Articles | Volume 17, issue 5
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-2135-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-2135-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Global Stable Isotope Dataset for Surface Water
Rui Li
College of Geography and Environmental Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
Shiyang River Ecological Environment Observation Station, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
Key Laboratory of Resource Environment and Sustainable Development of Oasis, Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
College of Geography and Environmental Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
Shiyang River Ecological Environment Observation Station, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
Key Laboratory of Resource Environment and Sustainable Development of Oasis, Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
Longhu Chen
College of Geography and Environmental Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
Shiyang River Ecological Environment Observation Station, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
Key Laboratory of Resource Environment and Sustainable Development of Oasis, Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
Xiaoyu Qi
College of Geography and Environmental Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
Siyu Lu
College of Geography and Environmental Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
Shiyang River Ecological Environment Observation Station, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
Key Laboratory of Resource Environment and Sustainable Development of Oasis, Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
Gaojia Meng
College of Geography and Environmental Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
Shiyang River Ecological Environment Observation Station, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
Key Laboratory of Resource Environment and Sustainable Development of Oasis, Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
Yuhao Wang
College of Geography and Environmental Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
Shiyang River Ecological Environment Observation Station, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
Key Laboratory of Resource Environment and Sustainable Development of Oasis, Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
Wenmin Li
College of Geography and Environmental Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
Shiyang River Ecological Environment Observation Station, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
Key Laboratory of Resource Environment and Sustainable Development of Oasis, Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
Zhijie Zheng
College of Geography and Environmental Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
Shiyang River Ecological Environment Observation Station, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
Key Laboratory of Resource Environment and Sustainable Development of Oasis, Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
Jiangwei Yang
College of Geography and Environmental Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
Shiyang River Ecological Environment Observation Station, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
Key Laboratory of Resource Environment and Sustainable Development of Oasis, Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
Yani Gun
College of Geography and Environmental Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
Shiyang River Ecological Environment Observation Station, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
Key Laboratory of Resource Environment and Sustainable Development of Oasis, Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
Related authors
Jiangwei Yang, Guofeng Zhu, Rui Li, Yinying Jiao, Xiaoyu Qi, Zhijie Zheng, Wenmin Li, and Yani Gun
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4004, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4004, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Biogeosciences (BG).
Short summary
Short summary
Using stable isotopes in sprinkler irrigated alfalfa, this study shows: soil water isotopes became depleted after irrigation and returned to preirrigation levels in 9 days; water movement was mainly vertical with minimal horizontal flow; evaporation losses were 32 %, and excess irrigation caused 5 % percolation below 60 cm. sprinklers limit deep percolation but have high evaporation losses. Recommend low level multipoint sprinkling and nighttime irrigation to boost water use efficiency.
Yinying Jiao, Guofeng Zhu, Dongdong Qiu, Siyu Lu, Gaojia Meng, Rui Li, Qinqin Wang, Longhu Chen, and Wentong Li
Biogeosciences, 22, 4433–4448, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-4433-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-4433-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study shows that transpiration is the key reason behind the high-altitude forest zone's limited runoff generation. Furthermore, within the altitude range of 2500–3200 m, an increase in recirculated water vapour was observed alongside an increase in precipitation, suggesting a direct positive correlation between these two factors.
Jiangwei Yang, Liyuan Sang, Guofeng Zhu, Rui Li, Siyu Lu, QInqin Wang, Yinying Jiao, Xiaoyu Qi, Zhijie Zheng, Wenmin Li, Yuxin Miao, and Yani Gun
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2024-277, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2024-277, 2024
Manuscript not accepted for further review
Short summary
Short summary
Recent dramatic increase in dam construction on rivers has changed the water cycle pattern in arid areas. Understanding the impact of dams on these processes is a key challenge in the hydrological field. Studies show that the dam destroys the natural hydrological connectivity of rivers and increases the retention time of surface waters. Studies revealed these changes using isotope kinetic analysis, further confirming the profound effect of dams on water circulation in inland river basins.
Longhu Chen, Qinqin Wang, Guofeng Zhu, Rui Li, Siyu Lu, Xinrui Lin, Dongdong Qiu, Gaojia Meng, Yinying Jiao, Yuhao Wang, Jing Liu, Yutong He, and Yanan Li
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2024-171, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2024-171, 2024
Preprint withdrawn
Short summary
Short summary
This study provides a dataset of hydrogen and oxygen stable isotopes from 2,059 sites worldwide, showing variations in global precipitation isotopes since 1961. The dataset offers insights into climate variability and water resource management.
