The speleologist Erick Sosa Rodríguez recently shared images and details from the expedition of the Xocen cenote in the community of the same name in the municipality of Valladolid, Yucatán.
Through his social media, Sosa highlighted the importance of the conservation of karst ecosystems and the commitment of speleologists in this area.
Sosa expressed his gratitude to the community of Xocen, the City Council of Valladolid, and the Secretariat of Sustainable Development of the Government of the State of Yucatán for the invitation and trust to participate in the cenote exploration.
Days ago, this Cenote suffered a collapse in its vault, which motivated the intervention of experts.
According to Sosa Rodríguez, the Xocen cenote, located between streets 6 and 7, one block from the center of the town, is characterized as a semi-open cenote with free fall. It has two access holes: one directly to the body of water, with a height of 15 meters, and another that overlooks a dry portion, with a height of 6 meters.
The cenote’s vault has a diameter of 57 meters (187 feet) in its widest section. It lacks horizontal platforms, except for a small chamber that appears to have been used as a construction material bank at some point in history.
The water mirror in the cenote measures 38 (124 feet) meters in diameter in its widest section, with a minimum depth of 1 meter (3.2 feet) on the banks and a cylindrical vertical development. The maximum depth recorded is 23 meters (75 feet) in the south-central zone and 36 meters (118 feet) in the northern zone. The turbidity of the water, caused by suspended sediment and decaying organic matter due to collapse, limits visibility to 3 meters. In the background, large collapse blocks are observed, along with a fragmented ceiba tree.
Geologically, the cenote presents a cavity with a thin vault-shaped ceiling, with horizontal stratification alternating limestone and softer strata due to the presence of clay.
The roof shows fractures and plant roots that weaken its structure. The morphology of the roof, determined by horizontal stratification, follows a collapse pattern typical of cenotes in the region, growing from the bottom up and expanding at the expense of the collapse of the strata.
Sosa highlights that vault collapse is a normal process in karst structures. However, its documentation is crucial to understanding these events and their impact on ecosystems. This report also serves as a reminder of the importance of considering karst ecosystems in urban development to ensure their preservation. He will present the official report to the relevant authorities.
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