1. DENSITY OF KARST DEPRESSIONS IN YUCATÁN STATE, MEXICO.
- Author
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AGUILAR, YAMELI, BAUTISTA, FRANCISCO, MENDOZA, MANUEL E., FRAUSTO, OSCAR, and IHL, THOMAS
- Subjects
KARST ,PROPERTIES of matter ,SPATIAL distribution (Quantum optics) ,SINKHOLES ,DENSITOMETERS - Abstract
The abundance of karst depressions in Yucatán has been widely recognized, but they have not been classified or quantified despite their importance in land-use planning. Our objective was to study the types and areas of the sinkholes, uvalas, and poljes and identify their patterns of spatial distribution. We used 58 topographic maps (1:50,000) from INEGI, from which we extracted the depressions and bodies of water. For typology, we used a circularity index and the shape and area of the depressions. For single-density analysis, we extracted the centroids and added an inventory of karst features (cenotes, caves). We counted 6717 depressions with a total area of 454 km
2 and 750 karst features. We identified 4620 dolines (34 km2 ), mainly in plateaus below 30 masl. In number, they are followed by uvalas (2021) and poljes (76), occupying together a similar area (210 km2 ) and dominating in elevations higher than 30 masl. Eighty percent of the dolines were automatically labeled. The density of depressions allowed us to identify the "ring of cenotes" and the "field of dolines" according to two main types of factors, structural and climatic. The typology and density of the depressions could be used as geomorphological differentiation criteria in the vast plateaus of central and eastern parts of the state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2016
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