Drip water isotopes in semi-arid karst: Implications for speleothem paleoclimatology

Mark O. Cuthbert; Andy Baker; Catherine N. Jex; Peter W. Graham; Pauline C. Treble; Martin S. Andersen; R. Ian Acworth

doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2014.03.034

Drip water isotopes in semi-arid karst: Implications for speleothem paleoclimatology

Mark O. Cuthbert, Andy Baker, Catherine N. Jex, Peter W. Graham, Pauline C. Treble, Martin S. Andersen, R. Ian Acworth

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

64 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We report the results of the first multi-year monitoring and modelling study of the isotopic composition of drip waters in a semi-arid karst terrane. High temporal resolution drip rate monitoring combined with monthly isotope drip water and rainfall sampling at Cathedral Cave, Australia, demonstrates that drip water discharge to the cave occurs irregularly, and only after occasional long duration and high volume rainfall events, where the soil moisture deficit and evapotranspiration is overcome. All drip waters have a water isotopic composition that is heavier than the weighted mean annual precipitation, some fall along the local meteoric water line, others trend towards an evaporation water line. It is hypothesised that, in addition to the initial rainfall composition, evaporation of unsaturated zone water, as well as the time between infiltration events, are the dominant processes that determine infiltration water isotopic composition. We test this hypothesis using a soil moisture balance and isotope model. Our research reports, for the first time, the potential role of sub-surface evaporation in altering drip water isotopic composition, and its implications for the interpretation of speleothem δO18 records from arid and semi-arid regions.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	194-204
Number of pages	11
Journal	Earth and Planetary Science Letters
Volume	395
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2014.03.034
Publication status	Published - 1 Jun 2014
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Evaporation
Karst
Recharge
Semi-arid
Speleothem
Water isotopes

Programme Area

Programme Area 5: Nature and Climate

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10.1016/j.epsl.2014.03.034

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@article{ed64190c5b6f4f5498496f7f82ed740f,

title = "Drip water isotopes in semi-arid karst: Implications for speleothem paleoclimatology",

abstract = "We report the results of the first multi-year monitoring and modelling study of the isotopic composition of drip waters in a semi-arid karst terrane. High temporal resolution drip rate monitoring combined with monthly isotope drip water and rainfall sampling at Cathedral Cave, Australia, demonstrates that drip water discharge to the cave occurs irregularly, and only after occasional long duration and high volume rainfall events, where the soil moisture deficit and evapotranspiration is overcome. All drip waters have a water isotopic composition that is heavier than the weighted mean annual precipitation, some fall along the local meteoric water line, others trend towards an evaporation water line. It is hypothesised that, in addition to the initial rainfall composition, evaporation of unsaturated zone water, as well as the time between infiltration events, are the dominant processes that determine infiltration water isotopic composition. We test this hypothesis using a soil moisture balance and isotope model. Our research reports, for the first time, the potential role of sub-surface evaporation in altering drip water isotopic composition, and its implications for the interpretation of speleothem δO18 records from arid and semi-arid regions.",

keywords = "Evaporation, Karst, Recharge, Semi-arid, Speleothem, Water isotopes",

author = "Cuthbert, {Mark O.} and Andy Baker and Jex, {Catherine N.} and Graham, {Peter W.} and Treble, {Pauline C.} and Andersen, {Martin S.} and {Ian Acworth}, R.",

note = "Funding Information: CJ, AB, MSA and RIA were supported the NCGRT , PG by the NSW Science Leveraging Fund and MOC by the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme [FP7/2007–2013] under grant agreement No. 299091 . Groundwater infrastructure used by the research team was funded by the Australian Government Groundwater Education Investment Fund and weather station data downloaded from ( http://groundwater.anu.edu.au ). We thank Monika Markowska for provision of South Passage temperature data and Even Jensen and Gabriel Rau for provision of relative humidity data, Wellington Council for permission to work at the Wellington Caves site, and Chris George, Col Birchall, Mike Augee and staff at Wellington Caves that made this research possible. The reviews of Darrel Tremaine and two anonymous reviewers greatly improved the clarity of the manuscript. ",

year = "2014",

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doi = "10.1016/j.epsl.2014.03.034",

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journal = "Earth and Planetary Science Letters",

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T2 - Implications for speleothem paleoclimatology

AU - Cuthbert, Mark O.

