Fraccionamiento Isotopico Gard

March 16, 1996 8:49 Annual Reviews GAT-8 AR10-08
Annu. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci. 1996. 24:225–62

Copyright c 1996 by Annual Reviews Inc. All rights reserved
OXYGEN AND HYDROGEN ISOTOPES

IN THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE
J. R. Gat
Department of Environmental Sciences and Energy Research, Weizmann
Institute of Science, 76100 Rehovot, Israel
KEY WORDS: isotope fractionation, evapo-transpiration, precipitation, soilwaters,

groundwaters
ABSTRACT
Changes of the isotopic composition of water within the water cycle provide
a recognizable signature, relating such water to the different phases of the cycle.
The isotope fractionations that accompany the evaporation from the ocean and
other surface waters and the reverse process of rain formation account for the most
notable changes. As a result, meteoric waters are depleted in the heavy isotopic
species of H and O relative to ocean waters, whereas waters in evaporative systems
such as lakes, plants, and soilwaters are relatively enriched. During the passage
through the aquifers, the isotope composition of water is essentially a conservative
property at ambient temperatures, but at elevated temperatures, interaction with
the rock matrix may perturb the isotope composition. These changes of the isotope
composition in atmospheric waters, surface water, soil, and groundwaters, as well
as in the biosphere, are applied in the characterization of hydrological system as
well as indicators of paleo-climatological conditions in proxy materials in climatic
archives, such as ice, lake sediments, or organic materials.
1. INTRODUCTION
The basic tenet of the hydrologic cycle as expounded by the preacher, that
“into the sea all the rivers go and yet the sea is never filled, and still to their
goal the rivers go” (The Jerusalem Bible, English translation, 1970), remains
valid until today. However, the simple concept of a steady-state one-cycle
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Figure 1 The hydrologic cycle, in relative flux units (100 units equals the marine evaporation
flux). Figures have been rounded up. (Adapted from Chow 1964.)
system needs to be qualified. As shown schematically in Figure 1, the marine

part of the cycle, namely the evaporation from the ocean and the return flux by
atmospheric precipitation into the ocean, accounts for close to 90% of the annual
flux. However, in the remaining continental part of the cycle, the precipitated
water is recycled by evapo-transpiration a number of times before returning to
the oceans as river and groundwater runoff. Moreover, intermediate storage
reservoirs such as glaciers and deep groundwater systems are changeable on a
variety of time scales, in response to a changing climate.
Compared to the 1.35 × 109 km3 of oceanic waters, the groundwater and ice
reservoirs on land are estimated at 82 × 106 and 27.5 × 106 km3 , respectively.
Atmospheric moisture constitutes only about 10−5 of the volume of the ocean
waters.
Measurements of the isotope composition of water in the various components
of the water cycle has enabled the identification of different water masses and
the tracing of their interrelationships. Furthermore, measured variations (in
time) of the isotopic composition (of proxy materials) in climatic archives such
O AND H IN THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE 227
as in ice cores, lake and ocean sediments, and of plant material, have proven
useful for paleoclimate reconstructions.
The abundance of the isotopes 2 H (deuterium, also marked as D) and 18 O in
ocean waters is close to D/H = 155.95 × 10−6 (Dewit et al 1980) and 18 O/O
= 2005.2 × 10−6 (Baertschi 1976), respectively, where H and O without a mass
assignment stands for the natural assembly of all isotopic species. Another
natural oxygen isotope, 17 O, occurs at an abundance of about 1/10 that of 18 O,
but because its variations in the water cycle parallels that of the heavier isotope
(at 1/2 the extent) it has not been measured as a rule.
Abundance variations of ± 30% for deuterium and ± 5% for 18 O have been
measured in natural waters (Boato 1961). These variations are only to a neg-
ligible degree the result of nuclear interactions that produce or consume these
isotopes; they rather result primarily from the fractionation of the isotopic wa-
ter species in isotopic exchange reactions (equilibrium isotope effects) or in
chemical or biochemical reactions involving the isotopic species (kinetic and
vital effects), or as a result of different diffusion rates of the isotopic water
molecules (transport effects). In the water cycle, the most significant process
in this respect is that of phase changes, from vapor to liquid or ice and vice
versa.
The ocean, being the largest water reservoir and relatively homogeneous,
was chosen as the reference standard for the δ scale of both oxygen and hydro-
gen isotopes in water samples (Craig 1961a). The δ-(permil) value is defined
as δ‰ = (Rx /Rstd − 1) × 103 , where R is the atom ratio D/H and 18 O/16 O,
respectively. Positive δ values thus signify an enrichment of the heavy iso-
topic species relative to the standard (SMOW); negative values indicate their
depletion. Because the variability in δ(D) is typically larger by almost an order
of magnitude than that of δ(18 O), the usual way of presenting isotope data of
water samples is on a δ(D) vs δ(18 O) diagram with the δ(D) scale compressed
by a factor of ten.
Ever since the earliest measurement of isotopic abundance in the 1930s in
Europe and Japan (Rankama 1954) and by the Chicago school of HC Urey, us-
ing the Nier-McKinney double-inlet, double-collector mass-spectrometer (Nier
1947, Mckinney et al 1950), it has been observed that freshwater samples are
depleted in the heavy isotopes, whereas the residue of evaporating surface wa-
ters such as African lakes are enriched (Craig 1961b). A correlation between the
depletion of the deuterium and oxygen-18 in freshwaters was established; the
locus line of such samples in δ-space was defined as δ(2 H) = 8δ(18 O)+10(‰).
This line is now known as the Global Meteoric Water Line (GMWL).
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2. ISOTOPE FRACTIONATION IN THE WATER CYCLE

