limits the amount of fresh water available. Management of water resources has long had a major influence on the cultural and economic development of the Yucatan. The Mayan culture of the northern Yucatan developed on extensive use of groundwater. The religion was water oriented and the Mayan priests prayed to Chac, the water god, for assistance in water management, primarily to decrease the severity of droughts. The Spaniards arrived in 1517 and augmented the supply by digging wells, which remained the common practice for more than 300 years. Many wells now have been abandoned because of serious problems of pollution. A historical perspective of a paper such as this provides insight into the attitudes concerning water of early people and perhaps provides insight into current attitudes concerning water. Hydrogeologists possess the expertise to generate relevant information required by water managers to arrive at management programs to achieve sustainable development.     

Yucatan after the wind: Human and environmental impact of hurricane Gilbert in the central and Eastern Yucatan Peninsula

Hurricane Gilbert made its landfall on the Yucatan peninsula on September 14, 1988, destroying valuable resort property in Cancun, Isla Mujeres, and Cozumel. Salt flats (salinas) in northern Quintana Roo and Yucatan were flooded by the storm surge and coastal marine ecosystem were devastated. Inland, the hurricane caused damages to houses, power lines, and farming land, but increased opportunities for garden hunting on destroyed fields. Twenty percent of tropical rain forest suffered losses of canopy and in the deciduous forests of north-central Yucatan noxiuous insects populations increased. Although damaging in its ultimate effects, hurricane Gilbert tested the resilience of Maya Indians and their readiness for post-disaster accommodation.     

Fluid flow evolution in petroleum reservoirs with a complex diagenetic history: An example from Veracruz, Mexico

This paper discusses the fluid flow evolution in the Veracruz petroleum province of eastern Mexico based on results of an integrated diagenetic, sedimentological and structural analysis. The area progressively changed from passive foreland towards an active fold-and-thrust belt into a passive belt with infill of the foreland basin and finally underwent transpressional deformation. This varied kinematic evolution resulted in numerous fluid flow events, among which were four different petroleum migration pulses.     

Facies, depositional environment and diagenetic processes of the early Mid-Miocene Jeribe Formation, Central and Southern Iraq

The Jeribe Formation (Early Middle Miocene) in the central and southern Iraq consists mainly of shallow marine carbonates. Many microfacies have been identified: mudstone, wackestone, packstone, and grainstone with seven submicrofacies. Four major depositional cycles were determined. Microfacies developments and their distribution are controlled by cyclicity and relative sea level fluctuations. The Allochems in the Jeribe Limestone Formation are dominated by bioclasts. Peloids, ooids, and intraclasts are less abundant. The fossils are represented by benthonic forams and very rare planktonic forams. Calcite and dolomite are the predominant mineral components of Jeribe Formation. The carbonates of Jeribe have been affected by a variety of diagenetic processes such as compaction, dissolution, cementation, neomorphism, dolomitization, anhydritization, and silicification. By using the lithofacies association concepts, the depositional model of the Jeribe Formation environment was built. The Jeribe was deposited in open to restricted platforms which indicated lagoonal environment with warm and restricted-open circulation and the lower part (in well Hemrin-2) was deposited in foreslope environment.     

Effects of urbanization on groundwater resources of Merida, Yucatan, Mexico

 Groundwater quality in the city of Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, where dependence on groundwater supply is 100%, is affected by urbanization. Data from the sampling of shallow wells and boreholes along with water level records are used to study the aquifer. Chemical changes in time of the bottom and top half of the freshwater zone are the basis for hydrogeochemistry. The comparison of 1970 data (which represent information prior to urbanization) to 1991, suggests that the most affected (contaminated) areas coincide with that of urbanization. Received: 1 October 1997 · Accepted: 23 February 1998     

