Atmospheric Origin Research Articles

Distribution of the stable isotopes (δ18O, δD и δ13C) in natural waters of the Baydar valley (Crimean Peninsula)

Results of the study of the stable isotopes (δ18O, δD and δ13C) distribution in natural waters of the Baydar valley (southwestern part of the Crimean Peninsula) are presented. The study region holds fresh and ultra-fresh waters of predominantly bicarbonate calcium composition with TDS varying from 194 to 1137 mg/dm3. The research results revealed that all of the studied waters are of atmospheric origin that lie either along the global (GMWL) or local (LMWL) meteoric water lines. The established variations are: from -9.5 to -5.6‰ for δ18O values in waters with δD values varying from -64.0 to -40.0‰. The source for bicarbonate ion enriched in δ13C in natural waters of the Bauydar valley are carbonate sedimentary rocks, atmospheric carbon dioxide and organic compounds. Surface waters have heavier isotopic composition δ13C (-9.2 – -7.0‰) because of the atmospheric CO2. Artesian waters are differentiated by lighter δ13C (-12.8 – -10.7‰) due to the interactions between carbonate rocks and the dispersed organic matter. Water sources (springs, wells) are characterized by the widest variations of δ13C (-6.9 – -15.5‰) due to the presence of the atmospheric CO2 and intense processes of biochemical decomposition of organic compounds in the soil layer.

Protection of 25 kV electrified railway system

Improving the reliability of an electrified railway operation system requires protection against overvoltage, particularly those of atmospheric origin. The most serious threat to the traction system is lightning when it strikes the mast or conductors. The ZnO arresters are used to protect a system from this phenomenon. In the present investigation the system under study is developed and each element is represented by a model corresponding in EMTP program and some elements are modelled using the models section in ATP EMTP. Protective effect of the surge arrester and discharge current which passes through it is analysed and discussed in case lightning strikes a mast. The simulation results have shown that the surge arrester reduces overvoltage in primary power transformer traction below the basic insulation level, under critical conditions.

Research on water interconnections within the Sar Mountains aquatorium by radioactive hydrogen isotope tritium

The waters of two lakes and two streams that dominate in the Sar Mountains aquatorium were analyzed. The tritium profile of soil was also recorded. All samples were taken at approximately the same time, together with samples of precipitation. During the period of taking samples, the ambient temperature conditions were taken into account for ten days around the time of sampling. Monitoring of the seasonal maximum with taking into account the obtained tritium soil profile and the temperature on and around the day of sampling unambiguously showed that all tested water in the Sar Mountains aquatorium is of atmospheric origin and as such unsuitable for any major transformation for commercial purposes.

GENESIS OF THE THERMAL-MINERAL WATERS OF ILIDŽA, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

The springs of thermal-mineral waters (TMWs) of Ilidža near Sarajevo appear at the transition of the Central and Inner Dinarides of Bosnia and Herzegovina, at the overthrust front of the Bosnian Flysch and the far southeastern part of Sarajevo-Zenica Tertiary Basin. The wider area of Ilidža is composed of Mesozoic and Cenozoic deposits. The genesis of the TMWs of Ilidža was determined from the structural-tectonic relationships and hydrogeological features of the terrain, as well as from the analysis of hydrogeochemical indicators and isotopic compositions of water and gases. Hydrogeochemical methods included analysis of the hydrocarbon indicators, ionic ratio calculations and genetic classifications. The primary aquifer of TMWs of Ilidža are Permian-Triassic sediments with gypsum and anhydrites, and secondary aquifers are Triassic carbonates and alluvial deposits. The temperature of the TMWs resulted from the interaction of infiltration depth of atmospheric water and the geothermal gradient. Static pressure in the lenses of Permian-Triassic deposits and the dynamic factors of TMWs, moving and ascending through porous rocks over long distances under extremely high pressures, contributed as well. The TMWs are of atmospheric origin and had no interaction with the atmospheric or surface waters since the year of 1953. TMWs are formed in the Upper Pleistocene, at the time of the cold climate within the epoch. Sulphates in TMWs originated from the Permian-Triassic evaporites. H2S is produced under sulphate reducing conditions and CO2 is produced from metamorphosed carbonates.