Qinqin Wang, Yuanxiao Xu, Guofeng Zhu, Siyu Lu, Dongdong Qiu, Yinying Jiao, Longhu Chen, Gaojia Meng, Rui Li, Xiaoyu Qi, Wenmin Li, Ling Zhao, Yuhao Wang, Enwei Huang, and Wentong Li
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2047, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2047, 2024
Preprint archived
Short summary
Short summary
We studied the impact of agricultural activities and ecological restoration on soil organic carbon in the terraced areas of the Loess Plateau. This research is of significance for agricultural management and ecological restoration in the terraced areas of the Loess Plateau, and contributes to the formulation of rational policies for carbon sequestration in terraced farmland.
Enwei Huang, Guofeng Zhu, Yuhao Wang, Gaojia Meng, Ling Zhao, Xuan Zhang, Xiaoyu Qi, Qinqin Wang, Yinying Jiao, Jiawei Liu, Siyu Lu, Longhu Chen, and Rui Li
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1008, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1008, 2024
Preprint archived
Short summary
Short summary
(1) the distribution of snow across the Qilian Mountains mainly splits between the central and western areas; (2) the area covered by snow in the Qilian Mountains is growing, but the depth of the snow is on a decline (3) most of the region is witnessing an earlier start of snow onset date (SOD), a longer snow-covered days (SCD), and an earlier snow end date (SED).
Longhu Chen, Qinqin Wang, Guofeng Zhu, Xinrui Lin, Dongdong Qiu, Yinying Jiao, Siyu Lu, Rui Li, Gaojia Meng, and Yuhao Wang
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 1543–1557, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-1543-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-1543-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We have compiled data regarding stable precipitation isotopes from 842 sampling points throughout the Eurasian continent since 1961, accumulating a total of 51 753 data records. The collected data have undergone pre-processing and statistical analysis. We also analysed the spatiotemporal distribution of stable precipitation isotopes across the Eurasian continent and their interrelationships with meteorological elements.
Gaojia Meng, Guofeng Zhu, Yinying Jiao, Dongdong Qiu, Yuhao Wang, Siyu Lu, Rui Li, Jiawei Liu, Longhu Chen, Qinqin Wang, Enwei Huang, and Wentong Li
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2024-76, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2024-76, 2024
Revised manuscript accepted for HESS
Short summary
Short summary
Shiyang River Basin is a typical inland river basin in the arid zone, and through the study, it was found that its soil salinization area has a general trend of increasing, and the degree of salinization gradually increases. External water transfers have alleviated water shortage and salinization to a certain extent, but soil salinization has already occurred in its periphery.
Rui Li, Guofeng Zhu, Siyu Lu, Liyuan Sang, Gaojia Meng, Longhu Chen, Yinying Jiao, and Qinqin Wang
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 4437–4452, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-4437-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-4437-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
In semi-arid regions, the problem of water shortages is becoming more and more serious with the acceleration of urbanization. Based on isotope data and hydrometeorological data, we analysed the impact of urbanization on the water cycle of the basin. The results showed that urbanization sped up the process of rainfall runoff. The MRT got shorter from upstream to downstream, and the landscape dams that were built during urbanization made the river evaporate even more.
Xinrui Lin, Guofeng Zhu, Dongdong Qiu, Longhu Chen, Dehong Si, Linlin Ye, Siyu Lu, Yinying Jiao, Jiawei Liu, Rui Li, Qinqin Wang, Jiangwei Yang, and Wenhao Zhang
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2058, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2058, 2023
Preprint archived
Short summary
Short summary
This article examines the impacts of high-temperature events on precipitation isotopes. The results show that stable precipitation isotopes are more enriched under the influence of high-temperature events than in the same month of previous years. High temperatures and atmospheric circulation patterns lead to abnormal variations in precipitation isotopes in high-temperature months. This research is instructive for disentangling the influence of high-temperature events on water cycle processes.
