cenote
Karst water pit
A cenote is a natural sinkhole formed when limestone bedrock collapses, exposing groundwater beneath.
Found especially in Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, cenotes served as water sources and sacred sites for the ancient Maya.
The pools range from open pits to underground caverns: We swam in a cenote near the ruins.
The cenote's turquoise water was startlingly clear.
Non-saline aquatic environment
- swimmingLocomotion through water
- divingEntering water deliberately
- snorkelingSurface swimming with breathing tube
- crystal clearEntirely unambiguous, perfectly understood
turquoise · underwater · halocline · thermocline · visibility · pool · lagoon · spring
Underground collapse crater
- limestoneCarbonate sedimentary rock
- karstEroded soluble rock terrain
- collapseSudden structural failure
- aquiferGroundwater-bearing geological formation
bedrock · erosion · cavern · underground · subterranean · calcite · dissolution · water table
Mineral deposits hanging downward
- stalagmitesUpward-growing cave formations
- grottoSmall scenic cavern
- chamberEnclosed room or cavity
- cavernLarge natural underground chamber
darkness · underground river · tunnel · passage · exploration · spelunking · cave diving · formations
Mexican state and peninsula
- TulumMayan coastal archaeological site
- underworldRealm of the departed
- MayaAncient Mesoamerican people
- sacrificeGiving up something precious
pottery · human remains · archaeological · pilgrimage · ritual · ceremony · rain god · fertility
Range of life forms
- endemicNative to one area
- habitatOrganism's natural environment
- conservationPreventing waste or loss
- pollutionEnvironmental harm from waste
contamination · species · microorganisms · root systems · mangrove · filtration · protected · fragile
freshwater
Non-saline aquatic environment
- swimmingLocomotion through water
- divingEntering water deliberately
- snorkelingSurface swimming with breathing tube
crystal clear · turquoise · underwater · halocline · thermocline · visibility · pool · lagoon · spring · groundwater
sinkhole
Underground collapse crater
- limestoneCarbonate sedimentary rock
- karstEroded soluble rock terrain
- collapseSudden structural failure
aquifer · bedrock · erosion · cavern · underground · subterranean · calcite · dissolution · water table · cave system
stalactites
Mineral deposits hanging downward
- stalagmitesUpward-growing cave formations
- grottoSmall scenic cavern
- chamberEnclosed room or cavity
cavern · darkness · underground river · tunnel · passage · exploration · spelunking · cave diving · formations · cathedral
Yucatán
Mexican state and peninsula
- TulumMayan coastal archaeological site
- underworldRealm of the departed
- MayaAncient Mesoamerican people
sacrifice · pottery · human remains · archaeological · pilgrimage · ritual · ceremony · rain god · fertility · afterlife
biodiversity
Range of life forms
- endemicNative to one area
- habitatOrganism's natural environment
- conservationPreventing waste or loss
pollution · contamination · species · microorganisms · root systems · mangrove · filtration · protected · fragile · adaptation
- underwaterunderwater, submerged, immersed, sea bed, seabed
- bodies of waterocean, river, sea, lake, stream
- water bodiessea, lakes, lake, rivers, streams
- cavescave, cavern, caves, caverns, grotto
- freshwaterponds, river water, freshwater lake, creek, brook
- landformsmountain, cliff, valley, volcano, mountain ridge
cenotedug well
Excavated groundwater source
cistern · reservoir · artesian well · borehole · water tank
cenotegeyser
Erupting thermal vent
spring · artesian well · hot spring · artesian spring · fountain
cenotemountain peak
Topmost point of elevation
summit · butte · mesa · hill · volcanic cone