Do You Know Cenotes, And Where Do They Come From?

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Put simply, a cenote is an above-ground entrance to a subterranean network of caves that have (usually) filled with water. The Mexican peninsula of Yucatan contains many cenotes; apart from being beautiful, they are historically significant, having been noticed, used, and appreciated since the first appearance of human civilization in Mesoamerica.

Classifying Cenotes

Since 1936, cenotes have been classified into several distinct types based on their physical appearance. Pit (or jug) cenotes are perhaps the most typical, simply described as openings in the ground which connect the surface with a subterranean region larger than their circumference. Cylinder cenotes are similar in shape, but have longer passages to the underground with steep, vertical walls. Basin cenotes, as their name suggests, contain a shallow basin of water at their terminus. Cave cenotes are the most unlike the other kinds, with horizontal, rather than vertical, entrances, which usually remain dry.

Cenote Creation

Cenotes are formed largely by the erosion and dissolution of rock; in other words, by the action of water slowly wearing away the surface rock, often exposing an underground system of caves beneath. When the erosion has progressed to a sufficient extent, the roof of the cave often collapses completely, leaving a circular entrance on the surface that leads to the cave system beneath.

Cenotes usually form more rapidly when the depressions they begin as are not completely filled with water, as the motion of a smaller portion of liquid is more rapidly aided by surface forces, resulting in a more rapid degradation of the rock beneath. Saltwater, being more abrasive, generally forms cenotes more quickly than fresh water does.

Some cenotes don’t completely collapse inward; these partially collapsed cenotes will often have a rocky ledge or overhang, forcing anyone who wishes to enter the caves to crawl under them in order to access the underground water source below.

Connected Cenotes

Sometimes, a series of cenotes will lead to the same interconnected system of underground passages, forming a system of caves or tunnels. In the Yucatan, there is a particularly large series of connected cenotes which ring the Chicxulub crater, a huge circular depression that was formed 65 million years ago when an asteroid struck the earth, precipitating the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event and wiping out the dinosaurs. The crater lies roughly half on land and half submurged in the Gulf of Mexico, and around its landlocked portions, there can be found a ring of cenotes along its outer edge.

The Chicxulub cenotes can reaches extreme depths of over 300 feet below the water table, where large amounts of fresh water from rain and runoff has accumulated. The water is remarkably clear and pure, and the conjoined nature of these cenotes has created a kind of underground river, which has been used since the days of the great Maya cities as a source of fresh water and transportation.

Despite being covered in tropical rainforest, the Yucatan region is remarkably deficient in natural sources of fresh water, containing nearly no rivers or lakes. Thus, ancient Mesoamericans depended on cenotes as sources of potable water for drinking and irrigation. Early cities like Chichn Itz were often located near cenotes for this reason, and where cenotes were connected into systems, they served as underground highways for the transport of men and material. The currents flowing through these subterranean rivers can be quite rapid, especially in areas where the cenote roof has not fully collapsed.

For all these reasons, the cenotes of the Yucatan continue to be visited, explored, enjoyed, and admired; a refreshing spot for tourists, and ancient source of live-giving water, and a continuing pillar of the region’s environmental health.

Duende Tours is a tour operator with a special focus on adventure travel. See Duende Adventure Tours to find out more or go to Cenote Snorkeling Tour.

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Topics: Travel and Leisure | Comments Off

Tags: cenote, Mexico, travel, Travel and Leisure, vacations

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MLA Style Citation:
Patterson, Linda "Do You Know Cenotes, And Where Do They Come From?." Do You Know Cenotes, And Where Do They Come From?. 7 Feb. 2012. uberarticles.com. 29 Apr 2012 <http://uberarticles.com/travel-and-leisure/do-you-know-cenotes-and-where-do-they-come-from/>.

APA Style Citation:
Patterson, L (2012, February 7). Do You Know Cenotes, And Where Do They Come From?. Retrieved April 29, 2012, from http://uberarticles.com/travel-and-leisure/do-you-know-cenotes-and-where-do-they-come-from/

Chicago Style Citation:
Patterson, Linda "Do You Know Cenotes, And Where Do They Come From?" uberarticles.com. http://uberarticles.com/travel-and-leisure/do-you-know-cenotes-and-where-do-they-come-from/

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