Siyu Lu, Guofeng Zhu, Rui Li, Yinying Jiao, Gaojia Meng, Dongdong Qiu, Yuwei Liu, Lei Wang, Xinrui Lin, Yuanxiao Xu, Qinqin Wang, and Longhu Chen
Biogeosciences Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2023-1, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2023-1, 2023
Manuscript not accepted for further review
Short summary
Short summary
The study shows that precipitation and soil water are the most important sources for forest trees in the mountainous areas, and that agricultural vegetation in the middle and lower oasis areas mainly absorbs soil water recharged by irrigation. The desert area forms vegetation in the ecological water transfer area, and the vegetation mainly absorbs soil water, lake water and groundwater formed by ecological water transfer.
Yinying Jiao, Guofeng Zhu, Dongdong Qiu, Yuwei Liu, Lei Wang, Siyu Lu, Gaojia Meng, Xinrui Lin, Rui Li, Qinqin Wang, Longhu Chen, and Niu Sun
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2022-375, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2022-375, 2023
Revised manuscript not accepted
Short summary
Short summary
Qilian Mountains are an important ecological security barrier and a priority area for biodiversity conservation in central Asia. We quantified the evapotranspiration processes in the forest belts of the Qilian Mountains as well as their contribution to runoff yield and concentration based on precipitation, soil water, and plant water samples and experimental data. We draw a conclusion that the forest zone does not yield flows in the eastern part of the Qilian Mountains.
Jiangwei Yang, Guofeng Zhu, Rui Li, Yinying Jiao, Xiaoyu Qi, Zhijie Zheng, Wenmin Li, and Yani Gun
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4004, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4004, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Biogeosciences (BG).
Short summary
Short summary
Using stable isotopes in sprinkler irrigated alfalfa, this study shows: soil water isotopes became depleted after irrigation and returned to preirrigation levels in 9 days; water movement was mainly vertical with minimal horizontal flow; evaporation losses were 32 %, and excess irrigation caused 5 % percolation below 60 cm. sprinklers limit deep percolation but have high evaporation losses. Recommend low level multipoint sprinkling and nighttime irrigation to boost water use efficiency.
Yinying Jiao, Guofeng Zhu, Dongdong Qiu, Siyu Lu, Gaojia Meng, Rui Li, Qinqin Wang, Longhu Chen, and Wentong Li
Biogeosciences, 22, 4433–4448, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-4433-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-4433-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study shows that transpiration is the key reason behind the high-altitude forest zone's limited runoff generation. Furthermore, within the altitude range of 2500–3200 m, an increase in recirculated water vapour was observed alongside an increase in precipitation, suggesting a direct positive correlation between these two factors.
Yinying Jiao, Guofeng Zhu, Yuxin Miao, Yani Gun, Jiangwei Yang, and Qinqin Wang
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2410, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2410, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This finding constitutes a major breakthrough in our understanding of land–atmosphere interactions in complex environments, advancing climate dynamics theory while also carrying profound implications for climate science—particularly in understanding and predicting vegetation-mediated extreme weather events—and providing essential insights for improving climate models and devising sustainable management strategies for arid regions.
Jiangwei Yang, Liyuan Sang, Guofeng Zhu, Rui Li, Siyu Lu, QInqin Wang, Yinying Jiao, Xiaoyu Qi, Zhijie Zheng, Wenmin Li, Yuxin Miao, and Yani Gun
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2024-277, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2024-277, 2024
Manuscript not accepted for further review
Short summary
Short summary
Recent dramatic increase in dam construction on rivers has changed the water cycle pattern in arid areas. Understanding the impact of dams on these processes is a key challenge in the hydrological field. Studies show that the dam destroys the natural hydrological connectivity of rivers and increases the retention time of surface waters. Studies revealed these changes using isotope kinetic analysis, further confirming the profound effect of dams on water circulation in inland river basins.
Longhu Chen, Qinqin Wang, Guofeng Zhu, Rui Li, Siyu Lu, Xinrui Lin, Dongdong Qiu, Gaojia Meng, Yinying Jiao, Yuhao Wang, Jing Liu, Yutong He, and Yanan Li
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2024-171, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2024-171, 2024
Preprint withdrawn
Short summary
Short summary
This study provides a dataset of hydrogen and oxygen stable isotopes from 2,059 sites worldwide, showing variations in global precipitation isotopes since 1961. The dataset offers insights into climate variability and water resource management.