2.1 Fractionation Factors
The strength of chemical bonds involving different isotopes of an element differ
slightly, with the bond involving the lighter isotope usually weaker and easier
to disintegrate. The rate of chemical reactions in which such a bond is broken
will then show a (kinetic) isotope effect (Melander 1960). Similarly, and based
on the general thermodynamic principle that equilibrium systems tend toward
a state of minimum energy, the heavy isotopes will favor that part of the sys-
tem in which they are more strongly bound. This principle applies as well to
equilibrium between different phases. These are quantum effects, which are
appreciable at low temperatures and disappear at higher temperatures.
One defines a unit isotopic fractionation factor (α) in a system of two molec-
ular species, A and B, with a common element or in two coexisting phases of
some material as follows:
RA (Ni /N j )A
αA-B = = ,
RB (Ni /N j )B
where Ni and N j are the amounts of the isotopes of the common element and
R = Ni /N j .
When the system is in isotopic equilibrium, one denotes the fractionation
factors as either α + or α + , where by the convention introduced by Craig &
Gordon (1965), α ∗ < 1; α + > 1 so that α + = 1/α + . The values of such an
equilibrium fractionation factor depend only on the molecules and isotopes
involved and are strongly temperature dependent, following a rule such as
C1 C2
ln α ∗ = 2
+ + C3 .
T T
Equilibrium fractionation factors can be calculated based on spectroscopic data
using the partition functions of the molecules concerned. A number of reviews
on this subject have been published (Bigeleisen & Mayer 1947, Urey 1947,
Boato 1961, Bigeleisen et al 1973).
In a more general manner, an isotopic fractionation factor can be defined for
a system from which there is an outgoing flux with different isotope ratios than
in the bulk of the material:
d Ni /d N j
αK = .
Ni /N j
One uses αK to distinguish this case from one where an equilibrium fractionation
factor applies.
Such a formulation applies when part of the system is removed by a chemical
reaction (in which case αK can be called a kinetic fractionation factor), but it will
also apply to the case where material is removed by diffusion or outflow, e.g. by
effusion through an aperture. In the latter cases the term transport fractionation
factor may be preferred. Unlike true kinetic fractionation factors, which like
the equilibrium factors are strongly temperature dependent, the transport factors
show only slight (positive) temperature coefficients.
The values of the equilibrium fractionation factors (α + ) for the water-vapor
phase transition are given by Majoube (1971) as 1.0098 and 1.084 at 20◦ C and
1.0117 and 1.111 at 0◦ C, respectively, for 18 O and D. For the ice-liquid transition
the values of α + (at 0◦ C) are 1.0035 for 18 O and 1.0208 for D (Arnason 1969).
2.2 The Rayleigh Equations
If material is removed from a (mixed) system containing Ni and N j molecules,
respectively, of two isotopic species and if the fractionation accompanying the
removal process at any instance is described by the unit fractionation factor
α, then the evolution of the isotopic composition in the remnant material is
described by the following equations, assuming N Ni , where Ni + N j = N ,
so that it follows that N ' N j (which holds for the natural isotope abundance
of the lighter elements, e.g. H, N, C, and O):
µ ¶
dR 1 d Ni Ni R
= − = (α − 1) (1a)
dN N dN N N
and
d(ln R)
= (α − 1). (1b)
d(ln N )
Equation 1a can be immediately integrated from an initial condition (R0 , N0 ) to
any given stage, provided α does not change during the course of the process:
µ ¶(α−1)
N
R = R0 = R0 · f (α−1) , (3)
N0
where f = N /N0 is the fraction of the material remaining.
When the isotopic species removed at every instant are in thermodynamics
equilibrium with those remaining in the system, we have the circumstances of
the so-called Rayleigh distillation. Under these conditions, the unit separation
factor will be a thermodynamic equilibrium constant α ∗ , i.e. the vapor pressure
ratio of the isotopic water molecules for the liquid to vapor transitions or the
equilibrium constant of an isotopic exchange reaction.
The isotopic composition R of the remaining material, as a function of f ,
when subject to Rayleigh fractionation, is shown in Figure 2. Obviously, the
isotope composition of the material that is removed at every instance describes
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Figure 2 Isotopic change under Rayleigh, closed, and steady-state conditions for fractionation
processes with a unit fractionation factor of α = 1.01 for initial liquid composition of δ = 0. A, B,
C: Rayleigh conditions for residual water, continuously removed vapor, and total vapor removed,
respectively; D, E: liquid and vapor for two coexisting phase systems; F: liquid approaching steady
state (time axis not in proportion).
a curve parallel to that of the remaining fraction. The integrated curve, giving
the isotopic composition of the accumulated material thus removed, is also
shown. Material balance considerations require that the isotope content of the
total accumulated amount of the removed material approaches R0 as f → 0.
2.3 Isotope Fractionation in Open, Closed,

and Steady-State Systems
The system for which the Rayleigh equations apply is an open system from
which material is removed continuously under condition of a fixed fractiona-
tion factor. However, other systems can be envisaged, to which the same unit
fractionation factor applies but under other boundary conditions for the inte-
gration of the unit process. One such system is the so-called closed system
(or two-phase equilibrium model), first described by S Epstein (unpublished
lecture notes), where the material removed from one reservoir accumulates in
a second reservoir in such a manner that isotopic equilibrium is maintained
throughout the process. An example would be the condensation of vapor to
droplets in a cloud.
If the time t = 0 all material is in reservoir #1, then
N2 = N1.0 − N1 , Ni2 = Ni1.0 − Ni1 ,
and also
R2
= α.
R1
Defining f = N1
N1,0
, then
R0
Rf = (3a)
α − f (α − 1)
or in δ(‰) nomenclature
δ0 − ε(1 − f )
δf = . (3b)
α − f (ε/103 )
Unlike in the open system, δ f →0 −→ (δ0 − ε)/α, limiting the degree of isotope
enrichment.
A third model is that of a throughflow system in which the outgoing (frac-
tionated) flux is replaced by an inflow with isotope composition δin . At steady
state, the isotope composition of in- and outflowing fluxes are obviously equal.
If the outflowing flux is related to the reservoir’s isotope composition by a frac-
tionation factor α, then the steady-state isotopic composition in the reservoir
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will be δss = (δin − ε)/α, while the approach to steady-state composition can
be expressed as (Zimmermann 1979)
δss − δ
= exp (−α t/τ ), (4)
δss − δ0
where τ is the characteristic turnover time of the system, given by the volume
to flux ratio (τ = V /F).
Note that for the same unit fractionation factor the resultant evolution of the
isotopic composition is quite different under these different circumstances, as
shown in Figure 2.
In all examples given so far, a constant unit fractionation factor is assumed
to apply throughout the process. This is not, however, always the case. For
example, as will be discussed, the rainout from an air mass is usually the result
of a continuous cooling of the parcel of air concerned; the cooling results in a
change of the unit fractionation factor for the vapor-to-water (or vapor-to-ice)
transition during the evolution of the precipitating system. Although the differ-
ential form of the Rayleigh equation (Equation 1a) still applies, the integration
obviously has to be carried out for a prescribed change of α throughout the
process [as was first demonstrated by Dansgaard (1964)].
Another conspicuous example of a changing “effective” fractionation factor
is that of the evaporation of water from a surface water body into the atmosphere.
In this case, the change is the result of the changing boundary conditions (of
the isotopic gradient, primarily) rather than a change of the unit fractionation
factors themselves.
2.4 Isotope Fractionation Accompanying Evaporation
of Surface Waters
Water-air interaction balances two opposing water fluxes, one upward from the
surface and the other a downward one of atmospheric moisture. At saturation,
i.e. when atmospheric humidity is 100% in terms of the saturation vapor pres-
sure at the liquid surface, this interaction will bring the liquid water and air
humidity into isotopic equilibrium with one another. Such a situation appar-
ently occurs at cloud base between the falling rain droplets and the ascending
air.
When the air is undersaturated, a net evaporation flux results, in which the
rate-determining step is the diffusion of water vapor across the air boundary
layer in response to the humidity gradient between the surface and the fully
turbulent ambient air. Three factors are involved in determining the overall
isotope fractionation: 1. the equilibrium isotope fractionation of the liquid to
vapor phase transition, 2. a fractionation resulting from the diffusion across the
air boundary layer, and 3. the back flux of the atmospheric moisture.
The most useful model for the isotope fractionation during evaporation,
which has stood the test of time, is that of Craig & Gordon (1965). The
model is based on the Langmuir linear-resistance model for evaporation and
is schematically shown in Figure 3. The following assumptions underlie this
model:
(a) equilibrium conditions at the air/water interface, so that the relative humidity
is h = 1 and RV = α ∗ RL ;
(b) a constant vertical flux, i.e. no divergence or convergence in the air column;
and
(c) no isotopic fractionation during a fully turbulent transport.
The appropriate flux equations for the water substance (E) and isotopic molecul-
es (E i , either for HDO or H2 18 O) are then
E = (1 − h)/ρ; ρ = ρM + ρT
and
E i = (α ∗ RL − h · Ra )/ρi ; ρi = ρi,M + ρi,T .
Figure 3 The Craig-Gordon evaporation model.

