Spatio-temporal variation of stable isotopes in precipitation in the Heihe River Basin, Northwestern China

Abstract

An intensive investigation of the spatial and temporal variations of δD and δ 18O in precipitation was conducted during 2002–2004 in six sites in the Heihe River Basin, Northwestern China. The δD and δ 18O values for 301 precipitation samples ranged from +59 to −254 and +6.5 to −33.4‰, respectively. The relationship between δD and δ 18O defines a well-constrained line given by $$ \delta D = 7.82\delta {}^{18}{\text{O}} + 7.63 $$ , 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 δ 18O variation shows that the stable isotope composition of precipitation tended to a clear sine-wave seasonal variation. The spatial variation of δ 18O shows that the weighted average δ 18O 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.