Stable Water Isotopes

The fundamental control on the isotopic composition of precipitation is

temperature. With increasing temperature, precipitation becomes enriched
in the heavier isotopes,
18
O and
2
H, in a linear relationship. Temperature
affects fractionation at a rate of approximately 0.5for every C for
oxygen. Similar effects are shown with increasing elevation and increased
distance from the equator (both of which correspond to lower
temperature). Because precipitation becomes progressively enriched in
light oxygen as it moves toward the cold polar regions, polar ice
constitutes a reservoir of
16
O enriched water as compared to sea water.
4.7E-05
3.6E-04
2.5E-04
8.2E-05
2.2E-04
1.8E-04
1.2E-04
2.4E-04
3.9E-04
7.2E-05
3.9E-05
0
20
80
60
40
100
160
140
120
Clay
0 2E-04 4E-04
?
0 2 -4
-6 -10 -
8
-2
May-01
G. Relative Head (mm difference from 19m value)
F. Hydraulic Conductivity (m/s)
-100 -200 300 200 100 0
May- 0 1
Dec- 0 1
Jan - 0 2
Feb - 0 2
Mar - 0 2
Ap r - 0 2
-4. 0 -3. 0 -2. 0 -1. 0 0. 0
Depth
(m)
H.
18
O (per thousand)
Tritium and Helium
3
H

=
3
H
0

e
t
3
H
0

=
3
He
trit

+
3
H

3 3
3
3
/
[ ] 1
ln 1
[ ]
trit
H He
He
t
H

= +


0
20
40
60
80
100
0 100 200 300 400 500 600
0 1 2 3 4 5
As
Tr
0
20
40
60
80
100
0 100 200 300 400 500 600
0 1 2 3 4
As
As
As
Tr
depth
Carbon Isotopes
Dissolved Carbon
Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) (mM)
0 2 4 6 8 10
20
40
60
80
100
120
401
601
180
0 0.4 . 0.8 . 1.2 . 1.6 . 2
Methane
DOC
DIC
Depth
(m )
Inorganic (DIC) and Methane (mM)
Carbon Isotopes
Inorganic
Carbon
Organic
Carbon
30m
19m
3m
Methanogenesis
CaCO
3
(Atmospheric values
over last 50 years)
60m
14
C
0/00
-1000
-500
0
500
1000
-30 -25 -20 -15 -10 -5 0
-70
Methane
Surface Water Carbon
Inflow of young
carbon
Young carbon
drives biochemistry
Mixture of young
and old carbon is
not the result of
pore water mixing,
but mobilization of
old organic carbon
0
700
4000
2000
R
a
d
i
o
c
a
r
b
o
n

A
g
e
13
C
0/00
At Waquoit Bay
Waquoit Bay,
MA
Saline Circulation Mechanisms
q = K
dh
dz
=
kg

dh
dz
q =
k

dP
dz
g

Initial Salinity Profile Elapsed Time 2:20 Elapsed Time 21:00 Elapsed Time 33:00 Elapsed Time 47:46 Elapsed Time 67:30 Elapsed Time 76:00 Elapsed Time 80:00