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The ρ terms are the appropriate resistances as shown in Figure 3; subscripts

M and T signify the diffusive and turbulent sublayer, respectively. Subscript a
refers to a free atmosphere above the evaporating surface.
The isotope composition of the evaporation flux is
(α ∗ RL − h Ra )
RE = E i /E = . (5a)
(1 − h) · ρi /ρ
This can be translated into δ units, δ = (R/Rstd − 1), to give
α ∗ δL − hδa − ε ∗ − 1ε δL − hδa − ε ∗ − 1ε
δE = ≈ , (5b)
(1 − h) + 1ε/103 (1 − h)
where
ε ∗ = (1 − α ∗ ) · 103
and
µ ¶
ρi
1ε = (1 − h) − 1 × 103 .
ρ
The term [(ρi /ρ) − 1] can be evaluated as follows: In the linear resistance
model ρi = ρi,M + ρi,T and ρ = ρM + ρT ;
ρi ρM,i + ρi,T ρM ρM,i ρT ρi,T
= = · + · ,
ρ ρM + ρ T ρ ρM ρ ρT
µ ¶ µ ¶ µ ¶
ρi ρM ρM,i ρT ρi,T
−1 = −1 + −1 .
ρ ρ ρM ρ ρT
The second term on the right-hand side is eliminated on the assumption that
ρi,T = ρT , so that
· µ ¶¸
1ε ρM ρM,i
= (1 − h) −1 . (6a)
103 ρ ρM
−1
For the case of a fully developed diffusion layer ρM ∝ Dm , where Dm is
the molecular diffusivities of water in air. For a rough interface under strong
(turbulent) wind conditions, the transient eddy model of Brutsaert (1965) can be
−1/2
applied, with ρM ∝ Dm . At more moderate wind speeds a transition from the
−2/3
proportionality of D to D −1/2 can be expected (Merlivat & Contiac 1975).
The ratio of the molecular diffusivities in air, of the pairs H2 18 O/H2 16 O and
1
HDO/1 H2 O, has been determined by Merlivat (1978) as 0.9723 and 0.9755,
respectively. Note that these values differ from those calculated by simple gas
kinetic theory, based on the molecular weights only, apparently due to some
hydrogen bonding in the gas phase. Accordingly, the 1ε-term is expressed as
1ε = (1 − h) · θ · n · CD · 103 , (6b)
Figure 4 The marine evaporation process in terms of the δ-diagram.
where 0.5 ≤ n ≤ 1; CD (18 O) = 28.5.5‰ and CD (D) = 25.115‰. The

weighting term,
ρM (1 − h 0 )
θ= = ,
ρ 1−h
(see Figure 3) can be assumed equal to 1 for a small body of water whose
evaporation flux does not perturb the ambient moisture significantly (Gat 1995);
however, θ has been shown to have a value of 0.88 for the North American Great
Lakes (Gat et al 1994) and a value of close to 0.5 for evaporation in the eastern
Mediterranean Sea (Gat et al 1995). For an open water body under natural
conditions, a value of n = 1/2 seems appropriate. In contrast, in the case of
evaporation of water through a stagnant air layer, such as from the soils (Barnes
& Allison 1988) or leaves (Allison et al 1985), a value of n ∼ 1 fits the data well.
Figure 4 shows in schematic manner the δ(D) − δ(18 O) relationships in this
process. δE and δL define a line in δ(18 O) vs δ(D) space, called the evaporation
line (EL) whose slope is given by
[h(δa − δL ) + ε]2H
SE(δ) = . (7)
[n(δa − δL ) + ε]18O
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As shown in Figure 4, from material balance considerations, both the initial

water composition, the evaporated moisture, and the remnant liquid (such as
lake waters, surface ocean water, or soil waters) all lie on this line. Obviously
the humidity, the isotope composition of the air humidity, and the fractionation
factors ε ∗ and 1ε [which in turn are temperature (for ε∗ ) and mechanism (for
1ε) dependent] determine the slope. A special case is presented when δL and
δa are in isotopic equilibrium with each other for both isotopic species (H and
O), in which case SE = (ε ∗ + θ nCD )2H /(ε∗ + θ nCD )18O , independent of h.
This slope is S = 3.54 when θ = 1 and n = 1/2 and is lower for the case of
the fully developed boundary layer, when for n = 1 the equilibrium slope can
be calculated to be SE = 2.69. Having θ < 1 will increase the slope of the
relevant evaporation line, as will be the case where δL − δa > −ε∗ .
The Craig-Gordon model does not account for the case where evaporation of
droplets and spray contribute to the evaporation flux. Furthermore, if surface
waters are not well mixed so that a concentration gradient can build up between
the evaporating surface skin and the bulk water, this needs to be taken into
account by introducing a resistance in the liquid into the linear evaporation
model (Craig & Gordon 1965).
3. THE ISOTOPIC COMPOSITION OF ATMOSPHERIC

MOISTURE AND OF PRECIPITATION
To a first rough approximation, as shown in Figure 1, the water cycle can be
described by its marine part, which accounts for 90% of the water flux. Craig
& Gordon (1965) in their first attempt to describe the isotopes of the ocean-
atmosphere system indeed modeled the marine atmosphere as a closed cycle
(Figure 5a) assuming δE = δp (where δp , which is close to δ(18 O) = −4‰
and δ(D) = −22‰, is the worldwide average of precipitation) and that 2/3
of the moisture in the ascending are rained out, resulting in air with a mean
humidity of 75%. The marine moisture’s isotopic composition is neither that of
the evaporative flux (δE ), nor is it in equilibrium with the ocean surface water;
in the model it is assumed to be in isotopic equilibrium with the precipitation.
The isotope data of marine precipitation, collected by the IAEA-WMO pre-
cipitation network from island stations and weatherships (an excerpt of which
is shown in Figure 6), show that marine air is not uniform and that a mean iso-
topic value for marine precipitation is δ(18 O) = −2.5 to −3.0‰, with variable
δD values, rather than that assumed in the above-mentioned model. The more
realistic, though still grossly simplified model, shown in Figure 5b, assumes
a value of δp (18 O) = −3‰; δ(D) = −14‰ for marine precipitation, which
accounts for 90% of the evaporative flux. Solving Equation 5b for both the
isotopes and assuming marine air in equilibrium with the marine precipitation
at a temperature of 20◦ C (with the humidity h and the factor θ as open param-
eters) yield very reasonable values of h = 0.743 and θ = 0.48. This value of
θ ∼ 0.5 should be noted, as one encounters this value repeatedly over large
evaporative systems (Gat et al 1995) as noted above.
As the marine air then moves over the coast and into the continents, the differ-
ent marine air parcels appear to mix and homogenize, resulting in precipitation
that is closely aligned along the so-called meteoric water lines (MWL). These
are the lines in δ-space whose formula is δ(D) = 8δ(18 O) + d, where d has been
named the “deuterium excess” parameter by Dansgaard (1964); obviously the
GMWL (Craig 1961b) is one such meteoric water line with d = 10‰. The
further removed from the vapor source, the more depleted the isotopic values
of the precipitation on each of these lines. Dansgaard (1964) recognized four
parameters that determine this depletion in the isotopic values, including an
altitude effect, a distance from the coast, and a latitude effect. All of these
are basically related to the wringing out of moisture from the atmosphere as a
result of cooling of the air mass, and indeed the correlation with the temperature
appears as the overriding factor (Yurtsever 1975). Only the fourth parameter
described by Dansgaard, the “amount effect,” has a more complicated structure
(Gat 1980). Figure 7 shows the worldwide distribution of the oxygen-18 values
in annual precipitation.
To explain these findings of terms of the Rayleigh equations described above,
the early concepts on the evolution of the isotopic composition of “meteoric”
waters envisaged an air mass (with water vapor mass N and a given isotopic
composition Rv ) from which precipitation is derived by equilibrium condensa-
tion, so that at any time: Rp = α ∗ Rv . The system then follows a “Rayleigh
law,” according to Equation 1b, with the fractionation factor of α ∗ . In integrated
form λ = λ0 + ε∗ ln f , with λ ≡ lnR; (α ∗ − 1) ≡ ε∗ and f is the fraction of
remaining water vapor in the system ( f = N /N0 ).
This equation establishes a linear relationship in λD -λ18 space under isother-
mal conditions, i.e. when α ∗ remains fixed throughout the process. The slopes
of such Rayleigh lines in λ-space vary from the value of Sλ = εD∗ /ε18 ∗
= 8.22
◦ ◦
to a value of Sλ = 9.6 over the temperature range of 30 C to 0 C, according
the fractionation factors as given by Majoube (1971).
The λ- and δ(‰)-space are related by the equations:
µ ¶
R δ
= 1+ 3
Rstd 10
and
dδ/103
dλ = d[ln(1 + δ/103 )] = .
(1 + δ/103 )
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(a)
Figure 5 (a) The marine-atmosphere isotope model of Craig & Gordon (1965). The first of the δ
values refers to δ(18 O), while the value in parenthesis refers to the value of δ(D).
Translation of the Rayleigh lines into δ(‰)-space then imposes a deviation

