Análisis espacial y temporal de campos de dunas submarinas en la costa de Yucatán, México

Abstract

The marine sedimentary deposits are a widely attended theme in the world because of its oceanographical, ecological, social and economical transcendence. Those deposits are part of very important sediment reservoirs on the coast that feed and protect sandy beaches, and are key habitat for several benthic species. On the coast of Yucatan (Mexico) there are conspicuous sedimentary deposits forming well structured and outstanding submarine dune swarms, close to the shoreline at the localities of Dzilam de Bravo, San Felipe and El Cuyo. The objective of this research was to assess the spatial disposition and inter-decadal movements of these dune fields. We used standardized satellite images analyses, validated with seismic profiles and a basic sedimentological description of the identified structures in the field. The dunes showed different magnitude position changes, with estimated net annual movement rates between 2.94 m year-1 and 10.83 m year-1, heading mainly northwest. The spatial disposition of these dunes was confirmed by the field data, the smallest dunes detected with the satellite images were 0.31 m high, conformed by medium, conformed by medium and fine sand sediments. It is suggested that the orientation of the shore line and wave incidence, jointly with the dominant currents in the zone, determine the formation of these sediment accumulations in the region. This evaluation presents an innovative and confident approach for the study of submarine dunes in shallow waters, using remote sensing incomes and standardized spatial analyses. These findings set basis for a systematic monitoring of these marine systems, and contributes with original information on the study and understanding of the coastal marine processes in Mexico.