AU - Baker, Andy

AU - Jex, Catherine N.

AU - Graham, Peter W.

AU - Treble, Pauline C.

AU - Andersen, Martin S.

AU - Ian Acworth, R.

N1 - Funding Information: CJ, AB, MSA and RIA were supported the NCGRT , PG by the NSW Science Leveraging Fund and MOC by the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme [FP7/2007–2013] under grant agreement No. 299091 . Groundwater infrastructure used by the research team was funded by the Australian Government Groundwater Education Investment Fund and weather station data downloaded from ( http://groundwater.anu.edu.au ). We thank Monika Markowska for provision of South Passage temperature data and Even Jensen and Gabriel Rau for provision of relative humidity data, Wellington Council for permission to work at the Wellington Caves site, and Chris George, Col Birchall, Mike Augee and staff at Wellington Caves that made this research possible. The reviews of Darrel Tremaine and two anonymous reviewers greatly improved the clarity of the manuscript.

PY - 2014/6/1

Y1 - 2014/6/1

N2 - We report the results of the first multi-year monitoring and modelling study of the isotopic composition of drip waters in a semi-arid karst terrane. High temporal resolution drip rate monitoring combined with monthly isotope drip water and rainfall sampling at Cathedral Cave, Australia, demonstrates that drip water discharge to the cave occurs irregularly, and only after occasional long duration and high volume rainfall events, where the soil moisture deficit and evapotranspiration is overcome. All drip waters have a water isotopic composition that is heavier than the weighted mean annual precipitation, some fall along the local meteoric water line, others trend towards an evaporation water line. It is hypothesised that, in addition to the initial rainfall composition, evaporation of unsaturated zone water, as well as the time between infiltration events, are the dominant processes that determine infiltration water isotopic composition. We test this hypothesis using a soil moisture balance and isotope model. Our research reports, for the first time, the potential role of sub-surface evaporation in altering drip water isotopic composition, and its implications for the interpretation of speleothem δO18 records from arid and semi-arid regions.

AB - We report the results of the first multi-year monitoring and modelling study of the isotopic composition of drip waters in a semi-arid karst terrane. High temporal resolution drip rate monitoring combined with monthly isotope drip water and rainfall sampling at Cathedral Cave, Australia, demonstrates that drip water discharge to the cave occurs irregularly, and only after occasional long duration and high volume rainfall events, where the soil moisture deficit and evapotranspiration is overcome. All drip waters have a water isotopic composition that is heavier than the weighted mean annual precipitation, some fall along the local meteoric water line, others trend towards an evaporation water line. It is hypothesised that, in addition to the initial rainfall composition, evaporation of unsaturated zone water, as well as the time between infiltration events, are the dominant processes that determine infiltration water isotopic composition. We test this hypothesis using a soil moisture balance and isotope model. Our research reports, for the first time, the potential role of sub-surface evaporation in altering drip water isotopic composition, and its implications for the interpretation of speleothem δO18 records from arid and semi-arid regions.

KW - Evaporation

KW - Karst

KW - Recharge

KW - Semi-arid

KW - Speleothem

KW - Water isotopes

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DO - 10.1016/j.epsl.2014.03.034

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84898451110

SN - 0012-821X

VL - 395

SP - 194

EP - 204

JO - Earth and Planetary Science Letters

JF - Earth and Planetary Science Letters

ER -

Drip water isotopes in semi-arid karst: Implications for speleothem paleoclimatology

Abstract

Keywords

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