Journal article

Publication year: 2010

Pages: 1123-1134

Journal: Environmental Earth Sciences

Volume number: 61

Issue number: 6

ISSN: 1866-6280

eISSN: 1866-6299

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-009-0432-7

Publisher: Springer

Abstract: 
An intensive investigation of the spatial and temporal variations of delta D and delta O-18 in precipitation was conducted during 2002-2004 in six sites in the Heihe River Basin, Northwestern China. The delta D and delta O-18 values for 301 precipitation samples ranged from +59 to -254 and +6.5 to -33.4 parts per thousand, respectively. The relationship between delta D and delta O-18 defines a well-constrained line given by delta D = 7.82 delta O-18 + 7.63, which is nearly identical to the meteoric water line in the Northern China. This wide range indicates that stable isotopes in precipitation were primarily controlled by different condensation mechanisms as a function of air temperature and varying sources of moisture. The results of backward trajectory of each precipitation day at Xishui show that the moisture of the precipitation in cold season (October-March) mainly originated from the west while the moisture source was more complicated in warm season (April-September). The simulation of seasonal delta O-18 variation shows that the stable isotope composition of precipitation tended to a clear sine-wave seasonal variation. The spatial variation of delta O-18 shows that the weighted average delta O-18 values decreases with the increasing altitude of sampling sites. The great difference of air temperature which led to the differences of condensation mechanisms and local recycled continental moisture may have influence upon the isotopic composition of rain events in different sites.

Harvard Citation style: Wu, J., Ding, Y., Ye, B., Yang, Q., Zhang, X. and Wang, J. (2010) Spatio-temporal variation of stable isotopes in precipitation in the Heihe River Basin, Northwestern China, Environmental Earth Sciences, 61(6), pp. 1123-1134. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-009-0432-7

APA Citation style: Wu, J., Ding, Y., Ye, B., Yang, Q., Zhang, X., & Wang, J. (2010). Spatio-temporal variation of stable isotopes in precipitation in the Heihe River Basin, Northwestern China. Environmental Earth Sciences. 61(6), 1123-1134. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-009-0432-7