Estimation of Impact From Surface Runoff on Water Objects in Urban Landscape Conditions

The quality of surface water remains an important issue today. This is particularly acute for water bodies located in the urban-basin geosystems. Purpose. To estimate pressure of atmospheric precipitation within the urban landscape basin geosystem on the river water (by example of the Kharkiv river). Methods. Field landscaping, ecological, landscape-geochemical; analytical; system analysis; chemical analytical; statistical Results. An assessment of the state of surface waters under the impact from the surface runoff of atmospheric origin during 2014-2016, and partly from 2017-2019, formed under the influence of the transport (partly residential) subsystem of the urban area and surface waters in Kharkiv. On the salt content, the characteristic of water quality is "moderately polluted" (1,6); on the tropho-saprobiological indicators, the quality of water is characterized as "polluted" (from 3.1 to 2.75 along the river). It is in this context the impact of waters, which is formed in the conditions of the urban environment for the quality of natural waters, is well demonstrated. The presence of high values of pollutants and natural factors. The assessment of the quality of water on the content of specific indicators is "moderately polluted" (from 2.28 to 1.85). Conclusions. The water of the Kharkiv region, which has a strong influence from the urban environment, has a grade III quality; the water is "moderately polluted". Environmental assessment indicates the impact of surface runoff already on the middle part of the river, which increases in accordance with the conditions of the operation of urban landscapes and anthropogenic (transport) load.

Origin and Early Evolution of Terrestrial Planet Atmospheres and Oceans

Origin and Early Evolution of Terrestrial Planet Atmospheres and Oceans

Unseasonal development of post-sunset F-region irregularities over Southeast Asia on 28 July 2014: 2. Forcing from below?

An unseasonal development of Equatorial Plasma Bubble (EPB)/Equatorial Spread-F (ESF) activity in a wide longitudinal sector over India and Southeast Asia during the post-sunset hours of 28 July 2014 has been investigated in detail using the multiple independent observations in this paper and a companion paper by (Prog Earth Planet Sci 5:10, 2018). This post-sunset ESF/EPB event was preceded by a substantial elevation of the equatorial F-layer due to strong pre-reversal enhancement (PRE) during the season which is climatologically unfavorable for strong PRE and post-sunset EPBs. In this paper, it is found that a strong equatorward meridional neutral wind at off-equatorial E-region and enhanced longitudinal gradient of equatorial electrojet appear to be the responsible candidates for the enhanced PRE and EPB development on 28 July 2014. These changes in the local wind system and PRE are found to have an apparent connection with the planetary wave forces of lower atmospheric origin. Both the post-sunset height rise (PSSR) and lower thermospheric meridional neutral wind consistently exhibit quasi-2-day planetary wave-like oscillations during 20–31 July 2014 with maximum amplitudes on 28 July 2014. This study emphasizes the role of planetary wave forces from the lower atmosphere that can alter the local neutral wind system and E-region conductivities that may lead to the development of strong PRE and EPB activity which were otherwise climatologically unfavorable for post-sunset EPB/ESF development.

May lichen biomonitoring of air pollution be used for environmental justice assessment? A case study from an area of N Italy with a municipal solid waste incinerator

In this work, we aimed to identify the contribution of a municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) to the air contamination of a complex urbanized area of N Italy using lichen transplants as biomonitors, and to compare the values of contamination with the data of socio-economic deprivation of the population living in the area. The method adopted allowed the identification of the elements of atmospheric origin that contaminate the study area. Although not distinguishable from the background, the contribution of the MSWI could be apportioned and mercury emerged as atmospheric tracer. Although not posing immediate risk, it is advisable to monitor in time the accumulation of Hg in biological systems. Consistently with similar studies, in the surrounding of the MSWI, we observed also the highest socio-economic deprivation. Overall, we found a close correlation between socio-economic deprivation and air pollution, clearly showing that the most disadvantaged population is clustered in the most polluted areas.