from linearity as the system becomes further removed from the zero of the
δ-scale. In δ units the Rayleigh law is expressed in the following form:
dδ/103
= ε∗ d ln f
(1 + δ/103 )
and the Rayleigh slope in δ-space will then be given by
εD∗ (1 + δV /103 )D
(Sδ )Rayl. =∗ ,
ε18 (1 + δV /103 )18 O
where δ values refer to the vapor phase.
This slope is not a constant, but changes with the magnitude of δ(18 O) and
δ(D). The correction term (1 + δV /103 ) becomes significant as the system is
removed from its original state and acquires large negative δ values, as is the
case especially for the hydrogen isotopes. It is often neglected in other cases.
(b)
Figure 5 (b) Adaptation of the Craig-Gordon marine model to account for the terrestrial part of
the hydrologic cycle. ∞ indicates isotopic equilibrium between the vapor and precipitation fluxes.
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Figure 6 Monthly precipitation values at selected marine stations, based on data of the IAEA
network on a δ(D) vs δ(18 O) diagram (Rosanski et al 1992).
March 16, 1996
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O AND H IN THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE

241
Figure 7 Distribution of the annual mean δ(18 O) value in precipitation, based on the IAEA network data. (From Yurtsever & Gat 1981.)
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An isothermal situation, however, is not a realistic model for continuous

rainout as required by the Rayleigh formulation. The only close-to-isothermal
natural system is the tropical rain forest, where T ∼ 26◦ C. In this case the
abundant rain feeds on evapo-transpired (recycled) moisture so that the Rayleigh
plot does not adequately describe the isotopic relationship (Salati et al 1979,
Gat & Matsui 1991).
A more generally realistic hydro-meteorological model is that of an air-
mass that loses part of its water content during a continental passage as a
result of cooling by an orographic or latitudinal effect (Dansgaard 1953). The
isotopic evolution of the precipitation derived from such an air mass can then
be calculated under the assumption of vapor/liquid equilibrium during rainout,
which, however, occurs at progressively lower temperatures. In this case the
isotope composition of the precipitation closely follows the linear relationship
of the MWL, as a consequence of the opposing effects of the (1 + δ/103 )
correction term (which increases as the isotopic values are more depleted) and
the increased isotopic fractionation factor (the ε ∗ term), as a result of the lower
temperatures, as Taylor (1972) has shown.
The additive parameter in the meteoric water lines (which was defined as
“d”) is evidently inherited from the air masses’ initial isotopic composition,
as determined by the air-sea interaction regime: It remains relatively invariant
during the Rayleigh rainout. Different air-sea interaction conditions at the
source result in a series of parallel meteoric water lines (each of slope 8), for
which the d-parameter in each case is related to the source of moisture (Gat
1981), in particular to the moisture deficit above the interface at the site where
the air-masses’ water content is acquired (Merlivat & Contiac 1975). Particular
regional lines relating to some locally effective moisture sources have been
recognized, such as the eastern Mediterranean–MWL of d ∼ 20‰ (Gat &
Carmi 1970) and a western Australian line with d ∼ 14‰, etc.
The meteoric water lines discussed so far, which in essence are “Rayleigh
lines,” obviously describe a spatially distributed data set, which describes the
evolution of a particular precipitating air mass. They also apply to different air
masses, with similar initial properties (water content, temperature, and δv,0 ),
formed under comparable circumstances.
The physical reality behind the Rayleigh formulation of the rainout process
is the isotopic exchange between the falling droplets and the ascending air in the
cloud (Bolin 1959, Friedman et al 1962), resulting in precipitation that essen-
tially “forgets” the isotopic label of very depleted isotopic values imprinted by
the in-cloud processes, establishing isotopic equilibrium with the ambient air.
Indeed, to a good approximation the depletion in isotopic composition in precip-
itation correlates well with the near-ground temperature, as shown by Dansgaard
(1964) and Yurtsever (1975), or more precisely with the temperature at the cloud
base (Rindsberger & Magaritz 1983). This simple scenario, which generally
fits the data rather well, is modified under exceptional circumstances, namely,
• in the case where snow or hail reaches the ground; the isotopic exchange
then does not occur, with the result that the precipitation is more depleted
than in the equilibrium situation. Often, in addition, the solid precipitation
forms show higher d-values due to nonequilibrium condensation during the
growth of ice particles (Jouzel & Merlivat 1984).
• in the case of precipitation from strongly convective systems [thunder clouds,
cold fronts, and tropical clouds associated with the ITCZ (intertropical con-
vergence zone)] which are characterized by strong local downdrafts. As a
result the raindrops do not interact with an averaged sample of the ambient
air but only with a portion of the in-cloud air.
In the two cases cited above, the isotopic value in the precipitation is more
depleted than the true equilibrium precipitation. These situations are then
less effective in isotopic fractionation during rainout than the Rayleigh pro-
cess proper, moderating the extent of isotopic depletion as a function of the
rainout.
An additional process that can affect the isotopic composition of precipitation
and of the atmospheric moisture is the evaporation from falling rain droplets
beneath the cloud base or from surface waters. Evaporation from the falling
rain results in the enrichment of the heavy isotopic species in the remnant drop
along the so-called evaporation line; since these usually have a slope of less than
8 in δ(D) vs δ(18 O) space, the resulting precipitation shows a smaller d-value
than at the cloud base. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 8, the evaporated
moisture’s isotope composition is characterized by larger d-excess value, so that
the precipitation derived from an air mass into which the reevaporated moisture
is admixed is also characterized by a large d-excess (Dansgaard 1964). A
similar effect occurs with the evaporated flux from surface waters (Goodfriend
et al 1989, Gat et al 1994).
The d-excess parameter has been shown to be a diagnostic tool for measuring
the contribution of evaporated moisture to the downwind atmosphere (Gat et al
1994). The scaling factor for judging a change in the d-value of the perturbed
atmosphere is given by
(dL − da ) ¡ ¢
(dE − da ) = + CD(D) − CD(18 O) × θ × n,
1−h
with subscripts E, a, and L standing for the evaporation flux, the ambient mois-
ture, and the liquid, respectively.
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Figure 8 Schematics of the addition of evaporated moisture from surface water into the ambient
atmosphere on the δ-diagram. δp = δ value of precipitation; δw = δ value of the residual water
after evaporation; δE = the evaporation flux; δa and δa0 are the atmospheric moisture before and
after mixing with δE .
Transpired moisture, in contrast, is usually not fractionated relative to soil

moisture, so that if the latter is derived from precipitation, the transpired flux
does not perturb the d-value of the atmospheric moisture (Salati et al 1979).
Some authors have attempted to fit a linear relationship (in δ-space) to pre-
cipitation data from a particular station (usually the monthly averaged values
as reported for the IAEA sampling network; IAEA 1992), naming such lines
“local meteoric water lines.” Such a procedure is not always meaningful, for
instance when the various precipitation events are related to air masses with dif-
ferent source characteristics or to different synoptic patterns, especially during
different seasons.
3.1 Seasonal and Short-Term Variation in the Isotopic

