Abstract

GRANIEL-CASTRO, Eduardo  and  YAM-CAAMAL, Jazmín. Effects of Hurricane Wilma on the Aquifer in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Tecnol. cienc. agua [online]. 2014, vol.5, n.3, pp.141-147. ISSN 2007-2422.

Environmental and climate changes worldwide have increased the number of hurricanes, for example, Gilberto in 1988, Opal and Roxana in 1995 and Isidore in 2002, and Emily and Wilma in 2005. These natural phenomena have caused floods, power outages, loss of crops and damages to housing and roads in the state of Yucatan, Mexico. In October 2005, hurricane Wilma passed through the Yucatan with 314.3 mm in precipitation, causing the hydraulic loads of the aquifer to increase 1.5 m, lowering the saline interface in wells 9 m (1B and 2C), which returned to their position in January due to the heterogeneity of the karstic subsoil. The direction of the groundwater flow was southeast to northwest and did not change as a result of hurricane Wilma. Pollutants existing before the hurricane were diluted in most of the wells, except 2A, in which nitrates increased due to organic matter accumulated from floods in the area. In general, hurricanes in the Yucatan are beneficial to the aquifer due to the recharge of water and dilution of existing pollutants, although they are not beneficial to the population because of damage to infrastructure.

Keywords : Dynamic; karstic; saline interface; hurricane Wilma; Yucatan; water quality.