Controls on the Spatial Variability of Modern Meteoric 18O: Empirical Constraints from the Western U.S. and East Asia and Implications for Stable Isotope Studies

Clicks: 3
ID: 295060
2011
Free PDF
Article Quality & Performance Metrics
Overall Quality
Not rated
Combines reader engagement with the AI quality analysis. This article has not been analysed, so there is no overall score — reader engagement is measured and shown alongside.
AI Quality Assessment
Not analyzed
Readership in this journal
Emerging

Ranked #1,540 of 8,486 articles by views in american journal of science

Most read Least read

Bar heights use a square-root scale. Only the 120 most-read articles are drawn; the journal has 8,486 in total.

Mint this article as an NFT
Not yet minted

Create a permanent, verifiable on-chain record of this article on the Scimatic Network. The NFT is held in your Journament account, and you can withdraw it to your own wallet at any time.

5 SUSD one-off · no wallet required
Sign in to mint
Abstract
We analyze a dataset of multiannual modern precipitation and meteoric water records from the western U.S. (n = 206) and east Asia (n = 478) to (1) determine which environmental parameters correlate best with and account for spatial variability of meteoric water isotopic (δ^18^O and δD) compositions and (2) assess the degree to which this variability is a function of physiography and climatology. Multivariate linear regression analysis including five environmental parameters \[latitude, longitude, elevation, mean annual temperature (MAT), mean annual precipitation (MAP)\] reveals that latitude and elevation are consistently strongly correlated with meteoric δ^18^O distributions throughout much of the western U.S. and east Asia, but correlations with site longitude, MAT, and MAP can also be significant, depending on region. Our analysis also indicates that isotope-environment relationships are region-dependent. Isotope-elevation gradients are reduced by a factor of two or more in continental interior rainshadows (for example, Basin and Range) and high elevation continental plateaus (for example, Tibetan Plateau) in comparison to isotope-elevation gradients observed in orographic settings with a single dominant moisture source and relatively simple storm track trajectories (for example, Sierra Nevada and Himalaya). Published global and continental predictive equations for the calculation of modern meteoric water isotopic compositions that do not account for this regional variability are shown to be characterized by significant predictive uncertainties for modern δ^18^O values (∼ ±3-4‰), particularly in regions of complex moisture source interactions, continental moisture recycling and increased convective storm activity where reduced isotope-elevation gradients are also observed. We present new empirical relationships between environmental parameters and isotopic compositions that inform stable isotope-based reconstructions of climate change, timing and location of groundwater recharge, and paleoaltimetry by providing quantitative constraints on the statistical relationship between precipitation δ^18^O and individual environmental parameters (for example, latitude, elevation, temperature) and identifying how isotopic relationships are influenced by physiography and climatology. In particular, paleoelevation estimates in regions of low-magnitude isotope-elevation gradients (Basin and Range, Tibet) are shown to be prone to significant uncertainties (in some cases \> ±2 km). These relationships improve the interpretation of stable isotope proxy data, particularly in cases where the paleogeographic setting of proxy formation can be constrained.
Reference Key
openalex_W2321792633 Use this key to autocite in the manuscript while using SciMatic Manuscript Manager or Thesis Manager
Authors Alex R. Lechler, Nathan A. Niemi
Journal american journal of science
Year 2011
DOI
10.2475/08.2011.02
URL
https://ajs.scholasticahq.com/article/61862.pdf
Keywords Keywords not found

Citations

No citations found. To add a citation, contact the admin at info@scimatic.org

Comments

No comments yet. Be the first to comment on this article.