Composition of Precipitation
As seasons change, the isotopic composition of rain at any site will reflect
two basic changes in the rain pattern. The first is the change of the source
characteristics over the ocean due to the seasonal change in ocean temperature
and air-sea interaction conditions. This affects the d-value primarily. Further-
more, different seasons have different degrees of rainout as dictated by the
temperature along the air mass trajectory (which fixes the position along the
“Rayleigh” line). In addition, the deviation from the Rayleigh relationship by
either evaporative enrichment from falling raindrops, the admixture of reevapo-
rated moisture, or the effects of snow and hail are also different for the different
seasons.
A typical seasonal march of precipitation values is shown in Figure 9, based
on data provided by the IAEA precipitation network (IAEA 1992). Both the
heavy isotope content and the d-parameter vary over a yearly cycle, with the
d-values for the winter precipitation usually somewhat higher. Evidently, the
Figure 9 Seasonal change of δ(18 O) and d for selected continental stations, based on IAEA
network data (IAEA 1992).
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effect of high d-values in snow (Jouzel & Merlivat 1984) and the reduced
degree of evaporation from falling rain droplets in winter when compared to
the summer conditions usually override the effect of higher humidity at the
oceanic source areas, which would result in the opposite effect (Merlivat &
Jouzel 1979).
There are still insufficient data to fully characterize shorter term isotopic
changes during a storm or in between individual precipitation events. It ap-
pears that such variations span a wide range of δ-values, up to ± 10‰ in δ 18 O
at times. Some early studies by Epstein (1956), Bleeker et al (1966), and Mat-
suo & Friedman (1967) indicated differences between rain produced by warm
front uplifting or cold fronts and associated thunder clouds. These studies
also showed that the beginning part of most rainshowers are more enriched in
the heavy isotopes due to partial evaporation during the fall of rain droplets
through the air column. Later studies (Leguy et al 1983, Gedzelman et al 1989,
Rindsberger et al 1990, Pionke & Dewalle 1992, McDonnel et al 1990) make
it appear that these differences reflect mainly the source of moisture and its
rainout history, and only to a lesser extent the local rain intensity (EM Adar,
unpublished data from the Negev). However, a notable exception to this rule is
given by very strong tropical rains, associated with the ITCZ and its towering
clouds, when precipitation with extremely depleted isotopic values are found
at the peak of the downpour (Matsui et al 1983).
It is also of interest that in a continental setting the average air moisture and
the daily precipitation are close to isotopic equilibrium with each another (Craig
& Horibe 1967, Jacob & Sonntag 1991). This is not strictly true in a coastal
setting or in regions of climate transition (Matsui et al 1983).
4. PRECIPITATION-INFILTRATION-RUNOFF
RELATIONSHIPS OVER LAND
4.1 Surface Interception of Precipitation
As rain falls on the ground, a number of processes take place that modify the
isotope composition of the incoming precipitation. Details of these processes
depend on the nature of the terrain and on the characteristics of the rain, such
as its amount and duration, intensity, and intermittency.
As shown in Figure 10 [which is an adaptation of an early model of Gat &
Tzur (1967)], part of the incoming precipitation is intercepted on the canopy
of the vegetation cover and in part lost by evaporation. Up to 35% of the
precipitation is thus lost in tropical forests (Molion 1987) and 14.2 and 20.3%,
respectively, on deciduous and coniferous trees in the Appalachian Mountains
in the USA (Kendall 1993). While it evaporates, the water on the canopy,
Figure 10 The interception reservoirs during the precipitation to runoff transition, based on Gat
& Tzur (1967).
as well as in other surface reservoirs, is enriched in the heavy isotopes. If a

further rainshower then follows before the canopy is dried up, this can flush the
enriched residual of the partially evaporated waters to the ground.
In an attempt to recognize the isotopic signature imposed by the canopy
interception, the isotopic composition of the throughflow under a tree was
compared to that of the free-falling precipitation, as collected in a clearing of the
forest (Leopoldo 1981, Saxena 1986, Dewalle & Swistock 1994). The results
show that the expected isotopic enrichment in the throughflow is overshadowed
by selection of part of the rainwater during the process. Apparently the less-
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intense parts of the rainshower are preferentially lost. Since these usually
constitute the isotopically most enriched part of the rain [corresponding to the
amount effect of Dansgaard (1964)], this selection process introduces a negative
bias that cancels the signature of the evaporation process.
The isotopic change on an interception volume V —where aV is the first
rainshower, f is the fraction of V remaining after evaporative water loss, and
bV is the follow-up shower—that results in throughflow when b > (1 − f ) can
be modeled with some simplifying assumptions. The isotopic composition of
the throughfall is then
R
f δA + (b − 1)δB f ε 0 ( f )d ln f
δTh = + , (8)
(b + f − 1) (b + f − 1)
where
dδ f h(δ f − δatm ) − ε
= = ε 0 ( f ), (9)
d ln f (1 − h)
and δA and δB are the isotopic composition of the first and second rain events,
respectively.
Whereas the first term is simply the weighted mean of the contribution of
the first and second rainy spell, it is the second term that expresses the change
in isotope composition due to evaporation. As was shown in a similar model
applied to evaporation from the soil column (Gat 1987), this term has a max-
imum for f ∼ 0.5 and vanishes as f approaches either 0 or 1. Although the
effect of evaporation from the canopy is thus difficult to quantify based on the
local recharge flux, it is reflected in the downwind atmosphere in the form of an
increase of the d-excess parameter of the atmospheric moisture. Gat & Matsui
(1991) thus interpreted an increase of close to 3‰ in the value of d over the
Amazon Basin as the cumulative effect of reevaporation from the canopy of
the rainforest. The transpiration flux, while larger than that of the interception
flux, is not expected to produce a change in d.
In the semi-arid zone the plant cover is less developed. Here the direct
evaporation from temporary surface water impoundments that appear following
stronger rains are expected to produce the largest isotopic signal. Gat & Tzur
(1967) calculated the change between the isotopic composition of infiltrating
water from such surface impoundments and the precipitation. For the climatic
conditions of Israel the enrichment is less than 1‰ [in δ(18 O)] on soils with
infiltration capacity of < 2 mm/hr in winter and ∼ 2‰ in summer. On heavy
soils, higher distortions of up to 5‰ are expected. The effect is minimal on
sandy soils where one does not encounter free surface waters. The effect of
evaporation from within the soil column, and especially from well-ventilated
sand, is discussed below.
4.2 Surface Runoff