Qinqin Wang, Yuanxiao Xu, Guofeng Zhu, Siyu Lu, Dongdong Qiu, Yinying Jiao, Longhu Chen, Gaojia Meng, Rui Li, Xiaoyu Qi, Wenmin Li, Ling Zhao, Yuhao Wang, Enwei Huang, and Wentong Li
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2047, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2047, 2024
Preprint archived
Short summary
Short summary
We studied the impact of agricultural activities and ecological restoration on soil organic carbon in the terraced areas of the Loess Plateau. This research is of significance for agricultural management and ecological restoration in the terraced areas of the Loess Plateau, and contributes to the formulation of rational policies for carbon sequestration in terraced farmland.
Enwei Huang, Guofeng Zhu, Yuhao Wang, Gaojia Meng, Ling Zhao, Xuan Zhang, Xiaoyu Qi, Qinqin Wang, Yinying Jiao, Jiawei Liu, Siyu Lu, Longhu Chen, and Rui Li
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1008, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1008, 2024
Preprint archived
Short summary
Short summary
(1) the distribution of snow across the Qilian Mountains mainly splits between the central and western areas; (2) the area covered by snow in the Qilian Mountains is growing, but the depth of the snow is on a decline (3) most of the region is witnessing an earlier start of snow onset date (SOD), a longer snow-covered days (SCD), and an earlier snow end date (SED).
Longhu Chen, Qinqin Wang, Guofeng Zhu, Xinrui Lin, Dongdong Qiu, Yinying Jiao, Siyu Lu, Rui Li, Gaojia Meng, and Yuhao Wang
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 1543–1557, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-1543-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-1543-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We have compiled data regarding stable precipitation isotopes from 842 sampling points throughout the Eurasian continent since 1961, accumulating a total of 51 753 data records. The collected data have undergone pre-processing and statistical analysis. We also analysed the spatiotemporal distribution of stable precipitation isotopes across the Eurasian continent and their interrelationships with meteorological elements.
Gaojia Meng, Guofeng Zhu, Yinying Jiao, Dongdong Qiu, Yuhao Wang, Siyu Lu, Rui Li, Jiawei Liu, Longhu Chen, Qinqin Wang, Enwei Huang, and Wentong Li
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2024-76, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2024-76, 2024
Revised manuscript accepted for HESS
Short summary
Short summary
Shiyang River Basin is a typical inland river basin in the arid zone, and through the study, it was found that its soil salinization area has a general trend of increasing, and the degree of salinization gradually increases. External water transfers have alleviated water shortage and salinization to a certain extent, but soil salinization has already occurred in its periphery.
Rui Li, Guofeng Zhu, Siyu Lu, Liyuan Sang, Gaojia Meng, Longhu Chen, Yinying Jiao, and Qinqin Wang
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 4437–4452, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-4437-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-4437-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
In semi-arid regions, the problem of water shortages is becoming more and more serious with the acceleration of urbanization. Based on isotope data and hydrometeorological data, we analysed the impact of urbanization on the water cycle of the basin. The results showed that urbanization sped up the process of rainfall runoff. The MRT got shorter from upstream to downstream, and the landscape dams that were built during urbanization made the river evaporate even more.
Xinrui Lin, Guofeng Zhu, Dongdong Qiu, Longhu Chen, Dehong Si, Linlin Ye, Siyu Lu, Yinying Jiao, Jiawei Liu, Rui Li, Qinqin Wang, Jiangwei Yang, and Wenhao Zhang
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2058, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2058, 2023
Preprint archived
Short summary
Short summary
This article examines the impacts of high-temperature events on precipitation isotopes. The results show that stable precipitation isotopes are more enriched under the influence of high-temperature events than in the same month of previous years. High temperatures and atmospheric circulation patterns lead to abnormal variations in precipitation isotopes in high-temperature months. This research is instructive for disentangling the influence of high-temperature events on water cycle processes.
Siyu Lu, Guofeng Zhu, Rui Li, Yinying Jiao, Gaojia Meng, Dongdong Qiu, Yuwei Liu, Lei Wang, Xinrui Lin, Yuanxiao Xu, Qinqin Wang, and Longhu Chen
Biogeosciences Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2023-1, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2023-1, 2023
Manuscript not accepted for further review
Short summary
Short summary
The study shows that precipitation and soil water are the most important sources for forest trees in the mountainous areas, and that agricultural vegetation in the middle and lower oasis areas mainly absorbs soil water recharged by irrigation. The desert area forms vegetation in the ecological water transfer area, and the vegetation mainly absorbs soil water, lake water and groundwater formed by ecological water transfer.
