Characterizing spatial and temporal variation in 18O and 2H content of New Zealand river water for better understanding of hydrologic processes

Abstract

AbstractTime series of hydrogen and oxygen stable isotope ratios (δ2H and δ18O) in rivers can be used to quantify groundwater contributions to streamflow, and timescales of catchment storage. However, these isotope hydrology techniques rely on distinct spatial or temporal patterns of δ2H and δ18O within the hydrologic cycle. In New Zealand, lack of understanding of spatial and temporal patterns of δ2H and δ18O of river water hinders development of regional and national‐scale hydrological models. We measured δ2H and δ18O monthly, together with river flow rates at 58 locations across New Zealand over a two‐year period. Results show: (a) general patterns of decreasing δ2H and δ18O with increasing latitude were altered by New Zealand's major mountain ranges; δ2H and δ18O were distinctly lower in rivers fed from higher elevation catchments, and in eastern rain‐shadow areas of both islands; (b) river water δ2H and δ18O values were partly controlled by local catchment characteristics (catchment slope, PET, catchment elevation, and upstream lake area) that influence evaporation processes; (c) regional differences in evaporation caused the slope of the river water line (i.e., the relationship between δ2H and δ18O in river water) for the (warmer) North Island to be lower than that of the (cooler, mountain‐dominated) South Island; (d) δ2H seasonal offsets (i.e., the difference between seasonal peak and mean values) for individual sites ranged from 0.50‰ to 5.07‰. Peak values of δ18O and δ2H were in late summer, but values peaked 1 month later at the South Island sites, likely due to greater snow‐melt contributions to streamflow. Strong spatial differences in river water δ2H and δ18O caused by orographic rainfall effects and evaporation may inform studies of water mixing across landscapes. Generally distinct seasonal isotope cycles, despite the large catchment sizes of rivers studied, are encouraging for transit time analysis applications.