Seasonal variation and influence factors of river water isotopes in the East Asian monsoon region: a case study in the Xiangjiang River basin spanning 13 hydrological years

Abstract

Abstract. Seasonal variation and influencing factors of river water isotopes were investigated in the Xiangjiang River basin located in the East Asian monsoon region. This investigation involved comprehensive sampling of daily precipitation and river water with a 5 d interval as well as observing hydrometeorological factors spanning 13 hydrological years from January 2010 to December 2022, combined with the temporal and spatial correlation analyses based on linear regression and the isotopic Atmospheric Water Balance Model. Key findings are as follows: river water δ2H (δ2HR) exhibited significant seasonal variation, with the most positive and negative values occurring in the spring flood period and summer drought period, respectively, in alignment with those observed in precipitation. The correlations of the δ2HR with corresponding hydrometeorological factors with a 5 d interval were commonly weak due to the seasonality of precipitation isotopes and mixing of various water bodies within the basin, but the changes in the runoff (ΔR) and δ2HR (Δδ2HR) between two contiguous samplings with 5 d or higher intervals showed significant responses to the corresponding accumulated precipitation and evaporation. Prolonged rainless intervals with high evaporation rates in 2013 and 2022 as well as significant precipitation events in major flood periods in 2011 and 2017 had a significant impact on the δ2HR and runoff discharge. However, the most positive δ2HR values were primarily influenced by precipitation input with the most enriched isotopes in the spring flood period, while the moderately isotope-depleted precipitation during limited wetness conditions led to the most negative δ2HR. The spatial correlation analysis between water isotopes and hydrometeorological factors at the observing site and in the surrounding regions supported the representation of the Changsha site in the Xiangjiang River basin. These results underscore the potential of Δδ2HR as a proxy that reflects the seasonal variations in local environments, while caution is advised when interpreting extreme isotopic signals in river water. Overall, this study provides insights into the seasonal variation, extreme signal interpreting, and controlling factors of δ2HR in the study area, which was valuable for paleoclimate reconstruction and establishment of isotope hydrologic models.