Any water in excess of the holdup capacity of the surface reservoirs and of the
infiltrability of the soil appears as surface runoff. Stable isotopes have played
a decisive role in understanding the mechanism of their formation. A Cana-
dian group pioneered this work (Fritz et al 1976). One chooses a particular
rainfall event with extreme isotopic values and traces this pulse into the lo-
cal and regional runoff. In the case of the temperature (wet) environment of
Canada Sklash et al (1976) found that the antecedent wetness in the topsoil
was involved in the runoff and that the last rainfall (which triggered the runoff
event) was diluted by the past rainfalls of the season. Some degree of evapo-
rative enrichment, presumably from waters in the topsoil, was detected (Fritz
et al 1976). Similar results were reported from other localities (Mook et al
1974).
The situation is dramatically different in the arid zone. Here the deficiency
of rainfall and long intervals between rain events result in a dry top layer,
the absence of a continuous plant cover, and bare rock surfaces denuded of
soils. Loess areas are baked dry to form a rather impermeable “desert pave-
ment.” Small amounts of rain that just wet the surface are then lost by complete
evaporation. But even moderate rainfall events of just a few millimeters of
precipitation result in local surface runoff from the hillsides. These combine,
when the rain event is more continuous, to produce the phenomenal desert flash
floods on a regional scale. Isotopic studies in the highlands of the Negev Desert
have shown that the local runoff assumes the mean isotopic composition of
the particular shower (Gat 1987) but that the large flash floods are consistently
depleted in the heavy isotopes relative to the local rain (Levin et al 1980) which
gives rise to them. This effect has been attributed to the intra-storm isotope
variability where the most intense part of the shower shows depleted isotopic
values (E Adar, unpublished data). Ehhalt et al (1963) have described a similar
effect of depleted isotopic values in river runoff in South Africa.
The exception to these interrelationships are the sand dune areas in the dry
zone, on which almost no surface flows occur because all incoming precipitation
infiltrates into the open pore structure of the sand. The subsequent evaporation
from within the sand column is another story.
4.3 Lakes and Other Surface Waters

The enrichment of the heavy isotopic species in residual surface waters as a re-
sult of the isotopic fractionation that accompanies evaporation was recognized
long ago (Craig 1961b). This buildup of the isotopic enrichment and the recog-
nizable isotopic signature of lake water is being utilized to establish the water
balance of the lake, especially the ratio of inflow to evaporation fluxes, and as
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a tool for studying mixing in the lake. It is also a useful tracer for detecting the
addition of lake waters to adjacent groundwaters (Krabbenhoft et al 1994).
Under hydrologic steady-state conditions the isotopic buildup in a lake is
given by
(δa − δin + ε/ h)
1δ = δL,SS − δin = h i, (10)
1 + FEin · (1−h)
h
where Fin and E are the influx and evaporation terms, respectively. Evidently,
changes in either δin , δa , the humidity (h), or the hydrologic balance of the
lake are determining parameters. Higher enrichments up to a limiting value of
δL = δa + ε/ h are possible for situations such as a string of lakes, i.e. when a
number of evaporative elements act in series (Gat & Bowser 1991).
The subject of lakes, freshwater and saline ones, has been extensively re-
viewed over the years. Gat (1995) summarizes the state of the art in this
respect.
4.4 Soilwaters
Waters infiltrating from the surface drain through the void spaces in the soil,
once the “field capacity,” i.e. the amount of water held against gravity on
the grains of the soil by adsorption and capillary forces, is filled up. In very
homogeneous soils one can recognize a piston flow pattern where the infiltrate of
each season pushes the previous one ahead, as visualized by the tritium content
of the moisture column (Dincer et al 1974, Gvirtzman & Magaritz 1990). In
heterogeneous soils and fractured matrixes the pattern is more complicated.
The holdup in the soil column and transport through it does not, in itself, affect
the isotopic composition of the infiltrating waters, except as far as mixing be-
tween moving and standing water parcels occurs. However, when evaporation
from within the topsoil occurs during dry intervals between rain events, this re-
sults in an enrichment of the heavy isotopes in the residual waters (Zimmerman
et al 1967). At some depth beneath the surface an evaporating front develops:
Above it water transport is predominantly in the gaseous phase through the air-
filled intergranular space; below it laminar flow and molecular diffusion in the
water-filled pore space dominate. An isotopic concentration profile develops,
representing a balance between the upward convective flux and the downward
diffusion of the evaporative signature (Barnes & Allison 1988). Isotopic en-
richments of 18 O in excess of 10‰ relative to the precipitation are found in
desert soils. Because the isotope enrichment at the evaporating front occurs by
diffusion through a stagnant air layer, Equation 6a with n = 1 applies. The
isotopic composition of the residual waters are characterized by their situation
on a low-slope evaporation line (Figure 11). These enriched waters are then
Figure 11 Isotopic relationships during the groundwater formation in the arid and semiarid zone.
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flushed down by subsequent rains, imparting their evaporative isotope signature

to the deeper soilwaters and groundwaters.
Direct evaporation from a bare soil surface is a factor in the water balance of
an arid environment, in particular in sandy soils with a high water table [(e.g.
dry lakes and diffuse groundwater discharge zones in the desert (Fontes et al
1986)]. In other areas it is the transpiration flux that accounts for the bulk of
the evapo-transpiration flux from the soil. All evidence shows that there is
no fractionation between isotopes as roots take up water. On the other hand,
transpiration selectively utilizes the soilwaters during the growing period in
spring and summer. If, as is typically the case, the seasonal input of precipitation
is not yet mixed in the soil moisture of the root zone, this results in a selection
of part of the seasonal cycle in the input to the groundwaters, resulting usually
in more depleted isotope values in the deeper soil compared to the mean annual
value. This property has been utilized to investigate the water balance of the
groundwater recharge process, e.g. by Simpson et al (1970).
The two processes of direct evaporation from the soil and seasonal selection
by transpiration have opposing isotopic signals. It is thus often difficult to use
isotopic profiles in the soil as a measure of the evaporative history of a site.
However, in combination with the salinity profile in the soil [salinity builds up
as a function of the total evapo-transpiration flux (Eriksson & Khunakassem
1969)] more quantitative information can be resolved.
4.5 Water in Plants
As discussed above, soilwater is taken up by the plants essentially unfraction-
ated. This feature is used extensively to characterize the source of water for
the plant and transpiration, whether soil- or riverwater (Dawson & Ehlerringer
1991), snowmelt waters, or shallow or deep soilwaters in the arid zone where
marked isotope gradients exist (Adar et al 1995). Yakir & Yehieli (1995) have
also exploited this feature to distinguish between saline groundwaters and flash
floods at the Dead Sea shore.
Leaves are the site of the evaporation front in the plant, specifically, the
cells located near the stomata. These waters are highly enriched in the heavy
isotopes (Gonfiantini et al 1965) when stomata are open, to an extent given by
the steady-state isotope composition with respect to the evaporation process as
given by the formula, δSS = (1 − h)δin + hδa + ε, derived from Equation 4.
Steady state can be practically achieved by virtue of the large flux/volume ratio
in the transpiring leaves.
Allison et al (1985), Yakir et al (1990), and others who calculated the expected
steady-state isotopic composition often found the overall enrichment in the
leafwaters to fall short of the expected steady-state value. Allison interpreted
such a difference to be the result of dilution by unfractionated source waters
in the veins of the leaves [amounting at times up to 30% of the total leafwater
volume (Allison et al 1985)]. In the case of cotton plants, Yakir et al (1990), on
the other hand, postulated that part of the leafwater (in the mesophyllic cells)
lags behind the steady-state enrichment due to a slow water exchange with the
outer water sheath, which is assumed to be in momentary steady state relative
to the evaporation process during the day and to take up unfractionated source
water at night.
Under steady-state conditions obviously δE = δin , so that the transpiration
flux is unfractionated with respect to the soilwater taken up by the plants.
The enriched isotopic values of plant waters is being used to check the au-
thenticity of fruit products and distinguish them from those adulterated by water
(Bricout et al 1972).
5. GROUNDWATERS
5.1 Meteoric Waters
The isotopic composition of groundwaters that are recharged by direct infil-
tration in the temperature zone follows that of the incident precipitation rather
closely. The surface processes discussed above usually cause shifts in the iso-
tope composition of less than 1‰ in δ(18 O) (Gat & Tzur 1967). The isotope
composition of groundwaters are thus useful tools for identifying recharge sites
(utilizing geographic effects on the isotopic composition of rain, such as the
altitude effect), tracing mixing patterns and, in particular, for detecting the en-
croachment of lake waters (which are enriched in the heavy isotopes) (Payne
1970) of seawater and other extraneous water sources. In the arid zone, direct
infiltration can result in recharge only on sand. In other cases some surface
runoff is a necessary prerequisite for accumulating sufficient water depth to
enable occurrence of recharge. Both small-scale local runoff, feeding locally
important aquifer pockets in limestones and crystalline rocks, and large-scale
regional flood flows, which recharge large deep regional aquifers, are important
recharge mechanisms. Each of these recharge pathways imprints a distinguish-
able stable isotopic signature on the recharge waters (Figure 11).
In order to take full advantage of the possibilities of understanding groundwater
formation, the detailed isotope effects of the recharge and runoff processes need
to be established for different climate conditions and for each watershed. Such
studies are still few and incomplete. When available, the changing isotope com-
position in groundwater recharge or runoff could be used as a sensitive monitor
of climatic and anthropogenic changes in the watershed (Gat & Lister 1995).
Up to temperatures of about 60–80◦ C, the isotopic composition of groundwa-
ters is conserved in the aquifer, so that even waters recharged in the Pleistocene
254 GAT
more than 10,000 years ago are still useful for climate reconstruction of these
past conditions based on the isotopic composition of paleowaters (Fontes 1981).
For example, the wetter climate of North Africa was established by interpret-
ing paleowaters in the Nubian sandstone aquifers (Sonntag et al 1976). By
virtue of the lower d-excess value of such waters (d ∼ 7‰), Merlivat & Jouzel
(1979) established a higher humidity over the Atlantic at that time. However,
the advantage of having a record for both oxygen and hydrogen isotopes in
paleowaters (whereas most other climate proxies only give the 18 O record) is
offset by the difficulty of reliably dating such waters.
5.2 Geothermal and Formation Water