Yinying Jiao, Guofeng Zhu, Dongdong Qiu, Yuwei Liu, Lei Wang, Siyu Lu, Gaojia Meng, Xinrui Lin, Rui Li, Qinqin Wang, Longhu Chen, and Niu Sun
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2022-375, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2022-375, 2023
Revised manuscript not accepted
Short summary
Short summary
Qilian Mountains are an important ecological security barrier and a priority area for biodiversity conservation in central Asia. We quantified the evapotranspiration processes in the forest belts of the Qilian Mountains as well as their contribution to runoff yield and concentration based on precipitation, soil water, and plant water samples and experimental data. We draw a conclusion that the forest zone does not yield flows in the eastern part of the Qilian Mountains.
Guofeng Zhu, Yuwei Liu, Peiji Shi, Wenxiong Jia, Junju Zhou, Yuanfeng Liu, Xinggang Ma, Hanxiong Pan, Yu Zhang, Zhiyuan Zhang, Zhigang Sun, Leilei Yong, and Kailiang Zhao
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 3773–3789, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-3773-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-3773-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
From 2015 to 2020, we studied the Shiyang River basin, which has the highest utilization rate of water resources and the most prominent contradiction of water use, as a typical demonstration basin to establish and improve the isotope hydrology observation system, including river source region, oasis region, reservoir channel system region, oasis farmland region, ecological engineering construction region, and salinization process region.
Guofeng Zhu, Leilei Yong, Xi Zhao, Yuwei Liu, Zhuanxia Zhang, Yuanxiao Xu, Zhigang Sun, Liyuan Sang, and Lei Wang
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 3771–3784, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-3771-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-3771-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
In arid areas, the processes of water storage have not been fully understood in different vegetation zones in mountainous areas. This study monitored the stable isotopes in the precipitation and soil water of the Xiying River Basin. In the four vegetation zones, soil water evaporation intensities were mountain grassland > deciduous forest > coniferous forest > alpine meadow, and soil water storage capacity was alpine meadow > deciduous forest > coniferous forest > mountain grassland.
Guofeng Zhu, Zhigang Sun, Yuanxiao Xu, Yuwei Liu, Zhuanxia Zhang, Liyuan Sang, and Lei Wang
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2022-75, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2022-75, 2022
Revised manuscript not accepted
Short summary
Short summary
We analyzed the stable isotopic composition of surface water and estimated its evaporative loss in the Shiyang River Basin. The characteristics of stable isotopes in surface water show a gradual enrichment from mountainous areas to deserts, and the evaporation loss of surface water also shows a gradually increasing trend from upstream to downstream. The study of evaporative losses in the river-lake continuum contributes to the sustainable use of water resources.
Yuwei Liu, Guofeng Zhu, Zhuanxia Zhang, Zhigang Sun, Leilei Yong, Liyuan Sang, Lei Wang, and Kailiang Zhao
Biogeosciences, 19, 877–889, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-877-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-877-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We took the water cycle process of soil–plant–atmospheric precipitation as the research objective. In the water cycle of soil–plant–atmospheric precipitation, precipitation plays the main controlling role. The main source of replenishment for alpine meadow plants is precipitation and alpine meltwater; the main source of replenishment for forest plants is soil water; and the plants in the arid foothills mainly use groundwater.
Guofeng Zhu, Yuwei Liu, Peiji Shi, Wenxiong Jia, Junju Zhou, Yuanfeng Liu, Xinggang Ma, Hanxiong Pan, Yu Zhang, Zhiyuan Zhang, Zhigang Sun, Leilei Yong, and Kailiang Zhao
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2021-79, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2021-79, 2021
Revised manuscript not accepted
Short summary
Short summary
We have established a stable water isotope monitoring network in the Shiyang River Basin. The monitoring station with six observation systems: river source area, oasis area, reservoir canal system area, oasis farmland area, ecological restoration area and salinized area.The data set includes the stable water isotopes of different water bodies and the meteorological and hydrological data in the Shiyang River Basin. So far, the data have been obtained for five consecutive years.
