Abstract
This study integrated isotopic composition in precipitation at 50 stations on and around the Tibetan Plateau (TP) and demonstrated the distinct seasonality of isotopic composition in precipitation across the study period. The potential effect of water vapor isotopes on precipitation isotopes is studied by comparing the station precipitation data with extensive isotopic patterns in atmospheric water vapor, revealing the close linkage between the two. The analysis of contemporary water vapor transport and potential helps confirm the different mechanisms behind precipitation isotopic compositions in different areas, as the southern TP is more closely related to large-scale atmospheric circulation such as local Hadley and summer monsoon circulations during other seasons than winter, while the northern TP is subject to the westerly prevalence and advective moisture supply and precipitation processes. The new data presented in this manuscript also enrich the current dataset for the study of precipitation isotopes in this region and together provide a valuable database for verification of the isotope-integrated general circulation model and explanation of related physical processes.
Highlights
This study integrated isotopic composition in precipitation at 50 stations on and around the Tibetan Plateau (TP) and demonstrated the distinct seasonality of isotopic composition in precipitation across the study period
We studied 50 stations on and around the TP, having integrated ground stations set up by the Third Pole Environment with our existing stations and the Global Network on Isotopes in Precipitation (GNIP) dataset (Fig. 1)
Isotopic compositions in precipitation on the edge of the plateau show distinct seasonality and northwest-southeast contrast, featuring high values during months from March to May (MAM) in the southeastern part of the TP followed by low values in the other three seasons, while in the northwestern part, low values during MAM and DJF are in contrast with high values in the other two seasons (Fig. 2)
Summary
This study integrated isotopic composition in precipitation at 50 stations on and around the Tibetan Plateau (TP) and demonstrated the distinct seasonality of isotopic composition in precipitation across the study period. A complete understanding of water supplies seasonality to various parts of the TP will facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the interaction between the summer Indian monsoon and prevailing winter westerlies, which controls the seasonal shifts of precipitation amounts and sources[10] over the TP known as Asian water tower[11], and helps project, given an accurate understanding of the controlling mechanism in each sector, future hydrological scenarios In this sense, isotopic compositions in precipitation work as tracers and provide one method for observationally determining atmospheric circulation impacting the TP. Through studying the seasonality in the spatial distribution of long-term δ18O climatology, this research intends to provide an overall picture of precipitation stable isotopic signals with seasons, identify possible moisture sources, and water mass transport routes and processes responsible for the spatial distinction, and thereupon shed light on the seasonally distinct impacts of large-scale atmospheric circulation on regional precipitation over the TP
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