29 US-Mexico Exchange on Cave and Karst Science and Conservation

This session welcomes submissions in fields related with cave and karst sciences applied in Mexico, with a special interest in showcasing present or past US-Mexico binational collaborations, inter- and multidisciplinary studies and community outreach projects.

Thursday, 23 April 2026
1:30 PM - 5:30 PM
LMH, Meeting Room

Path of the Maya: A Faculty-Led Study Abroad Model Integrating Karst Hydrogeology and Experiential Geoscience Education in the Yucatán Peninsula

Paper number: 29-1
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 1:35 PM – 1:55 PM

Authors

Abstract

The Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico is a globally significant karst region characterized by extensive limestone dissolution and culturally important cenote systems that have sustained Maya communities for millennia. Western Kentucky University’s (WKU) faculty-led study abroad course, Path of the Maya—Cenotes, Culture & Sustainability, integrates field-based karst hydrogeology with experiential geoscience education and community engagement. The program was developed on long-standing binational collaborations with Mexican and U.S. scientists, non-profit organizations, and local communities to provide students with hands-on research in a complex tropical karst environment and a better cultural understanding of environmental sustainability challenges.

Students participated in intensive field investigations that included water-quality sampling, basic cave and cenote characterization, karst landscape interpretation, and observation of land-use practices influencing groundwater vulnerability. These activities were contextualized through site visits to archaeological locations and interactions with Maya communities, linking hydrogeologic processes to cultural heritage and natural resource conservation. Data collected by students has contributed to ongoing regional assessments of groundwater quality and cenote conditions, reinforcing the scientific relevance of the course.

Assessment of student outcomes and participant reflections highlighted increased awareness of the interconnectedness of natural systems and human communities and a broadened understanding of sustainability challenges in karst regions dependent on fragile groundwater resources. The course demonstrates that short-term, faculty-led international programs can effectively combine geoscience research, education, and cross-cultural collaboration. This model provides a replicable framework for incorporating field research and sustainability themes into geoscience curricula while contributing meaningful data to karst science and management and fostering mutual understanding.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 58, No. 3

doi: 10.1130/abs/2026CD-410827

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