Tian Lide

Relationship between δ D and δ 18 O in precipitation on north and south of the Tibetan Plateau and moisture recycling

The local meteoric water line (MWL) has been established from north to south of the Tibetan Plateau based on the measured results of δD and δ18O in precipitation and river water, and the relationship between MWL and moisture origins discussed. The spatial and seasonal variations ofd in precipitation and river water on the Tibetan Plateau have been studied. Results show that the spatial and seasonal variations ofd between north and south of the Tanggula Mountains are related to different moisture origins and water recycling.

Recent changes of atmospheric heavy metals in a high-elevation ice core from Muztagh Ata, east Pamirs: initial results

Al, Mn, Rb, Sr, Ba, Cs, Bi and Sb were measured at various depth intervals of a 41.6 m firn/ ice core drilled at an elevation of 7010 m near the top of Muztagh Ata glacier, east Pamirs (38817 0 N, 75806 0 E), central Asia. These data, spanning the mid-1950s to 2000, were obtained by analyzing 101 sections using a sector-field double-focusing inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) instrument. This study provides the first time series for these metals from central Asia. Concentrations are 11.7-329 ng mL -1 for Al, 0.33-42.7 ng mL -1 for Mn, 0.42-17.8 ng mL -1 for Sr, 0.04-1.4 ng mL -1 for Rb, 0.18-10.4 ng mL -1 for Ba, 2-167 pg mL -1 for Cs, 2-51 pg mL -1 for Sb and 1-31 pg mL -1 for Bi. Large variations in metal concentrations were found during the study period. Pronounced increases in concentrations were observed for Sb and Bi from the mid-1960s to the beginning of the 1990s, suggesting increased anthropogenic sources of Sb and Bi in central Asia during the same period. However, the decrease of Sb and Bi concentrations during the mid- to late 1990s reflects a reduction in anthropogenic activities in central Asia.

Atmospheric Pb variations in Central Asia since 1955 from Muztagata ice core record, eastern Pamirs

A Muztagata ice core recovered at 7010 m altitude in East Pamirs provides a Pb concentration record from 1955 to 2000. The result reveals increasing Pb concentrations from 1955 to 1993, with two Pb concentration peaks in 1980 and 1993. After 1993, Pb concentrations in ice core show an obviously declining trend. Analysis shows that the lead in the Muztagata ice core mainly came from anthropogenic emissions from countries in Central Asia, while the local emission had little contribution.