Formation of glacier runoff on the northern slope of Tavan Bogd mountain massif based on stable isotopes data

This investigation is based on measurements of stable isotopes concentrations (δD and δ18О) in water, snow and ice samples. Glaciers are composed of ice, snow, and fi n of atmospheric origin. The isotopic composition of these components is different, so when melting they form the melted glacial water with different isotope characteristics. Summer precipitation contains the heaviest isotopes, but only a small part of them remains on the glacier. The average isotopic composition of glacier ice represents the average composition of precipitation that accumulates on it. However, snow and fi n of different seasons can occur on the glacier surface, the isotopic composition of which differs from the isotopic composition of glacier ice. At different times of the ablation season different parts of the glacier melt, therefore the isotopic composition of melt waters will be different. Differences in the isotopic composition of the major runoff-forming components on the Northern slopes of the massif Tabyn-Bogdo-Ola had been identified. A part of melting ice in the formation of the runoff on this massif is determined by estimation of the isotopic composition of snow, ice, and fi n on different glaciers of this region. The average δ18О of snow on the glacier surface is −11.9‰, and this snow can be attributed to the precipitation fallen in late spring or early summer. Measured average isotopic composition of precipitation (δ18О = −11.9‰) was compared with the online calculator of the isotope content in precipitation (OIPC). The isotopic composition of glacial melt waters on the Northern macro-slope in the middle of July 2015 (δ18О = −15.3‰) differs from the isotopic composition of the territory of the Mongolian part of the massif (δ18О = −17.4‰) obtained from results of the analysis of eight samples taken at different edges of the glaciers at the beginning of August 2013. Isotopic separation shows important role of summer snow in feeding the glacial rivers of the massif even in the middle of the ablation season, especially for glaciers in the central part of the massif. The role of seasonal snow in feeding the glacier streams depends on the morphological type of glacier. It is maximum for corrie glaciers and minimum for the valley ones.

A Statistical Study of Ionospheric Boundary Wave Formation at Venus

AbstractPrevious missions to Venus have revealed that encounters with plasma irregularities of atmospheric origin outside the atmosphere are not uncommon. A number of mechanisms have been proposed to discuss their origins as well as their roles in the atmospheric evolution of Venus. One such mechanism involves an ionopause with a wavelike appearance. By utilizing the magnetic field and plasma data from Venus Express, we present the first observational statistical analysis of the ionospheric boundary wave phenomena at Venus using data from 2006 to 2014. Results from the minimum variance analysis of all the photoelectron dropout events in the ionosphere reveal that the ionopause of Venus does not always appear to be smooth but often exhibits a wavelike appearance. In the northern polar region of Venus, the normal directions of the rippled ionospheric boundary crossings lie mainly in the terminator plane with the largest component predominantly along the dawn‐dusk (YVSO) direction. The average estimated wavelength of the boundary wave is 212 ± 12 km, and the average estimated velocity difference across the ionopause is 104 ± 6 km/s. The results suggest that the rippled boundary is a result of Kelvin‐Helmholtz instability. Analysis reveals a correlation between the normal directions and the locations of the boundary wave with respect to Venus. This indicates that the draping of magnetic field lines may play a role in enhancing the plasma flow along the dawn‐dusk direction, which could subsequently set up a velocity shear that favors the excitation of ionospheric boundary wave by the Kelvin‐Helmholtz instability along the dawn‐dusk direction.