Cited articles
Aggarwal, P. K., Alduchov, O., Araguás Araguás, L., Dogramaci, S., Katzlberger, G., Kriz, K., Kulkarni, K. M., Kurttas, T., Newman, B. D., and Purcher, A.: New capabilities for studies using isotopes in the water cycle, EoS Transactions, 88, 537–538, https://doi.org/10.1029/2007EO490002, 2007.
Aggarwal, P. K., Alduchov, O. A., Froehlich, K. O., Araguas-Araguas, L. J., Sturchio, N. C., and Kurita, N.: Stable isotopes in global precipitation: A unified interpretation based on atmospheric moisture residence time, Geophys. Res. Lett., 39, 2012GL051937, https://doi.org/10.1029/2012GL051937, 2012.
Ala-aho, P., Soulsby, C., Pokrovsky, O. S., Kirpotin, S. N., Karlsson, J., Serikova, S., Manasypov, R., Lim, A., Krickov, I., Kolesnichenko, L. G., Laudon, H., and Tetzlaff, D.: Permafrost and lakes control river isotope composition across a boreal Arctic transect in the Western Siberian lowlands, Environ. Res. Lett., 13, 034028, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aaa4fe, 2018.
Ankor, M. J., Tyler, J. J., and Hughes, C. E.: Development of an autonomous, monthly and daily, rainfall sampler for isotope research, J. Hydrol., 575, 31–41, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2019.04.074, 2019.
Araguás-Araguás, L., Froehlich, K., and Rozanski, K.: Stable isotope composition of precipitation over southeast Asia, J. Geophys. Res., 103, 28721–28742, https://doi.org/10.1029/98JD02582, 1998.
Autio, A., Ala-Aho, P., Rossi, P. M., Ronkanen, A.-K., Aurela, M., Lohila, A., Korpelainen, P., Kumpula, T., Klöve, B., and Marttila, H.: Groundwater exfiltration pattern determination in the sub-arctic catchment using thermal imaging, stable water isotopes and fully-integrated groundwater-surface water modelling, J. Hydrol., 626, 130342, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2023.130342, 2023.
Bershaw, J., Saylor, J. E., Garzione, C. N., Leier, A., and Sundell, K. E.: Stable isotope variations (δ18O and δD) in modern waters across the Andean Plateau, Geochim. Cosmochim. Ac., 194, 310–324, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2016.08.011, 2016.
Bowen, G. J., Kennedy, C. D., Liu, Z., and Stalker, J.: Water balance model for mean annual hydrogen and oxygen isotope distributions in surface waters of the contiguous United States, J. Geophys. Res., 116, G04011, https://doi.org/10.1029/2010JG001581, 2011.
Bowen, G. J., Cai, Z., Fiorella, R. P., and Putman, A. L.: Isotopes in the Water Cycle: Regional- to Global-Scale Patterns and Applications, Annu. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci., 47, 453–479, https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-earth-053018-060220, 2019.
Breiman, L.: Random Forests, Mach. Learn., 45, 5–32, https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010933404324, 2001.
Chahine, M. T.: The hydrological cycle and its influence on climate, Nature, 359, 373–380, https://doi.org/10.1038/359373a0, 1992.
Chen, L., Wang, Q., Zhu, G., Lin, X., Qiu, D., Jiao, Y., Lu, S., Li, R., Meng, G., and Wang, Y.: Dataset of stable isotopes of precipitation in the Eurasian continent, Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 1543–1557, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-1543-2024, 2024.
Chen, Y., Helliker, B. R., Tang, X., Li, F., Zhou, Y., and Song, X.: Stem water cryogenic extraction biases estimation in deuterium isotope composition of plant source water, P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 117, 33345–33350, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2014422117, 2020.
Cooley, S. W., Ryan, J. C., and Smith, L. C.: Human alteration of global surface water storage variability, Nature, 591, 78–81, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03262-3, 2021.
Dansgaard, W.: Stable isotopes in precipitation, Tellus, 16, 436–468, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2153-3490.1964.tb00181.x, 1964.
Darling, W. G.: Hydrological factors in the interpretation of stable isotopic proxy data present and past: a European perspective, Quaternary Sci. Rev., 23, 743–770, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2003.06.016, 2004.
Dudley, B. D., Yang, J., Shankar, U., and Graham, S. L.: A method for predicting hydrogen and oxygen isotope distributions across a region's river network using reach-scale environmental attributes, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 4933–4951, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-4933-2022, 2022.
