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- Title
The Spatiotemporal Variability of Snowpack and Snowmelt Water 18O and 2H Isotopes in a Subarctic Catchment.
- Authors
Noor, Kashif; Marttila, Hannu; Klöve, Björn; Welker, Jeffrey M.; Ala-aho, Pertti
- Abstract
This study provides a detailed characterization of spatiotemporal variations of stable water 18O and ²H isotopes in both snowpack and meltwater in a subarctic catchment. We performed extensive sampling and analysis of snowpack and meltwater isotopic compositions at 11 locations in 2019 and 2020 across three different landscape features: (a) forest hillslope, (b) mixed forest, and (c) open mires. The vertical isotope profiles in the snowpack's layered stratigraphy presented a consistent pattern in all locations before snowmelt, and isotope profiles homogenized during the peak melt period; represented by a 1–2‰ higher δ18O value than prior to melting. Our data indicated that the liquid-ice fractionation was the prime reason that caused the depletion of heavy isotopes in initial meltwater samples prior to the peak melt period. The liquid-ice fractionation was influenced by snowmelt rate, with higher fractionation during slow melt. The kinetic liquidice fractionation was evident only in close examination of meltwater lc-excess values, not δ18O values alone. Meltwater was isotopically heavier and more variable than the depth-integrated snowpack; the weighted mean of meltwater isotope values was higher by 0.62–1δ.33‰ δ18O than the weighted mean of snowpack isotope values in forest hillslope and mixed forest areas, and 1.51–6𝐴𝐴.37‰ 𝐴𝐴 18O in open mires. Our results reveal close to δ3.1‰ δ18O disparity between the meltwater and depth-integrated snowpack isotope values prior to the peak melt period, suggesting that proper characterization of meltwater δ 18δO and δ ²H values is vital for tracer-based ecohydrological studies and models.
- Subjects
SNOWMELT; MELTWATER; ISOTOPES; MIXED forests
- Publication
Water Resources Research, 2023, Vol 59, Issue 1, p1
- ISSN
0043-1397
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1029/2022WR033101