Five-S-isotope evidence of two distinct mass-independent sulfur isotope effects and implications for the modern and Archean atmospheres

The signature of mass-independent fractionation of quadruple sulfur stable isotopes (S-MIF) in Archean rocks, ice cores, and Martian meteorites provides a unique probe of the oxygen and sulfur cycles in the terrestrial and Martian paleoatmospheres. Its mechanistic origin, however, contains some uncertainties. Even for the modern atmosphere, the primary mechanism responsible for the S-MIF observed in nearly all tropospheric sulfates has not been identified. Here we present high-sensitivity measurements of a fifth sulfur isotope, stratospherically produced radiosulfur, along with all four stable sulfur isotopes in the same sulfate aerosols and a suite of chemical species to define sources and mechanisms on a field observational basis. The five-sulfur-isotope and multiple chemical species analysis approach provides strong evidence that S-MIF signatures in tropospheric sulfates are concomitantly affected by two distinct processes: an altitude-dependent positive 33S anomaly, likely linked to stratospheric SO2 photolysis, and a negative 36S anomaly mainly associated with combustion. Our quadruple stable sulfur isotopic measurements in varying coal samples (formed in the Carboniferous, Permian, and Triassic periods) and in SO2 emitted from combustion display normal 33S and 36S, indicating that the observed negative 36S anomalies originate from a previously unknown S-MIF mechanism during combustion (likely recombination reactions) instead of coal itself. The basic chemical physics of S-MIF in both photolytic and thermal reactions and their interplay, which were not explored together in the past, may be another ingredient for providing deeper understanding of the evolution of Earth's atmosphere and life's origin.

Response of phytoplankton to enhanced atmospheric and riverine nutrient inputs in a coastal upwelling embayment

Over the past decades, as a consequence of human activity, there was an increase in nutrient inputs to the ocean and they are expected to enhance even more in the future. Coastal areas, accounting for a significant proportion of marine primary productivity, are the most vulnerable zones to anthropogenic impacts. The response of phytoplankton communities to an increase in organic and inorganic nutrients levels from natural allochthonous sources was assessed in microcosm experiments conducted in a coastal system affected by intermittent upwelling events (Ría de Vigo, NW Iberia). Three nutrient addition experiments were performed in spring, summer and autumn, when surface water was supplemented with 5 and 10% of atmospheric and riverine matter. Pico-, nano- and microphytoplankton abundances, chlorophyll a concentration (Chl a) and primary production rates (PP) were measured and compared with those in the control seawater sample (without additions) after 48 h of incubation. Simultaneous experiments with controlled additions of inorganic and organic nutrients were also performed in order to describe the limiting nutrient for phytoplankton growth at each experiment. The composition of the matter inputs and the structure of the phytoplankton communities determined the type of response observed. Phytoplankton responses varied among seasons, being positively correlated with dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) concentrations. As expected, the phytoplankton responses to external nutrient inputs were stronger under low nutrient levels (summer) than when phytoplankton was already growing in nutrient replete conditions (spring). Null and negative responses to the natural inputs were observed in autumn, which suggests that the oceanic phytoplankton advected to this coastal system during downwelling events could be occasionally inhibited by these nutrient inputs. In a future global change scenario, characterized by enhanced nutrient inputs from riverine and atmospheric origin, the response of phytoplankton communities will strongly depend on the concentration and chemical composition of these inputs and on the structure of phytoplankton communities able to respond to them.

Polar desert chronologies through quantitative measurements of salt accumulation

We measured salt concentration and speciation in the top horizons of moraine sediments from the Transantarctic Mountains (Antarctica) and compared the salt data to cosmogenic-nuclide exposure ages on the same moraine. Because the salts are primarily of atmospheric origin, and their delivery to the sediment is constant over relevant time scales, a linear rate of accumulation is expected. When salts are measured in a consistent grain-size fraction and at a consistent position within the soil column, a linear correlation between salt concentration and exposure age is evident. This correlation is strongest for boron-containing salts (R2 > 0.99), but is also strong (R2 ≈ 0.9) for most other water-extracted salt species. The relative mobility of salts in the soil column does not correspond to species solubility (borate is highly soluble). Instead, the highly consistent behavior of boron within the soil column is best explained by the extremely low vapor pressure of boric acid at cold temperatures. The environment is sufficiently dry that mobility of salt species within the soil column is controlled by vapor phase effects. In other cold desert settings, topsoil salts, specifically boron, may be employed as a proxy for relative sediment exposure age.