At elevated temperatures of more than 80◦ C the isotopic exchange between
the groundwater and the host rock becomes noticeable, resulting in an “oxy-
gen shift” towards more positive δ(18 O) values. However, extrapolation of the
isotopic composition of such waters [at constant δ(D)] enables one, in many
cases, to identify the meteoric water origin of such waters. At still higher tem-
peratures and when steam venting occurs, the isotopic exchange between water
and the steam at these elevated temperatures causes changes of both oxygen
and hydrogen isotopes. These relationships have been extensively utilized for
the exploration of geothermal systems and reservoirs, as reviewed by Panichi
& Gonfiantini (1981).
Below the cycling meteoric waters one often encounters brackish waters and
brines in deeper geologic formations. The term “formation water” is used to
denote such water that is obtained from a geologic formation and is representa-
tive of its fluid content. No a priori connotation concerning the origin of salinity
or of water is intended.
The isotopic composition provides information about the origin and history of
the water phase. Recent studies have indicated that in marine sediments on the
continents, the original marine brines have as a rule been replaced by meteoric
waters (Clayton et al 1966, Hitchon & Friedman 1969). Unfortunately, many
aspects of the mechanism of movement of water and salt remain obscure. The
evolution of such brines has been discussed by Fleisher et al (1977).
Since chloride is the dominant anion of all these brines, it is reasonable to
suppose that, initially, the salts were mainly of a marine origin.
The simplest initial solution to be considered is that of seawater or marine in-
terstitial water. Another set of initial solutions that can be considered comprises
continental surface waters. The origin of the dissolved salts in the formation
waters may then be quite varied, ranging from marine salts to residual salts of
continental weathering reactions. In another model, the sources of dissolved
salts are minerals in the geologic formations, especially evaporites. In this
model, there is then no a priori relation between the dissolved salt composition
and the isotopic composition of the water.
These initial solutions are then exposed to various processes. Three geo-
chemical processes can be considered. The first process is surface exposure
accompanied by evaporative water loss. According to Lloyd (1966), the iso-
tope composition tends in this case towards an enriched value while salinity
increases.
A second process is that of ultrafiltration by clay membranes. This process
results in a slight enrichment of both 18 O and D in the residual brine, correspond-
ing to a parallel increase in salinity with a preferential increase of multivalent
cations relative to sodium. The single stage isotope fractionation factors in
dilute NaCl solutions as a result of this process are 0.9993 for 18 O and 0.998 for
deuterium (Coplen & Hanshaw 1973). The fractionation effect is thus smaller
by one order of magnitude than the fractionation in the evaporation process.
The relationships between the increase of salinity and increase in 18 O content by
ultrafiltration for the solutions considered by Coplen & Hanshaw (under condi-
tions of Rayleigh fractionation) is given by the equation S = S0 exp(1δ 18 /0.7).
If one assumes that the process starts with seawater pushed through a clay mem-
brane filter until the dissolved salt increases by a factor of 4 to a concentration of
150 g/liter (which are concentrations typical of formation waters), then this rela-
tion predicts an enrichment of 18 O in the water by + 1‰. A parallel increase in
the Ca/Na ratio would be expected (White 1965). If additional freshwater then
flows through this system, a further increase of the Ca/Na ratio may result (form-
ing a CaCl2 type water), accompanied, however, by a possible slight decrease
in the concentration of total dissolved solids. The 18 O content of the residual
brine approaches in the steady-state limit an enrichment of 0.7‰ relative to the
meteoric water (this being the single stage fractionation factor for this process).
A third process that can affect the isotopic composition of formation waters is
interaction with minerals in the formation, especially at elevated temperatures.
In this case the changes in the chemical and isotopic compositions depend on
the nature of the minerals. One extreme case occurs when the fluid is in contact
with limestones: The 18 O content of the fluid increases by exchange, without
significant change of the salinity. Another extreme occurs in the presence of
anhydrous evaporite deposits, which when they dissolve, cause the salinity
to increase without significantly changing the isotope composition of the fluid.
White et al (1973) have claimed that in the presence of clays deuterium exchange
can occur, resulting in a slight decrease of the δ(D) values.
The three processes mentioned result in increases of salinity and enrichment
of 18 O in the brine (Figure 12). Mixing with meteoric waters has the opposite
effect, i.e. a decrease in salinity and depletion in 18 O. The evidence of the
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Figure 12 Isotopic changes of formation waters.
hydrogen isotopes is more ambiguous, since both exchange with clays and
mixing with meteoric waters results in slightly depleted δ(D) values.
Figure 12 shows the changes in salinity and isotopic composition predicted
for the waters, as these evolve through any of the processes described above or
when mixing with meteoric waters occurs.
6. ICE AND SNOW

