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Stable isotope compositions of precipitation from Gunnison, Colorado 2007–2016: implications for the climatology of a high-elevation valley

Stable isotope compositions of precipitation from Gunnison, Colorado 2007–2016: implications for the climatology of a high-elevation valley

Authors :
David W. Marchetti
Suzanne B. Marchetti
Source :
Heliyon, Heliyon, Vol 5, Iss 7, Pp e02120-(2019)
Publication Year :
2019
Publisher :
Elsevier BV, 2019.

Abstract

Stable isotope ratios of precipitation are useful tracers of climatic and hydrological processes. To better understand the isotope hydro-climatology of a high-elevation Rocky Mountain valley we collected meteoric water samples from Gunnison, Colorado, USA and determined stable isotope values for 239 individual precipitation events over a nine year period. Annual precipitation in Gunnison is moderately bi-modal with significant winter snowfall and convective summer thunderstorms associated with the North American Monsoon. Stable isotope values of precipitation span a large range, with summer rains as high as δ2H = +19‰ and δ18O = +4.8‰ (relative to V-SMOW) and winter snowfall as low as δ2H = -286‰ and δ18O = -36.7‰. These data define a local meteoric water line for Gunnison of δ2H = 7.2 δ18O – 4.2. Monthly meteoric water lines have slopes similar to the Global Meteoric Water Line (∼8) for winter months and more evaporated slopes (∼6) during the summer. Monthly mean temperature most strongly controls the monthly isotopic composition of precipitation (m = 0.61–0.64 ‰/°C); the slope of the isotope/temperature relationship is steeper in summer than winter.

Details

ISSN :
24058440
Volume :
5
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Heliyon
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....009a1e070257d714d3a4e244af87a87f
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02120