Recent Results from IceCube

The IceCube Neutrino Observatory is a cubic kilometer detector located at the geographic South Pole. IceCube was designed to detect high-energy neutrinos from cosmic sources, and the DeepCore extension of IceCube enables the study of atmospheric neutrino interactions down to energies of a few GeV. IceCube has detected a diffuse flux of neutrinos in the energy range from 100 TeV to several PeV, the properties of which are inconsistent with an atmospheric origin, and has also published competitive limits on atmospheric neutrino oscillation parameters and other neutrino properties. This paper presents the latest results from IceCube and prospects for future upgrades and expansions of the detector.

Carbonate weathering-related carbon sink fluxes under different land uses: A case study from the Shawan Simulation Test Site, Puding, Southwest China

In the study of global climate change, a major focus of research into the carbon cycle is to determine the fate of missing carbon sinks. Carbonate weathering-related carbon sinks as a result of water‑carbonate-CO2-aquatic phototroph interactions may make a major contribution. Establishing optimal land uses, which determine soil CO2 concentrations and water supplies for carbonate dissolution, may be a feasible and effective way to increase the sink potential. Elucidating both the hydrological and the hydrochemical behavior under different land uses is critical for rational planning of land use changes to increase the carbon sink. Given the complexity within natural karst catchments, the Shawan Simulation Test Site was established at Puding, Southwest China, to simulate the influence of land uses with controlled carbonate test beds - bare rock, bare soil, crop land, grass land, shrub land. Soil CO2 concentrations, hydrochemical parameters (pH, major ion concentrations) and the ‘spring’ (artificial drain) discharge were intensively measured from Sept. 1, 2015 to Aug. 31, 2016 to investigate the carbon and water responses to different land uses in different seasons. In the vegetated land uses (crop, grass or shrub), DIC increased due to the increase of soil CO2 resulting from stronger microbial activities and root respiration in summer and autumn growing seasons. In the bare rock and soil cases, there was also an increase in DIC in summer and autumn, due to decomposition of prior organic matter within soils and/or rock pores. The average DIC concentration ranking, high to low, was grass land, shrub land, crop land, bare soil, bare rock. Soil CO2 concentration was thus the dominant of DIC concentration, which is a key multiplier of carbon sink fluxes (CSF=0.5∗[DIC]∗RD, where RD is depth of runoff, [DIC] is DIC concentration, and 0.5 because in carbonate dissolution, only half of the [HCO3−] is of atmospheric carbon origin). However, runoff depth ranked almost in reverse order, i.e., from high to low, bare rock, bare soil, crop land, shrub land, grass land. The CSF ranking, from high to low, was grass, crop, shrub, bare rock, bare soil. A new parameter, LCIC (Land use Change Impact on CSF) is defined to compare the impacts of land use change on [DIC] and RD, and evaluate their combined effects on CSF. Compared to bare rock, the absolute values of LCIC (|LCIC|s) were >1, and CSFs were larger for the three tanks with vegetation cover; CSF is smaller for bare soil, |LCIC|<1. Finally, it was found that grass land may constitute an optimal land-use for increasing the carbonate weathering-related carbon sink that is critical for carbon management to counter global warming.

