The relief of Quintana Roo is composed of few small hills and several hollows, with a gentle slope from west to east. Because the ground is flat and hard, the relief lacks mountains.
However, it has small elevations such as the hills of Nuevo Bécar (180masl), El Charro (230msnm) and El Pavo (120msnm).
Quintana Roo is part of the physiographic province XI of Yucatán, composed mainly of a system of predominant topoforms such as sedimentary rocks that have emerged from the Caribbean Sea over the years, and from which beaches, reefs and rivers.
Topoforms of the region
The state has several subprovinces known as the Carso Yucateco Subprovince, the Carlo and Lomeríos de Campeche Subprovince, and the Costa Baja Roo Subprovince. All include predominant landforms such as beaches, reefs, and plains.
Due to the permeability of the limestone soil in the region, only underground currents and cenotes originate.
Even so, there are several important rivers in the state, such as the Río Hondo that borders Belize. Another important river that is a border with Belize is the 136Km Azul River, the source of the river in Guatemala and flows into the Bay of Chetumal.
Generally, its extension is used in rainy seasons to transport wood. Finally, there are several confluent streams of the Río Hondo that flow into the Bacalar Lagoon.
Like the rivers, there are several lagoons and numerous underground currents that when they rise to the surface are called aguadas.
However, not all times they are presented as watered down, they can also be presentations of open or hollow wells that are called cenotes.
The cenotes are formed when the water rises to the surface and lies in the erosion of the water in the caverns, which collapses them causing these outcrops of water.
This phenomenon can arise thanks to the thin thickness of the soils and the thick vegetation cover.
Being located in an intertropical zone, most of the region is covered by jungle, with the exception of areas cleared and populated by man.
It is important to point out the marine influence in this specific area, originated by its proximity to the Caribbean Sea to the east and the Gulf of Mexico to the north, and due to its reduced height above sea level.
References:
- Jordán-Dahlgren, E. and Rodríguez, RE (2003) The Atlantic coral reefs ecosystem of Mexico. Latin American Coral Reefs. Elsevier Science BV
- Map of Quintana Roo. (sf) Retrieved on December 3, 2015, from INEGI.
- Map of main elevations. (sf) Retrieved on August 19, 2010, from INEGI.
- Padilla, C. Gutiérrez, D., Lara, M and García, C. (1992) Coral reefs of the Biosphere Reserve of Quintana Roo, Mexico. (sf) on September 28, 2017, from the Proceedings of the Seventh International Coral Reef Symposium 2.
- Spalding, MD, Ravilious, C. and Green, E. (2001) World atlas of coral reefs. Univerity of California Press, Berkeley.