Dutton, A., Wilkinson, B. H., Welker, J. M., Bowen, G. J., and Lohmann, K. C.: Spatial distribution and seasonal variation in 18O 16O of modern precipitation and river water across the conterminous USA, Hydrol. Process., 19, 4121–4146, https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.5876, 2005.
Feng, X., Lauder, A. M., Posmentier, E. S., Kopec, B. G., and Virginia, R. A.: Evaporation and transport of water isotopologues from Greenland lakes: The lake size effect, Quaternary Sci. Rev., 131, 302–315, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2015.07.029, 2016.
Gallart, F., González-Fuentes, S., and Llorens, P.: Technical note: Isotopic fractionation of evaporating waters: effect of sub-daily atmospheric variations and eventual depletion of heavy isotopes, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 229–239, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-229-2024, 2024.
Gierz, P., Werner, M., and Lohmann, G.: Simulating climate and stable water isotopes during the Last Interglacial using a coupled climate-isotope model, J. Adv. Model. Earth Syst., 9, 2027–2045, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017MS001056, 2017.
Halder, J., Terzer, S., Wassenaar, L. I., Araguás-Araguás, L. J., and Aggarwal, P. K.: The Global Network of Isotopes in Rivers (GNIR): integration of water isotopes in watershed observation and riverine research, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 3419–3431, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-3419-2015, 2015.
Hu, X., Belle, J. H., Meng, X., Wildani, A., Waller, L. A., Strickland, M. J., and Liu, Y.: Estimating PM 2.5 Concentrations in the Conterminous United States Using the Random Forest Approach, Environ. Sci. Technol., 51, 6936–6944, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.7b01210, 2017.
Immerzeel, W. W., Lutz, A. F., Andrade, M., Bahl, A., Biemans, H., Bolch, T., Hyde, S., Brumby, S., Davies, B. J., Elmore, A. C., Emmer, A., Feng, M., Fernández, A., Haritashya, U., Kargel, J. S., Koppes, M., Kraaijenbrink, P. D. A., Kulkarni, A. V., Mayewski, P. A., Nepal, S., Pacheco, P., Painter, T. H., Pellicciotti, F., Rajaram, H., Rupper, S., Sinisalo, A., Shrestha, A. B., Viviroli, D., Wada, Y., Xiao, C., Yao, T., and Baillie, J. E. M.: Importance and vulnerability of the world's water towers, Nature, 577, 364–369, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1822-y, 2020.
Jameel, Y., Stahl, M., Michael, H., Bostick, B. C., Steckler, M. S., Schlosser, P., Van Geen, A., and Harvey, C.: Shift in groundwater recharge of the Bengal Basin from rainfall to surface water, Commun. Earth Environ., 4, 14, https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-022-00650-z, 2023.
Joussaume, S., Sadourny, R., and Jouzel, J.: A general circulation model of water isotope cycles in the atmosphere, Nature, 311, 24–29, https://doi.org/10.1038/311024a0, 1984.
Kartal, V.: Machine learning-based streamflow forecasting using CMIP6 scenarios: Assessing performance and improving hydrological projections and climate change, Hydrol. Process., 38, e15204, https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.15204, 2024.
Kendall, C. and Coplen, T. B.: Distribution of oxygen-18 and deuterium in river waters across the United States, Hydrol. Process., 15, 1363–1393, https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.217, 2001.
Liu, M., Vecchi, G., Soden, B., Yang, W., and Zhang, B.: Enhanced hydrological cycle increases ocean heat uptake and moderates transient climate change, Nat. Clim. Chang., 11, 848–853, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-021-01152-0, 2021.
Mehta, P., Siebert, S., Kummu, M., Deng, Q., Ali, T., Marston, L., Xie, W., and Davis, K. F.: Half of twenty-first century global irrigation expansion has been in water-stressed regions, Nat. Water, 2, 254–261, https://doi.org/10.1038/s44221-024-00206-9, 2024.
Nelson, D. B., Basler, D., and Kahmen, A.: Precipitation isotope time series predictions from machine learning applied in Europe, P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 118, e2024107118, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2024107118, 2021.
Peel, M. C., Finlayson, B. L., and McMahon, T. A.: Updated world map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 11, 1633–1644, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007, 2007.
