Correlation of the seasonal isotopic amplitude of precipitation with annual evaporation and altitude in alpine regions

J Jódar; E Custodio; M Liotta; L J Lambán; C Herrera; S Martos-Rosillo; G Sapriza; T Rigo

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.12.034

Correlation of the seasonal isotopic amplitude of precipitation with annual evaporation and altitude in alpine regions

Sci Total Environ. 2016 Apr 15:550:27-37. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.12.034. Epub 2016 Jan 21.

Authors

J Jódar¹, E Custodio², M Liotta³, L J Lambán⁴, C Herrera⁵, S Martos-Rosillo⁶, G Sapriza⁷, T Rigo⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Civil Engineering and Environment, Technical University of Catalonia (UPC), Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Department of Civil Engineering and Environment, Technical University of Catalonia (UPC), Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: [email protected].
³ Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Ambientali Biologiche e Farmaceutiche, Seconda Università di Napoli, Caserta, Italy; Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione di Palermo, Palermo, Italy. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁴ Geological Institute of Spain (IGME), Spain. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁵ Departamento de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Católica del Norte UCN), Antofagasta, Chile; Centro para el Desarrollo de Tecnologías de Explotación Sustentable de Recursos Hídricos en Zonas Áridas (CEITSAZA), Antofagasta, Chile. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁶ Geological Institute of Spain (IGME), Spain. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁷ Departamento del Agua, Centro Universitario Región Litoral Norte, Universidad de la República del Uruguay, Salto, Uruguay. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁸ Meteorological Service of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 26803681
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.12.034

Abstract

The time series of stable water isotope composition relative to IAEA-GNIP meteorological stations located in alpine zones are analyzed in order to study how the amplitude of the seasonal isotopic composition of precipitation (Aδ) varies along a vertical transect. A clear relationship between Aδ and local evaporation is obtained, with slopes of -0.87 ‰/100mm/yr and -7.3 ‰/100mm/yr for Aδ(18)O and Aδ(2)H, respectively. When all sampling points of the vertical transect receive the same moisture sources, then a linear relationship between Aδ and elevation is obtained, with vertical gradients of 0.16 ‰/100mm/yr and 1.46 ‰/100mm/yr forAδ(18)O and Aδ(2)H, respectively.

Keywords: Alpine precipitation; Environmental isotopes; Evaporation; Moisture source regions; Seasonal isotopic amplitude.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't