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Changes in the hydrochemistry of a karstic lake in Yucatan, Mexico

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Abstract

The Yucatan Peninsula is a karstic region with groundwater-dependent ecosystems and geological features such as karstic lakes. The objective of this research was to calculate the volume of water stored in this section of the aquifer and to describe the changes in the hydrochemistry of the lake Punta Laguna as a representative of karstic lakes in the Yucatan Peninsula. A bathymetry and calculation of the volume of water stored in the lake resulted in 5,198,505 m3 with a maximum depth measured of 26.6 m Physicochemical measurements were completed in surface and three vertical profiles to estimate the mass of nutrients and ions and to describe the current hydrochemistry. The lake is an oligotrophic one of mixed-typed water (chloride-calcium/magnesium), saturated or supersaturated with calcite, dolomite and aragonite due to limestone dissolution. No evidence obtain regarding the saline intrusion. The conclusion that we can derive from the data is that Punta Laguna is a tropical karstic lake in good condition with low anthropogenic influence, evolving hydrochemically speaking. The changes over a 20-year period suggest that there has been reverse ion exchange, evaporation and sulfate reduction.

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Acknowledgements

This study was carried out with support from CONACYT (National Research and Technology Council of Mexico), Catedras CONACYT Project 2944—Modelación del ciclo el agua en la Peninsula de Yucatan [Water cycle modelling in the Yucatan Peninsula]. Thanks to the staff in the Protected Area Otoch Ma’ax Yetel Kooh Jazmín Montero, Andrés Cen Ma and Elena García (CONANP) and providers of tourist services of the Najil Tucha cooperative. Research was carried out with funds from the agreement of the National Protected Areas Commission CONANP/PROCODES/6687/2017 (Mexico). We are grateful to Cinthya D. Grimaldo, for her help with laboratory analyses. Cecilia Hernández and Victor Carrillo shared unpublished information on chlorophyll. Álvaro Hernández and Alejandro Carmona for their help in fieldwork.

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  1. Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán A.C, Unidad de Ciencias del Agua, Calle 8, No. 39, Mz. 29, S.M. 64, 77500, Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico

    Eduardo Cejudo, Gilberto Acosta-González, Daniela Ortega-Camacho & Giovani Emmanuel Tun-Rosado

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  1. Eduardo Cejudo
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  2. Gilberto Acosta-González
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  3. Daniela Ortega-Camacho
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  4. Giovani Emmanuel Tun-Rosado
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Correspondence to Eduardo Cejudo.

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Cejudo, E., Acosta-González, G., Ortega-Camacho, D. et al. Changes in the hydrochemistry of a karstic lake in Yucatan, Mexico. Environ Earth Sci 79, 98 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-020-8838-3

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