A cenote or sinkhole is a depression in the surface of the land, they are found all over the world, with many in the northern Yucatan area. There are over 3000 Yucatan cenotes with about 1400 studied and registered.
The word comes from the Mayan word tso'ono'ot, meaning abyss.There are four types of cenotes:
- underground;
- superficial (ponds / lakes);
- semi-underground; and
- surface cenotes.
There are no surface rivers in the Yucatan area. The water percolates through the porous soil and flows into the sea by underground rivers. In some places the surface rocks became so soft that they collapsed, with as a result water-filled cavities, the cenotes. Human remains have been found in several cenotes and it is believed that the Mayan sacreficed people there in honer of rain god Chac.
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