Sedimentary facies and depositional history of the Swan Islands,Honduras

Swan Island is a Honduran possession in the western Caribbean, located on the southeastern side of the Cayman Trench. Two sedimentary assemblages are found on the island: an older bedded sequence of mid-Tertiary age (Aquitanian or Burdigalian) and a younger sedimentary sequence of Late Pleistocene age. The older sequence is composed of a series of calcarenites, calcilutites, and siliciclastic mudstones; capping these are cliff-forming reefal carbonates of the younger sequence.The rocks of the older bedded sequence accumulated in deep water. Sedimentation consisted of a constant rain of pyroclastic debris interrupted by the episodic introduction of upslope carbonate material by turbidity currents. Uplift and deformation of this sequence was initiated sometime after the Early Miocene. By the Late Pleistocene, uplift had brought the rocks into water depths conducive to coral growth. Pleistocene sedimentation on the island was controlled by the interaction between tectonic uplift and eustatic sea-level changes. The primary controlling force on the tectonic history of the island is its proximity to the boundary between the North American and Caribbean plates.     

Nitrate temporal and spatial patterns in 12 water-supply wells, Yucatan, Mexico

 The nitrate concentration in 12 water-supply wells were monitored for the period April 1992 to March 1993. Each water-supply well was sampled once a month. The nitrate concentrations in the 12 wells ranged from 7 to 156 mg/l. Two water-supply wells (Chacsinkin and Peto) showed concentrations that reached 3.5 times the maximum permissible limit for the Drinking Water Standard (45 mg/l). A third water-supply well (Akil) exceeds the norm for 7 out of 12 months. The use of nitrogen-rich fertilizers are responsible for high nitrate concentrations in groundwater in the southern part of Yucatan, Mexico where intensive agricultural practices exist. Received: 14 December 1999 · Accepted: 2 May 2000     

Sedimentation of the northwestern Gulf of Mexico

Six years of intensive study of the shallow water sediments of the northwestern Gulf of Mexico have indicated that there are many criteria by which ancient sediments deposited under similar conditions can be recognized. Thus the presence of echinoid fragments and of glauconite-filled Foraminifera tests favors marine shelf deposition over bay deposits; calcareous aggregates and grains of gypsum suggest high salinity bay deposits; abundance of wood fibers, high mica content, ferruginous aggregates, and well laminated sediments all are suggestive of deposition near river mouths; greater roundness distinguishes dunes from adjacent beach sands; and coarser grain size distinguishes beach sands from shallow shelf sands in the vicinity.Faunal assemblages of Foraminifera, Ostracoda, and Mollusca all serve to distinguish between bay and shelf deposits. Within the bays the faunas show a close relationship to salinity conditions whereas on the shelf the faunas are arranged in bands parallel to the shore and to the depth contours. Certain generalizations concerning the relation of faunas to environment can be made without detailed knowledge of the species.Contribution from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, New Series No. 997. Investigation supported by a grant from American Petroleum Institute, Project 51.     

Climate change on the Yucatan Peninsula during the Little Ice Age

We studied a 5.1-m sediment core from Aguada X'caamal (20° 36.6′N, 89° 42.9′W), a small sinkhole lake in northwest Yucatan, Mexico. Between 1400 and 1500 A.D., oxygen isotope ratios of ostracod and gastropod carbonate increased by an average of 2.2‰ and the benthic foraminifer Ammonia beccarii parkinsoniana appeared in the sediment profile, indicating a hydrologic change that included increased lake water salinity. Pollen from a core in nearby Cenote San José Chulchacá showed a decrease in mesic forest taxa during the same period. Oxygen isotopes of shell carbonate in sediment cores from Lakes Chichancanab (19° 53.0′N, 88° 46.0′W) and Salpeten (16° 58.6′N, 89° 40.5′W) to the south also increased in the mid-15th century, but less so than in Aguada X'caamal. Climate change in the 15th century is also supported by historical accounts of cold and famine described in Maya and Aztec chronicles. We conclude that climate became drier on the Yucatan Peninsula in the 15th century A.D. near the onset of the Little Ice Age (LIA). Comparison of results from the Yucatan Peninsula with other circum-Caribbean paleoclimate records indicates a coherent climate response for this region at the beginning of the LIA. At that time, sea surface temperatures cooled and aridity in the circum-Caribbean region increased.