Variations of δ18O in precipitation along vapor transport paths

Three sampling cross sections along the south path starting from the Tropics through the vapor passage in the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau to the middle-low reaches of the Yangtze River, the north path from West China, via North China, to Japan under the westerlies, and the plateau path from South Asia over the Himalayas to the northern Tibetan Plateau, are set up, based on the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency)/WMO global survey network and sampling sites on the Tibetan Plateau. The variations, and the relationship with precipitation and temperature, of the δ18O in precipitation along the three cross sections are analyzed and compared. Along the south path, the seasonal differences of mean δ18O in precipitation are small at the stations located in the Tropics, but increase markedly from Bangkok towards the north, with the δ18O in the rainy season smaller than in the dry season. The δ18O values in precipitation fluctuate on the whole, which shows that there are different vapor sources. Along the north path, the seasonal differences of the mean δ18O in precipitation for the stations in the west of Zhengzhou are all greater than in the east of Zhengzhou. During the cold half of the year, the mean δ18O in precipitation reaches its minimum at Ürümqi with the lowest temperature due to the wide, cold high pressure over Mongolia, then increases gradually with longitude, and remains at roughly the same level at the stations eastward from Zhengzhou. During the warm half of the year, the δ18O values in precipitation are lower in the east than in the west, markedly influenced by the summer monsoon over East Asia. Along the plateau path, the mean δ18O values in precipitation in the rainy season are correspondingly high in the southern parts of the Indian subcontinent, and then decrease gradually with latitude. A sharp depletion of the stable isotopic compositions in precipitation takes place due to the very strong rainout of the stable isotopic compositions in vapor in the process of lifting over the southern slope of the Himalayas. The low level of the δ18O in precipitation is from Nyalam to the Tanggula Mountains during the rainy season, but δ18O increases persistently with increasing latitude from the Tanggula Mountains to the northern Tibetan Plateau because of the replenishment of vapor with relatively heavy stable isotopic compositions originating from the inner plateau. During the dry season, the mean δ18O values in precipitation basically decrease along the path from the south to the north. Generally, the mean δ18O in precipitation during the rainy season is lower than in the dry season for the regions controlled by the monsoons over South Asia or the plateau, and opposite for the regions without a monsoon or with a weak monsoon.Three sampling cross sections along the south path starting from the Tropics through the vapor passage in the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau to the middle-low reaches of the Yangtze River, the north path from West China, via North China, to Japan under the westerlies, and the plateau path from South Asia over the Himalayas to the northern Tibetan Plateau, are set up, based on the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency)/WMO global survey network and sampling sites on the Tibetan Plateau. The variations, and the relationship with precipitation and temperature, of the δ18O in precipitation along the three cross sections are analyzed and compared. Along the south path, the seasonal differences of mean δ18O in precipitation are small at the stations located in the Tropics, but increase markedly from Bangkok towards the north, with the δ18O in the rainy season smaller than in the dry season. The δ18O values in precipitation fluctuate on the whole, which shows that there are different vapor sources. Along the north path, the seasonal differences of the mean δ18O in precipitation for the stations in the west of Zhengzhou are all greater than in the east of Zhengzhou. During the cold half of the year, the mean δ18O in precipitation reaches its minimum at Urumqi with the lowest temperature due to the wide, cold high pressure over Mongolia, then increases gradually with longitude, and remains at roughly the same level at the stations eastward from Zhengzhou. During the warm half of the year, the δ18O values in precipitation are lower in the east than in the west, markedly influenced by the summer monsoon over East Asia. Along the plateau path, the mean δ18O values in precipitation in the rainy season are correspondingly high in the southern parts of the Indian subcontinent, and then decrease gradually with latitude. A sharp depletion of the stable isotopic compositions in precipitation takes place due to the very strong rainout of the stable isotopic compositions in vapor in the process of lifting over the southern slope of the Himalayas. The low level of the δ18O in precipitation is from Nyalam to the Tanggula Mountains during the rainy season, but δ18O increases persistently with increasing latitude from the Tanggula Mountains to the northern Tibetan Plateau because of the replenishment of vapor with relatively heavy stable isotopic compositions originating from the inner plateau. During the dry season, the mean δ18O values in precipitation basically decrease along the path from the south to the north. Generally, the mean δ18O in precipitation during the rainy season is lower than in the dry season for the regions controlled by the monsoons over South Asia or the plateau, and opposite for the regions without a monsoon or with a weak monsoon.

Variations of δ 18 O in precipitation from the Muztagata Glacier, East Pamirs

Expeditions to Muztagata (in the eastern Pamirs) during the summer seasons of 2002 and 2003 collected precipitation samples and measured their oxygen isotopes. The δ18O in precipitation displays a wide range, varying from −17.40‰ to +1.33‰ in June-September 2002 and from −22.31‰ to +4.59‰ in May-August 2003. The δ18O in precipitation correlates with the initial temperature of precipitation during the observing periods. The positive correlation between δ18O and temperature suggests that δ18O can be used as an indicator of temperature in this region. The δ18O values in fresh-snow samples collected from two snow events at different elevations on the Muztagata Glacier show a strong “altitude effect”, with a ratio of nearly −0.40% per 100 m from 5500 m to 7450 m.

Grain size record of microparticles in the Muztagata ice core

The dust transport and sediment characteristics are discussed based on analysis of microparticle size and size distribution in the Muztagata ice core at 6350 m a.s.l. The finer particles with diameter of 1-5 μm are the dominant fraction in number, while middle and coarse particles mainly contribute to the total volume. The lognormal distribution characteristics can be seen for some high concentration samples, showing that model size and standard variation are greater than that in the Greenland ice cores. However, size-volume distribution of some low concentration samples is abnormal. Those distributions reflect the dust deposit process in high mountain glaciers at mid-low latitudes and show differences from those in polar ice sheet.

Temporal and spatial variations of δ18O in precipitation of the Yarlung Zangbo River Basin

This paper reveals the temporal and spatial variations of stable isotope in precipitation of the Yarlung Zangbo River Basin based on the variations of δ18O in precipitation at four stations (Lhaze, Nugesha, Yangcun and Nuxia) in 2005. The results show that δ18O of precipitation has distinct seasonal changes in the Yarlung Zangbo River Basin. The higher value of δ18O occurs in spring prior to monsoon precipitation, and the lower value occurs during monsoon precipitation. From the spatial variations, with the altitude-effect and rainout process during moisture transport along the Yarlung Zangbo River Valley, 18O of precipitation is gradually depleted. Thus, δ18O of precipitation decreases gradually from the downstream to the upstream, and the lapse rate of δ18O in precipitation is approximately 0.34‰/100m and 0.7‰/100km for the two reasons. During monsoon precipitation, spatial variation of δ18O in precipitation is dominated by the amount effect in the large scale synoptic condition.

