Analysis of the characteristics of precipitation stable isotopes and differences in water vapor sources on the northern and southern sides of the Qinling Mountains
Hydrogen and oxygen isotope data from atmospheric precipitation were collected and analyzed at six stations located on both the northern and southern sides of the Qinling Mountains. Based on this analysis, the precipitation isotope lines, environmental effects, d-excess (deuterium excess) characteristics, and differences in water vapor sources between the two regions were elucidated. The following results were obtained: (1) The slope of the meteoric water line equation in the northern foot of the Qinling Mountains (7.84) was greater than that in the southern foot (7.52), which in turn was greater than that in the eastern monsoon region (7.46). For the intercept, the southern foot of the Qinling Mountains (13.10) was higher than the northern foot (10.10). (2) A temperature effect was identified on the northern slope during the cold season, while a strong precipitation amount effect was demonstrated on the southern slope. Significant latitude effects were exhibited on both sides, with depletion gradients that far exceeded the national average. (3) During summer, precipitation on the northern slope was determined to originate from low-latitude oceanic regions with high relative humidity, resulting in a d‑excess lower than the annual average. In winter, precipitation was derived from westerly circulation carrying North Atlantic water vapor with lower relative humidity, leading to a higher d‑excess. These findings provided important theoretical insights into the Qinling Mountains’ role as the “Central Water Tower” and offered scientific support for water resource management on both sides of the mountain range.
选取的秦岭南北两侧6个降水同位素站点,包含两部分:一是全球降水同位素监测网络(Global Network of Isotopes in Precipitation, GNIP)的西安站点;二是近年来国内学者设立的华山、渭南、杨凌、汉中和商洛观测点。需要说明的是,自设站点采样时间较短,存在缺乏长期连续观测数据的局限。但同一区域内不同时间间隔的站点,其大气降水稳定同位素值与季节变化规律保持一致;且西安站点δ18O的年际变异系数仅为-0.09,结合秦岭南北两侧站点的综合观测时间跨度已达30 a,所以年际波动不会对研究结果的准确性产生影响。研究时段内6个站点的温度及降水量数据均来源于国家气象科学数据中心(http://data.cma.cn/)。各站点地理位置、环境信息及大气降水δ18O和δD数据详见表1。
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