Penna, D., Ahmad, M., Birks, S. J., Bouchaou, L., Brenčič, M., Butt, S., Holko, L., Jeelani, G., Martínez, D. E., Melikadze, G., Shanley, J. B., Sokratov, S. A., Stadnyk, T., Sugimoto, A., and Vreča, P.: A new method of snowmelt sampling for water stable isotopes, Hydrol. Process., 28, 5637–5644, https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.10273, 2014.
Penna, D., Hopp, L., Scandellari, F., Allen, S. T., Benettin, P., Beyer, M., Geris, J., Klaus, J., Marshall, J. D., Schwendenmann, L., Volkmann, T. H. M., von Freyberg, J., Amin, A., Ceperley, N., Engel, M., Frentress, J., Giambastiani, Y., McDonnell, J. J., Zuecco, G., Llorens, P., Siegwolf, R. T. W., Dawson, T. E., and Kirchner, J. W.: Ideas and perspectives: Tracing terrestrial ecosystem water fluxes using hydrogen and oxygen stable isotopes – challenges and opportunities from an interdisciplinary perspective, Biogeosciences, 15, 6399–6415, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6399-2018, 2018.
Reckerth, A., Stichler, W., Schmidt, A., and Stumpp, C.: Long-term data set analysis of stable isotopic composition in German rivers, J. Hydrol., 552, 718–731, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2017.07.022, 2017.
Satoh, Y., Yoshimura, K., Pokhrel, Y., Kim, H., Shiogama, H., Yokohata, T., Hanasaki, N., Wada, Y., Burek, P., Byers, E., Schmied, H. M., Gerten, D., Ostberg, S., Gosling, S. N., Boulange, J. E. S., and Oki, T.: The timing of unprecedented hydrological drought under climate change, Nat. Commun., 13, 3287, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-30729-2, 2022.
Schulte, P., Van Geldern, R., Freitag, H., Karim, A., Négrel, P., Petelet-Giraud, E., Probst, A., Probst, J.-L., Telmer, K., Veizer, J., and Barth, J. A. C.: Applications of stable water and carbon isotopes in watershed research: Weathering, carbon cycling, and water balances, Earth-Sci. Rev., 109, 20–31, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2011.07.003, 2011.
Skrzypek, G., Mydłowski, A., Dogramaci, S., Hedley, P., Gibson, J. J., and Grierson, P. F.: Estimation of evaporative loss based on the stable isotope composition of water using Hydrocalculator, J. Hydrol., 523, 781–789, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2015.02.010, 2015.
Sprenger, M., Leistert, H., Gimbel, K., and Weiler, M.: Illuminating hydrological processes at the soil-vegetation-atmosphere interface with water stable isotopes, Rev. Geophys., 54, 674–704, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015RG000515, 2016.
Vystavna, Y., Harjung, A., Monteiro, L. R., Matiatos, I., and Wassenaar, L. I.: Stable isotopes in global lakes integrate catchment and climatic controls on evaporation, Nat. Commun., 12, 7224, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-27569-x, 2021.
Wang, S., Zhang, M., Crawford, J., Hughes, C. E., Du, M., and Liu, X.: The effect of moisture source and synoptic conditions on precipitation isotopes in arid central Asia, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 122, 2667–2682, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JD024626, 2017.
Zhu, G.: Global Stable Isotope Dataset for Surface Water, V2, Mendeley Data [data set], https://doi.org/10.17632/fs7rwp7fpr.2, 2024.
Zhu, G., Liu, Y., Shi, P., Jia, W., Zhou, J., Liu, Y., Ma, X., Pan, H., Zhang, Y., Zhang, Z., Sun, Z., Yong, L., and Zhao, K.: Stable water isotope monitoring network of different water bodies in Shiyang River basin, a typical arid river in China, Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 3773–3789, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-3773-2022, 2022.
Short summary
The study of hydrogen and oxygen stable isotopes in surface water is vital for understanding the global water cycle and its response to climate change. Analysing data from 22 389 global sampling stations over 67 years, we uncover spatial and temporal variations in isotopes, showing depletion from the Equator to the poles and from coastal to inland areas. These variations, influenced by geographic, topographic and meteorological factors, reveal the water cycle's heterogeneity.
The study of hydrogen and oxygen stable isotopes in surface water is vital for understanding the...
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint