New research shows changes in tides and hurricane activity played a part in upending the Maya civilization centuries ago.
New research shows changes in tides and hurricane activity played a part in upending the Maya civilization centuries ago.
Changes to the water table throughout the Yucatan Peninsula impacted the Maya and now offer lessons on the effects of present-day climate change, researchers say.
“Big parts of the Yucatan Peninsula sit on rock formations made of limestone, with fissures and caves throughout,” said Aaron Coutino, a recent PhD graduate in applied mathematics at the University of Waterloo. “Rainwater and runoff accumulate in the cave formations and underground rivers, and that’s where much of the freshwater is on the Yucatan.”
“If you have changes in sea level or tidal activity, then what happens in those fissure zones is a mixing between the fresh water on the surface and the salty water that intrudes from the ocean underneath.”
Read more at University of Waterloo
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