Ice and snow present a special situation in isotope hydrology. Unlike the liquid
raindrop, the solid phases do not exhibit isotope exchange with atmospheric
moisture but conserve the isotopic composition as formed in the cloud. Because
of this, hailstones were used to probe the conditions within a thundercloud (Facy
et al 1963, Macklin et al 1970, Jouzel et al 1975).
As shown by Jouzel & Merlivat (1984) the formation of snow shows a non-
equilibrium effect that gives rise to precipitation with an elevated d-excess value.
As an example, snow in Jerusalem was measured with a value of d = 32‰,
compared to d ' 20‰ in the ambient air. The same effect is responsible for the
seasonality of d-values in precipitation of the northern latitudes, e.g. in Canada
(Fritz et al 1987), with higher values in winter. It has been noted above that
the removal of snow or hail from an air mass with which it is not in isotopic
equilibrium does not satisfy the conditions for a Rayleigh process.
The accumulation of snow on the ground, with each successive snowfall
keeping its identity (with the exception of mixing caused by snowdrifts) has
enabled one to use cores in glaciers to establish the most reliable isotope record
of precipitation as far back as the Pleistocene (e.g. Dansgaard et al 1969). The
establishment of the isotope record in glaciers constitutes one of the highlights
of isotope hydrology, which is not discussed further here in view of the many
good descriptions available.
The sublimation of the ice removes the material layer by layer. It could
be expected then that this process would not alter the isotopic composition of
the remaining snowpack, unlike the situation in an evaporating water body in
which the effect of surface fractionation is propagated into the residual liquid
by mixing. However, this simple model is not realized in practice, apparently
due to diffusion of vapor through the void spaces in the snow pack and also due
to some surface melting and percolation of meltwaters into the remaining snow.
As a result of such processes, which have been extensively explored (Moser &
Stichler 1974, Whillans & Grootes 1985, Friedman et al 1991, also the review of
Arnason 1981) meltwaters do not always show the same isotopic composition as
that of the snow; the remainder of the snow pack shows increasing enrichment of
the heavy isotopes and reduced values of the d-parameter. An extreme example
is reported by Claasen & Downey (1995) in the canopy-intercepted snowfall
on evergreens, where enrichments of up to 2‰ in δ(18 O) are found.
Another facet of solid-phase isotope hydrology is the constitution of the sea-
ice cover and of lake ice. Merlivat (1978) has shown that a marine glacier is
made up mostly of accumulated precipitation and that only the very bottom
layers are frozen seawater. On a lake in northern Wisconsin, on the other hand,
Bowser & Gat (1995) found the lower half of the ice cover to be ice grown in
equilibrium with the lake water, which, however, is mixed with unfractionated
lake water trapped in the ice during the freezing process. The upper 50% of the
ice core is evidently made up of lake water that overflows on top of the subsiding
ice layer, mixes with the accumulated snow on the surface, and is then refrozen.
7. APPLICATIONS TO PALEOCLIMATOLOGY
The usefulness of the changes in isotope composition in the hydrologic cycle
for hydrological studies is self-evident. The essentially conservative behavior
of the isotope in the subsurface, on the one hand, and the characteristic and
well-documented changes in the atmospheric section of the cycle and at the
surface-atmosphere interface, on the other hand, provide a reliable tracer (fin-
gerprint). This tracer has been utilized to determine the origin of water bodies,
to quantify the water balance of surface and subsurface reservoirs, and to trace
the mechanisms of salinization of water resources (Gat 1975).
The isotope record in climatic archives is increasingly called upon to provide
paleoclimatic information. This analysis is based on two premises: (a) that the
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isotope composition of the proxy material can be related to that of the water cycle
of past periods and (b) that from the latter one can evaluate the relevant climatic
or hydrologic parameters. Both of these premises need a critical appraisal.
As for the first of these premises, the situation is fairly straightforward where
the proxy material is the water substance itself, as in ice cores, paleowaters, or
interstitial waters in sediment cores. However, the constancy of the isotopic
record has to be addressed, whether with regard to diffusive mixing in the
column, the interaction with the rock matrix or sedimentary material (affecting
the oxygen isotopes primarily), or the effect of biogeochemical interactions that
occur in porewaters, which affect mainly the hydrogen isotopes. The porewater
system cannot be regarded as a closed one for more than a few thousand years
at best because the older isotopic signals are erased by porewater diffusion (GS
Lister, unpublished data).
In the case of proxy materials such as lacustrine carbonates, shells of land-
snails (Goodfriend et al 1989), or plant materials (cellulose), the major issue
is the relationship of the isotopic composition in the proxy to the environ-
mental waters. Lake carbonate deposits are related to the lake waters through
a temperature-dependent fractionation factor (often compounded by an addi-
tional “vital effect,” i.e. a biochemical effect). The lake waters, in turn, are
related to the inflowing waters isotope composition and to the degree of isotopic
enrichment of the lake waters.
Thus both hydrological and climatic factors are involved, as well as ecological
ones, as discussed by Talbot (1990) and Gat & Lister (1995).
Plant material, on the other hand, is related to the hydrological cycle through
the soilwater taken up in the roots. The isotope composition is, however,
modified by hydrological and physiological processes in the plant, such as
water stress, ambient humidity, and also the timing of stomata openings.
In all these cases the isotope composition of the precipitation is thus modified
by factors that are climatically and environmentally controlled and that need to
be recognized in great detail under a variety of climatic conditions.
The second premise mentioned above—which concerns the interpretation
of changes in the isotope composition of precipitation with time in terms of
changing climate parameters, temperature in particular—is based on the strong
correlation between the isotopic composition of precipitation and the ambient
temperature in the present-day water cycle. Various authors have attempted
to impose this relationship on the paleo-record. This obviously could be an
illusive procedure when one considers that the sources and sinks of water as
well as details of the global circulation undergo important changes over the
periods concerned. The approach of modelers such as Joussaume & Jouzel
(1993), who attempt to derive global isotope maps for past climate conditions
as reference points for the local climatic record, is a more promising approach.
This effort, however, requires a rather detailed understanding of the bound-
ary conditions both over the ocean and at the plant (soil)-atmosphere inter-
face.
It is interesting to note that the interest in the paleoclimatic applications of
isotope hydrology has been a stronger motivation for the study of stable isotopes
in the hydrologic cycle (yielding much useful hydrological information as a by-
product) than that provided by the hydrological sciences directly.
Any Annual Review chapter, as well as any article cited in an Annual Review chapter,
may be purchased from the Annual Reviews Preprints and Reprints service.
1-800-347-8007; 415-259-5017; email: [email protected]
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March 16, 1996 8:49 Annual Reviews GAT-8 AR10-08

Annu. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci. 1996. 24:225–62

OXYGEN AND HYDROGEN ISOTOPES

KEY WORDS: isotope fractionation, evapo-transpiration, precipitation, soilwaters,

system needs to be qualified. As shown schematically in Figure 1, the marine

O AND H IN THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE 227

2. ISOTOPE FRACTIONATION IN THE WATER CYCLE

O AND H IN THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE 229

O AND H IN THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE 231

2.3 Isotope Fractionation in Open, Closed,

N2 = N1.0 − N1 , Ni2 = Ni1.0 − Ni1 ,

O AND H IN THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE 233

(c) no isotopic fractionation during a fully turbulent transport.

E i = (α ∗ RL − h · Ra )/ρi ; ρi = ρi,M + ρi,T .

Figure 3 The Craig-Gordon evaporation model.

The ρ terms are the appropriate resistances as shown in Figure 3; subscripts

O AND H IN THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE 235

Figure 4 The marine evaporation process in terms of the δ-diagram.

where 0.5 ≤ n ≤ 1; CD (18 O) = 28.5.5‰ and CD (D) = 25.115‰. The

As shown in Figure 4, from material balance considerations, both the initial

3. THE ISOTOPIC COMPOSITION OF ATMOSPHERIC

O AND H IN THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE 237

Translation of the Rayleigh lines into δ(‰)-space then imposes a deviation

O AND H IN THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE 239

O AND H IN THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE

An isothermal situation, however, is not a realistic model for continuous

O AND H IN THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE 243

Transpired moisture, in contrast, is usually not fractionated relative to soil

3.1 Seasonal and Short-Term Variation in the Isotopic

O AND H IN THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE 245

O AND H IN THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE 247

as well as in other surface reservoirs, is enriched in the heavy isotopes. If a

O AND H IN THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE 249

4.2 Surface Runoff

4.3 Lakes and Other Surface Waters

O AND H IN THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE 251

flushed down by subsequent rains, imparting their evaporative isotope signature

O AND H IN THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE 253

5.2 Geothermal and Formation Water

O AND H IN THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE 255

Figure 12 Isotopic changes of formation waters.

6. ICE AND SNOW

O AND H IN THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE 257

O AND H IN THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE 259

O AND H IN THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE 261

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