WATER TABLE VARIABILITY ON THE PITTED KARST PLAIN, YUCATÁN, MEXICO

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. Via the emplacement of a water gauge, several soil moisture probes, and regional weather data the objective of this study is to determine the spatial and temporal variability of the water table near Espita, Yucatán, Mexico and determine if there is a correlation between 1. Soil moisture variability and water level variability and 2. Water level variability and daily weather patterns. Preliminary results show no correlation between water level variability and soil moisture variability. Results are still pending for water level variability and regional precipitation and atmospheric pressure.