Analysis of Temporal and Spatial Variations in Trace Element Migration in Karst Critical Zone:An Example of Jiguan Cave, Henan

To explore the temporal and spatial variations and the process of trace element migration in the karst critical zone, continuous fixed-point monitoring and sampling analysis was applied to measure each cave system component, which includes rainfall, soils, bedrock, drip waters, and their aerial sediment. Approximately 650 experimental data were obtained from October 2009 to May 2015 in a typical karst critical zone in north China-an interactive zone of the Jiguan Cave in the west Henan Province. The variations in and the migration rules of Ca, Mg, Ba, Sr, and δ13C as well as their ratios to different components were studied. The results show that:① Soil and bedrock are the main sources of drip water. The values of Mg, Ba, and Sr are consistent with the "soil-bedrock" two end-members model and their respective proportions are 43.6:56.4, 1.01:98.09, and 47.2:52.8. ② From the spatial perspective, element migration of each component in the cave system interactive zone is interrelated. Drip water inherits the signals of the soil and bedrock and the modern sediment can continue the element information of the drip water. Elements in the soil profile cause the leaching and deposition effect and the subsoil better inherits the information of trace elements in the bedrock. ③ From the temporal perspective, the migration of elements in the cave system interactive zone is complex. Because of the leaching effect, soil and drip water show obvious seasonal discrepancies. However, under the influence of karst water migration path, the prior calcite precipitation (PCP), and extreme arid and annual precipitation type, the seasonal discrepancy in the element concentrations in drip water is smaller than in soil. The PCP effect, selective leaching, and other factors change the continuity of elements released from sediment to drip water. ④ In order to systematically and comprehensively ascertain the trace element migration in the karst critical zone and energy transformation rules, the study of cave system should be based on the research of the cave's critical zone and should consider comprehensive information ranging from the atmospheric origins to secondary sediments.

A conceptual model for groundwater circulation using isotopes and geochemical tracers coupled with hydrodynamics: A case study of the Lez karst system, France

Geochemical and isotopic tracers (δ18O, δ2H, 87Sr/86Sr and δ13CTDIC) were used to constrain origins and chemical evolution of groundwater in a Mediterranean karst system. The Lez spring is the main perennial outlet of this karst system and supplies the metropolitan area of Montpellier (southern France) with drinking water. Groundwater samples were collected at the Lez spring and surrounding springs and wells under different hydrodynamic conditions during two hydrological years, from June 2008 until May 2010. The results show that multiple hydrological compartments interact through an important network of fractures and faults. They notably reveal connections between the main Jurassic limestone aquifer and the overlying Cretaceous (Valanginian) compartment, and between the surface and deep levels of the karst system. Isotopic tracers provided information about atmospheric recharge origins, lithological signatures and chemical evolution of waters. Long residence-time groundwaters, issued from deep layers have a Triassic hydrochemical fingerprinting, being enriched in δ13CTDIC and characterized by high concentrations in Cl− as well as high Sr/Ca, Mg/Ca and 87Sr/86Sr ratios. Evidences suggest that these waters mix with waters from the lower layers of the main Jurassic aquifer constitute an intermediate storage compartment prone to rise through piston-flow mechanism. A two-end member hydrograph separation based on EC-TDS was used to determine the proportion of the deep compartment's contribution to the Lez spring outflow. On average over the study period, the main aquifer compartment and the deep aquifer compartment are estimated to contribute 92.6% and 7.4% of groundwater flow at the Lez spring, respectively.

Meteotsunamis Occurring Along the Southwest Coast of South America During an Intense Storm