Humidity Effect and Its Influence on the Seasonal Distribution of Precipitation δ18O in Monsoon Regions

The humidity effect, namely the markedly positive correlation between the stable isotopic ratio in precipitation and the dew-point deficit ΔTd in the atmosphere, is put forward firstly and the relationships between the δ18O in precipitation and ΔTd are analyzed for the Ürümqi and Kunming stations, which have completely different climatic characteristics. Although the seasonal variations in δ18O and ΔTd exhibit differences between the two stations, their humidity effect is notable. The correlation coefficient and its confidence level of the humidity effect are higher than those of the amount effect at Kunming, showing the marked influence of the humidity conditions in the atmosphere on stable isotopes in precipitation. Using a kinetic model for stable isotopic fractionation, and according to the seasonal distribution of mean monthly temperature at 500 hPa at Kunming, the variations of the δ18O in condensate in cloud are simulated. A very good agreement between the seasonal variations of the simulated mean δ18O and the mean monthly temperature at 500 hPa is obtained, showing that the oxygen stable isotope in condensate of cloud experiences a temperature effect. Such a result is markedly different from the amount effect at the ground. Based on the simulations of seasonal variations of δ18O in falling raindrops, it can be found that, in the dry season from November to April, the increasing trend with falling distance of δ18O in falling raindrops corresponds remarkably to the great ΔTd, showing a strong evaporation enrichment function in falling raindrops; however, in the wet season from May to October, the δ18O in falling raindrops displays an unapparent increase corresponding to the small ΔTd, except in May. By comparing the simulated mean δ18O at the ground with the actual monthly δ18O in precipitation, we see distinctly that the two monthly δ18O variations agree very well. On average, the δ18O values are relatively lower because of the highly moist air, heavy rainfall, small ΔTd and weak evaporation enrichment function of stable isotopes in the falling raindrops, under the influence of vapor from the oceans; but they are relatively higher because of the dry air, light rainfall, great ΔTd and strong evaporation enrichment function in falling raindrops, under the control of the continental air mass. Therefore, the δ18O in precipitation at Kunming can be used to indicate the humidity situation in the atmosphere to a certain degree, and thus indicate the intensity of the precipitation and the strength of the monsoon indirectly. The humidity effect changes not only the magnitude of the stable isotopic ratio in precipitation but also its seasonal distribution due to its influence on the strength of the evaporation enrichment of stable isotopes in falling raindrops and the direction of the net mass transfer of stable isotopes between the atmosphere and the raindrops. Consequently, it is inferred that the humidity effect is probably one of the foremost causes generating the amount effect.

Fractionation mechanism of stable isotope in evaporating water body

Under Rayleigh equilibrium condition, stable isotopic ratio in residual water increases with the decrease of the residual water proportionf exponentially, and the fractionation rate of stable isotopes is inversely proportional to temperature. However, under kinetic evaporation condition, the fractionation of stable isotopes is not only related to the phase temperature but also influenced by the atmospheric humidity and the mass exchange between liquid and vapor phases. The ratioδ in residual water will not change withf after undergoing evaporation of a long time for great relative humidity. The rate that the evaporating water body reaches isotopic steady state is mainly dependent on the relative humidity in atmosphere. The analysis shows that the actual mean linear variety rates, about −30.0, of the δ18O in residual water versus the residual water proportion at Nagqu and Amdo stations are consistent with the simulated process under temperature of 20 °C and relative humidity of 50%. The distillation line simulated under Rayleigh equilibrium condition is analogous to the global meteoric water line (MWL) as the temperature is about 20 °C. Under non-equilibrium condition, the slope and constant values of distillation line are directly proportional to temperature and relative humidity. According to the basic data, the simulated distillation line is very consistent with the actual distillation line of Qinghai Lake.

High-resolution climatic and environmentalrecords from the Tibetan Plateau ice cores

Ice cores drilled from the Tibetan Plateau revealed continuous and high-resolution records of the past climatic and environmental change. By analyzing various proxies in these ice cores, past information could be rebuilt. Our previous study on present precipitation stable isotopes, paved the way for the paleoclimatic study based on ice cores from the Tibetan Plateau. Earlier studies showed that there is a consistent relation between air temperature and precipitation δ 18 O in the northern Tibetan Plateau, with a slope of 0.64–6.67‰/°C, which can be used to estimate the air temperature change from ice core isotope record. Earlier precipitation isotope work also revealed how the Indian monsoon influences the precipitation isotopes on the plateau, and the spatial and seasonal changes of precipitation isotopes bear the strong imprint of Indian monsoon and westerly atmosphere circulation.