4. Advanced Airborne Electromagnetics for Capturing Hydrogeological Parameters Over the Coastal Karst System of Tulum, Mexico

The presented case study is part of a series of international research cooperations started in 2006 and still ongoing. The study area is located at the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, México, south of the city of Tulum including the northernmost part of the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. This study focuses on the third aero-electromagnetic (AEM) survey in the area conducted in January 2015 by the Geological Survey of Austria and Amigos de Sian Ka’an and on results prepared in course the Swiss–Mexican–Austrian project ‘Xibalba’. AEM enables quick measurement of the distribution of electrical conductivity in the subsurface over difficult accessible terrain. By means of a common frequency-domain four-channel helicopter probe and application of newly developed data processing algorithms, signatures of karst conduits and aquifers could be resolved. It is shown that the methods are able to deliver crucial structural information about karst groundwater regimes with unique depth information compared to previous surveys.