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Underwater exploration at Sistema Zacatón reached human limits when Jim Bowden descended to a depth of 289 meters April 6, 1994. In order to understand this karst system, unmanned robotic exploration is required to document the immense geometry of the underwater caves. The DEPTHX (DEep Phreatic THermal eXplorer) vehicle was developed with support from NASA to approach this problem, with the additional impetus to address robotic exploration in outer space. During the winter and spring of 2007, DEPTHX conducted three-dimensional (3D) underwater mapping missions of 4 cenotes in Sistema Zacatón: El Zacatón, Caracol, Poza Verde, and La Pilita. The detailed maps discovered no lateral tunnels connecting the cenotes, which are only 100-200 meters apart from each other. The deepest cenote, El Zacatón was bottomed out at a depth of 319 meters (339 m including above water cliff), making it the deepest underwater vertical shaft and second deepest underwater cave in the world. No side tunnels were discovered. However, the 3D data revealed geomorphic features of the cenotes to document how the karst system may have evolved through time. Spatial geochemical data collected contemporaneously during mapping missions indicate that water in the three warmest cenotes is extremely homogeneous, and the cooler cenote displays chemoclines similar to lacustrine type settings. The data collected by DEPTHX are being used with other types of geologic information to investigate the specific nature of hypogenic karstification that formed the cave system.

Sistema Zacatón in north-eastern Mexico is host to several deep, water-filled, anoxic, karstic sinkholes (cenotes). These cenotes were explored, mapped, and geochemically and microbiologically sampled by the autonomous underwater vehicle deep phreatic thermal explorer (DEPTHX). The community structure of the filterable fraction of the water column and extensive microbial mats that coat the cenote walls was investigated by comparative analysis of small-subunit (SSU) 16S rRNA gene sequences. Full-length Sanger gene sequence analysis revealed novel microbial diversity that included three putative bacterial candidate phyla and three additional groups that showed high intra-clade distance with poorly characterized bacterial candidate phyla. Limited functional gene sequence analysis in these anoxic environments identified genes associated with methanogenesis, sulfate reduction and anaerobic ammonium oxidation. A directed, barcoded amplicon, multiplex pyrosequencing approach was employed to compare ∼100,000 bacterial SSU gene sequences from water column and wall microbial mat samples from five cenotes in Sistema Zacatón. A new, high-resolution sequence distribution profile (SDP) method identified changes in specific phylogenetic types (phylotypes) in microbial mats at varied depths; Mantel tests showed a correlation of the genetic distances between mat communities in two cenotes and the geographic location of each cenote. Community structure profiles from the water column of three neighbouring cenotes showed distinct variation; statistically significant differences in the concentration of geochemical constituents suggest that the variation observed in microbial communities between neighbouring cenotes are due to geochemical variation.

In drylands across the globe, grasslands and savannas have succumbed to encroachment by woody plants. There is a concern that, in some cases, these changes may lead to lower groundwater recharge and streamflow. In karst landscapes, the effect of woody plants on recharge is difficult to determine because of the shallow and rocky soils. In our study, we estimated the amount of water entering a shallow cave (3–5 m deep) as a surrogate measurement for groundwater recharge, to evaluate whether the removal of Ashe juniper (Juniperus ashei) above the cave would affect recharge. Three sets of large‐scale rainfall simulations were conducted in 2005, before removal of the overstory juniper; seven were conducted in 2008, soon after the juniper were removed; and two were conducted in 2009, one year after juniper removal. We found that recharge occurred mainly via conduits or macropores and, as such, was extremely dynamic and responsive to rainfall. The amount of recharge ranged from 3% to 17% of the water applied, the higher percentages being measured when antecedent soil conditions were wet. At least in this case of recharge taking place via conduit flow, removal of the juniper had little if any effect. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Cretaceous Edwards and Middle Trinity Aquifers of central Texas are critical groundwater resources for human and ecological needs. These two major karst aquifers are stratigraphically stacked (Edwards over Trinity) and structurally juxtaposed (normal faulting) in the Balcones Fault Zone (BFZ). Studies have long recognized the importance of faulting on the development of the karstic Edwards Aquifer. However, the influence of these structures on groundwater flow is unclear as groundwater flow appears to cross some faults, but not others. This study combines structural and hydrological data to help characterize the potential influence of faults and relay ramps on groundwater flow within the karstic Edwards and Middle Trinity Aquifers. Detailed structure contour maps of the top of Walnut Formation in the study area were created from a geologic database (n=380) comprised of primarily geophysical and driller's logs. The data were then contoured in Surfer® (Kriging) with no faults. Structure contour surfaces revealed detailed structural geometries including linear zones of steep gradients (interpreted as faults) with northeast dipping zones of low gradients (interpreted to be ramps) between faults. Hydrologic data (heads, dye trace, geochemistry) were overlaid onto the structure contour maps in GIS. Results for the Middle Trinity Aquifer suggest relay ramps provide a mechanism for lateral continu-ity of geologic units and therefore groundwater flow from the Hill Country (recharge area) eastward into the BFZ. Faults with significant displacement (>100 m) can provide a barrier to groundwater flow by the juxtaposition of contrasting permeabilities, yet flow continues across fault zones where ramps exist, or where permeable units are juxtaposed with other permeable units. In the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer the primary flow path defined by dye tracing and heads is coincident with the Onion Creek relay ramp dipping to the northeast. This work addresses the lateral continuity (intra-aquifer flow) of the Edwards and Trinity Aquifer systems, which has importance for conceptual models and ultimately resource management.The purpose of this paper is to describe the influence of faults and related structures called relay ramps on Smith et al., 2015). This paper will explore the mechanism for lateral continuity of flow in a karst setting with complex structures. Implications of this work address the lateral continuity of units and therefore intra-aquifer flow. This has great importance for conceptual models and ultimately, resource management. 14TH SINKHOLE CONFERENCENCKRI SYMPOSIUM 5 itorial review. The authors appreciate the comments and edits of Dr. Daniel Doctor and one anonymous reviewer.