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Degree

MA, Kent State University, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Geography, 2011.

Abstract

Yucatán, Mexico is dominated by Tertiary limestone which is punctuated by a series of sinkholes fed by a complex system of conduits or pathways within the groundwater system. The region is host to the Chicxulub impact crater as well as the Northern Pitted Karst Plain (location of the present study) resulting in a diverse distribution of surface sinkholes. The purpose of this research is to determine the impact of localized precipitation events on the water table, using the case study of a small cenote (sinkhole) at Hacienda Kancaba as well as a rejollada (a variation of a sinkhole) at Xuenkal both located near Espita, Yucatán, Mexico. Analysis of ground penetrating radar (GPR) data and statistical comparisons of water level data from one cenote at Hacienda Kancaba, hydroclimatological data collected from one sinkhole at the archaeological site of Xuenkal, and regional weather data collected via the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) were performed. Diurnal and tidal fluctuations were detected in the water level data confirming water level response to atmospheric pressure changes. Effects of localized precipitation events on increasing water level in the cenote revealed a two-day lag which characterizes local aquifer dynamics. A month to two month -lag was detected in the system for the entire study period. This lag helps to characterizes regional flow dynamics. These two lags combine to create the response times and variability seen in the cenote used in this study.

Subject Headings

Geography; Hydrology

Keywords

karst; Yucatán; water table; aquifer dynamics

Committee / Advisors

Mandy Munro-Stasiuk, PhD (Advisor)
Scott Sheridan, PhD (Committee Member)
T. Kam Manahan, PhD (Committee Member)

Pages

91p.

Document number: kent1322417324
Permalink: http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1322417324

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