Spatial and temporal characteristics of stable isotopes in the Tarim River Basin

Abstract

By using 233 isotope samples, we investigated the spatial and temporal variations of δ¹⁸O and δ²H in precipitation and surface water, and the contribution of different water sources in the rivers within the Tarim River Basin (TRB), which receives snow/glacier meltwater, groundwater, and rainfall. Our study revealed a similar seasonal pattern of precipitation δ¹⁸O and δ²H at both the north and south edges of the basin, indicating the dominant effect of westerly air masses in the summer and the combined influence of westerly and polar air masses during the winter, although the southern part showed more complex precipitation processes in the summer. River water in the basin has relatively large temporal variations in both δ¹⁸O and δ²H showing a distinct seasonal pattern with lower isotope values in May than in September. Higher d-excess values throughout the year in the Aksu river and the Tizinafu river suggest that water may be intensively recycled in the mountains of the TRB. Based on isotopic hydrograph separation, we found that groundwater is the main water source that discharges the entire basin although individual rivers vary.

Keywords:

• deuterium excess
• groundwater
• hydrogen-2
• isotope hydrology
• oxygen-18
• precipitation
• runoff components
• surface water
• Tarim River Basin

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Erratum

Acknowledgment

We would like to thank Qihu Li and Bing Shen for field data collection and the Kashi Hydrology and Water Resources Survey for providing hydro-meteorological data.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Supplemental data

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed 10.1080/10256016.2016.1125350.

Additional information

Funding

This research is supported by the One Hundred Talents Program [grant number Y071121] of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant numbers 41471030 & 41371503].