In this paper, we report meteotsunamis occurring along the Chilean and Peruvian coasts. These atmospherically induced tsunami-like oscillations were instrumentally recorded during an intense storm that affected central Chile on August 8th, 2015. The storm was characterized by strong winds, a locally unprecedented atmospheric low pressure and intense sea-level oscillations which caused six casualties and severe damage to infrastructure along ~500 km of coastline. The meteotsunamis are analyzed on both regional and local scales. On the regional scale, the temporal behavior and spatial behavior were discussed from the analysis of various tide gauges covering roughly 3000 km of the southwest coast of South America, between Callao, in central Peru, and Lebu, in southern Chile. Surprisingly, the phenomenon was recorded in the majority of the tide gauges in this vast region. On the area constrained by the storm region, a more detailed analysis is performed. We confirm the atmospheric origin of these intense sea-level oscillations by further analyzing meteorological records of air pressure and wind. An attempt to explain local (shelf and harbor) resonant mechanisms is achieved by means of wavelet analysis, while Greenspan and Proudman resonance mechanisms are superficially analyzed. Our results indicate that large meteotsunamis can occur along the west coast of South America and, when combined with other meteooceanographic conditions, may cause damage levels comparable to those resulting from Mw >8 earthquake generated tsunamis.

Atmospheric and Oceanic Origins of Tropical Precipitation Variability

The intrinsic atmospheric and ocean-induced tropical precipitation variability is studied using millennial control simulations with various degrees of ocean coupling. A comparison between the coupled simulation and the atmosphere-only simulation with climatological sea surface temperatures (SSTs) shows that a substantial amount of tropical precipitation variability is generated without oceanic influence. This intrinsic atmospheric variability features a red noise spectrum from daily to monthly time scales and a white noise spectrum beyond the monthly time scale. The oceanic impact is inappreciable for submonthly time scales but important at interannual and longer time scales. For time scales longer than a year, it enhances precipitation variability throughout much of the tropical oceans and suppresses it in some subtropical areas, preferentially in the summer hemisphere. The sign of the ocean-induced precipitation variability can be inferred from the local precipitation–SST relationship, which largely reflects the local feedbacks between the two, although nonlocal forcing associated with El Niño–Southern Oscillation also plays a role. The thermodynamic and dynamic nature of the ocean-induced precipitation variability is studied by comparing the fully coupled and slab ocean simulations. For time scales longer than a year, equatorial precipitation variability is almost entirely driven by ocean circulation, except in the Atlantic Ocean. In the rest of the tropics, ocean-induced precipitation variability is dominated by mixed layer thermodynamics. Additional analyses indicate that both dynamic and thermodynamic oceanic processes are important for establishing the leading modes of large-scale tropical precipitation variability. On the other hand, ocean dynamics likely dampens tropical Pacific variability at multidecadal time scales and beyond.

Genesis of the Jinding Zn-Pb deposit, northwest Yunnan Province, China: Constraints from rare earth elements and noble gas isotopes

The giant sediment-hosted Jinding zinc-lead deposit is located in the Lanping Basin, northwestern Yunnan Province, China. The genesis of the deposit has long been debated and the sources of the ore-forming fluids and metals are controversial. This study presents rare earth element (REE) and noble gas isotope data that constrain the origins of the ore fluids and the heat source driving the hydrothermal circulation. The early-stage sulfides are enriched in light REEs and have high ∑REE values (30.8–94.8ppm) and weakly negative Eu (δEu 0.85–0.89) and Ce anomalies (δCe 0.84–0.95), suggesting that the fluids were likely derived from dissolution of Upper Triassic marine carbonates with input of REEs from aluminosilicate rocks in the basin. In contrast, the late-stage sulfides have irregular REE patterns, generally low ∑REE values (0.24–10.8ppm) and positive Eu (δEu 1.22–10.9) and weakly negative Ce anomalies (δCe 0.53–0.90), which suggest that the ore-forming fluids interacted with evaporite minerals. The 3He/4He (0.01–0.04 Ra) and 40Ar/36Ar values (301–340) of the ore-forming fluids indicate crustal and atmospheric origins for these noble gases. These findings are in agreement with the published fluid inclusion microthermometry data and the results of H, O, C, S, Pb and Sr isotope studies. Our data, in combination with published results, support a two-stage hydrothermal mineralization model, involving early-stage basinal brines and late-stage meteoric water that acquired metals and heat from crustal sources.