Oxygen and hydrogen isotope characteristics of different water bodies in the Burqin River Basin of the Altay Mountains,China

Characterization of the spatial and temporal variability of stable isotopes in surface water is essential for interpreting hydrological processes.In this study,we collected the water samples of river water,groundwater,and reservoir water in the Burqin River Basin of the Altay Mountains,China in 2021,and characterized the oxygen and hydrogen isotope variations in different water bodies via instrumental analytics and modeling.Results showed significant seasonal variations in stable isotope ratios of oxygen and hydrogen(δ18O andδ2H,respectively)and significant differences inδ18O andδ2H among different water bodies.Higherδ18O andδ2H values were mainly found in river water,while groundwater and reservoir water had lower isotope ratios.River water and groundwater showed differentδ18O-δ2H relationships with the local meteoric water line,implying that river water and groundwater are controlled by evaporative enrichment and multi-source recharge processes.The evaporative enrichment experienced by reservoir water was less significant and largely influenced by topography,recharge sources,local moisture cycling,and anthropogenic factors.Higher deuterium excess(d-excess)value of 14.34‰for river water probably represented the isotopic signature of combined contributions from direct precipitation,snow and glacial meltwater,and groundwater recharge.The average annual d-excess values of groundwater(10.60‰)and reservoir water(11.49‰)were similar to the value of global precipitation(10.00‰).The findings contribute to understanding the hydroclimatic information reflected in the month-by-month variations in stable isotopes in different water bodies and provide a reference for the study of hydrological processes and climate change in the Altay Mountains,China.

Spatial distribution of δ2H and δ18O values in the hydrologic cycle of the Nile Basin

Existing δ2H and δ18O values for precipitation and surface water in the Nile Basin were used to analyze precipitation inputs and the influence of evaporation on the isotopic signal of the Nile River and its tributaries. The goal of the data analysis was to better understand basin processes that influence seasonal streamflow for the source waters of the Nile River, because climate and hydrologic models have continued to produce high uncertainty in the prediction of precipitation and streamflow in the Nile Basin. An evaluation of differences in precipitation δ2H and δ18O values through linear regression and distribution analysis indicate variation by region and season in the isotopic signal of precipitation across the Nile Basin. The White Nile Basin receives precipitation with a more depleted isotopic signal compared to the Blue Nile Basin. The hot temperatures of the Sahelian spring produce a greater evaporation signal in the precipitation isotope distribution compared to precipitation in the Sahara/Mediterranean region, which can be influenced by storms moving in from the Mediterranean Sea. The larger evaporative effect is reversed for the two regions in summer because of the cooling of the Sahel from inflow of Indian Ocean monsoon moisture that predominantly influences the climate of the Blue Nile Basin. The regional precipitation isotopic signals convey to each region＇s streamflow, which is further modified by additional evaporation according to the local climate. Isotope ratios for White Nile streamflow are significantly altered by evaporation in the Sudd, but this isotopic signal is minimized for streamflow in the Nile River during the winter, spring and summer seasons because of the flow dominance of the Blue Nile. During fall, the contribution from the White Nile may exceed that of the Blue Nile, and the heavier isotopic signal of the White Nile becomes apparent. The variation in climatic conditions of the Nile River Basin provides a means of identifying mechanistic processes through changes in isotope ratios of hydrogen and oxygen, which have utility for separating precipitation origin and the effect of evaporation during seasonal periods. The existing isotope record for precipitation and streamflow in the Nile Basin can be used to evaluate predicted streamflow in the Nile River from a changing climate that is expected to induce further changes in precipitation patterns across the Nile Basin.

Influence of Sub-Cloud Secondary Evaporation Effects on the Stable Isotopes in Precipitation of Urumqi Glacier No.1,Eastern Tianshan

In arid regions,the stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopic composition in raindrops is often modified by sub-cloud secondary evaporation when they descend from cloud base to ground through the unsaturated air.As a result of kinetic fractionation,the slope and intercept of the δ^(2)H-δ^(18)O correlation equation decrease.The variation of deuterium excess from cloud base to the ground is often used to quantitatively evaluate the influence of secondary evaporation effect on isotopes in precipitation.Based on the event-based precipitation samples collected at Urumqi Glacier No.1,eastern Tianshan during four-year observation,the existence and impact of secondary evaporation effects were analyzed by the methods of isotope-evaporation model.Under high air temperature,small raindrop diameter and precipitation amount,and low relative humidity conditions,the remaining rate of raindrops is small and the change of deuterium excess is large relatively,and the slope and intercept of δ^(2)H-δ^(18)O correlation equation are much lower than those of Global Meteoric Water Line,which mean that the influence secondary evaporation on precipitation enhanced.While on the conditions of low air temperature,high relative humidity,heavy rainfall,and large raindrop diameter,the change of deuterium excess is small relatively and the remaining rate of raindrops is large,and the slope and intercept of δ^(2)H-δ^(18)O correlation equation increase,the secondary evaporation is weakened.The isotope-evaporation model described a good linear correlation between changes of deuterium excess and evaporation proportion with the slope of 0.90‰/%,which indicated that an increase of 1%in evaporation may result in a decrease of deuterium excess about 0.90‰.

Relationship between δ D and δ18O in precipitation on northand south of the Tibetan Plateau and moisture recycling

The local meteoric water line (MWL) has been established from north to south of the Tibetan Plateau based on the measured results of δD and δ18O in precipitation and river water, and the relationship between MWL and moisture origins discussed. The spatial and seasonal variations ofd in precipitation and river water on the Tibetan Plateau have been studied. Results show that the spatial and seasonal variations ofd between north and south of the Tanggula Mountains are related to different moisture origins and water recycling.

GCM Simulations of Stable Isotopes in the Water Cycle in Comparison with GNIP Observations over East Asia

In this paper, we examine the performance of four isotope incorporated GCMs, i.e., ECHAM4 （Univer- sity of Hamburg）, HadCM3 （Hadley Centre）, GISS E （Goddard Institute of Space Sciences）, and MUGCM （Melbourne University）, by comparing the model results with GNIP （Global Network of Isotopes in Precip- itation） observations. The spatial distributions of mean annual δD and mean annual deuterium excess d in precipitation, and the relationship between δ18O and δD in precipitation, are compared between GCMs and GNIP data over East Asia. Overall, the four GCMs reproduce major characteristics of δD in precipitation as observed by GNIP. Among the four models, the results of ECHAM4 and GISS E are more consistent with GNIP observed precipitation δD distribution. The simulated d distributions are less consistent with the GNIP results. This may indicate that kinetic fractionation processes are not appropriately represented in the isotopic schemes of GCMs. The GCM modeled MWL （meteoric water line） slopes are close to the GNIP derived MWL, but the simulated MWL intercepts are significantly overestimated. This supports that the four isotope incorporated GCMs may not represent the kinetic fractionation processes well. In term of LMWLs （local meteoric water lines）, the simulated LMWL slopes are similar to those from GNIP observa- tions, but slightly overestimated for most locations. Overall, ECHAM4 has better capability in simulating MWL and LMWLs, followed by GISS E. Some isotopic functions （especially those related to kinetic frac- tionation） and their parameterizations in GCMs may have caused the discrepancy between the simulated and GNIP observed results. Future work is recommended to improve isotopic function parameterization on the basis of the high-resolution isotope observations.