Stable isotope compositions (δ2H, δ18O and δ17O) of rainfall and snowfall in the central United States

Abstract Stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen (δ2H, δ18O and δ17O) can be used as natural tracers to improve our understanding of hydrological and meteorological processes. Studies of precipitation isotopes, especially 17O-excess observations, are extremely limited in the mid-latitudes. To fill th...

Descripción completa

Guardado en:
Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Chao Tian, Lixin Wang, Kudzai Farai Kaseke, Broxton W. Bird
Formato: article
Lenguaje:EN
Publicado: Nature Portfolio 2018
Materias:
R
Q
Acceso en línea:https://doaj.org/article/a07772f1f4ea4b2cab94b4b15509252f
Etiquetas: Agregar Etiqueta
Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!
id oai:doaj.org-article:a07772f1f4ea4b2cab94b4b15509252f
record_format dspace
spelling oai:doaj.org-article:a07772f1f4ea4b2cab94b4b15509252f2021-12-02T11:40:26ZStable isotope compositions (δ2H, δ18O and δ17O) of rainfall and snowfall in the central United States10.1038/s41598-018-25102-72045-2322https://doaj.org/article/a07772f1f4ea4b2cab94b4b15509252f2018-04-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-25102-7https://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322Abstract Stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen (δ2H, δ18O and δ17O) can be used as natural tracers to improve our understanding of hydrological and meteorological processes. Studies of precipitation isotopes, especially 17O-excess observations, are extremely limited in the mid-latitudes. To fill this knowledge gap, we measured δ2H, δ18O and δ17O of event-based precipitation samples collected from Indianapolis, Indiana, USA over two years and investigated the influence of meteorological factors on precipitation isotope variations. The results showed that the daily temperature played a major role in controlling the isotope variations. Precipitation experienced kinetic fractionation associated with evaporation at the moisture source in the spring and summer and for rainfall, while snowfall, as well as precipitation in the fall and winter, were mainly affected by equilibrium fractionation. The 17O-excess of both rainfall and snowfall were not affected by local meteorological factors over the whole study period. At the seasonal scale, it was the case only for the spring. Therefore, 17O-excess of rainfall, snowfall and the spring precipitation could be considered as tracers of evaporative conditions at the moisture source. This study provides a unique precipitation isotope dataset for mid-latitudes and provides a more mechanistic understanding of precipitation formation mechanisms in this region.Chao TianLixin WangKudzai Farai KasekeBroxton W. BirdNature PortfolioarticleMedicineRScienceQENScientific Reports, Vol 8, Iss 1, Pp 1-15 (2018)
institution DOAJ
collection DOAJ
language EN
topic Medicine
R
Science
Q
spellingShingle Medicine
R
Science
Q
Chao Tian
Lixin Wang
Kudzai Farai Kaseke
Broxton W. Bird
Stable isotope compositions (δ2H, δ18O and δ17O) of rainfall and snowfall in the central United States
description Abstract Stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen (δ2H, δ18O and δ17O) can be used as natural tracers to improve our understanding of hydrological and meteorological processes. Studies of precipitation isotopes, especially 17O-excess observations, are extremely limited in the mid-latitudes. To fill this knowledge gap, we measured δ2H, δ18O and δ17O of event-based precipitation samples collected from Indianapolis, Indiana, USA over two years and investigated the influence of meteorological factors on precipitation isotope variations. The results showed that the daily temperature played a major role in controlling the isotope variations. Precipitation experienced kinetic fractionation associated with evaporation at the moisture source in the spring and summer and for rainfall, while snowfall, as well as precipitation in the fall and winter, were mainly affected by equilibrium fractionation. The 17O-excess of both rainfall and snowfall were not affected by local meteorological factors over the whole study period. At the seasonal scale, it was the case only for the spring. Therefore, 17O-excess of rainfall, snowfall and the spring precipitation could be considered as tracers of evaporative conditions at the moisture source. This study provides a unique precipitation isotope dataset for mid-latitudes and provides a more mechanistic understanding of precipitation formation mechanisms in this region.
format article
author Chao Tian
Lixin Wang
Kudzai Farai Kaseke
Broxton W. Bird
author_facet Chao Tian
Lixin Wang
Kudzai Farai Kaseke
Broxton W. Bird
author_sort Chao Tian
title Stable isotope compositions (δ2H, δ18O and δ17O) of rainfall and snowfall in the central United States
title_short Stable isotope compositions (δ2H, δ18O and δ17O) of rainfall and snowfall in the central United States
title_full Stable isotope compositions (δ2H, δ18O and δ17O) of rainfall and snowfall in the central United States
title_fullStr Stable isotope compositions (δ2H, δ18O and δ17O) of rainfall and snowfall in the central United States
title_full_unstemmed Stable isotope compositions (δ2H, δ18O and δ17O) of rainfall and snowfall in the central United States
title_sort stable isotope compositions (δ2h, δ18o and δ17o) of rainfall and snowfall in the central united states
publisher Nature Portfolio
publishDate 2018
url https://doaj.org/article/a07772f1f4ea4b2cab94b4b15509252f
work_keys_str_mv AT chaotian stableisotopecompositionsd2hd18oandd17oofrainfallandsnowfallinthecentralunitedstates
AT lixinwang stableisotopecompositionsd2hd18oandd17oofrainfallandsnowfallinthecentralunitedstates
AT kudzaifaraikaseke stableisotopecompositionsd2hd18oandd17oofrainfallandsnowfallinthecentralunitedstates
AT broxtonwbird stableisotopecompositionsd2hd18oandd17oofrainfallandsnowfallinthecentralunitedstates
_version_ 1718395598494760960