Arid Zone Research ›› 2024, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (3): 399-410.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2024.03.05

• Weather and Climate • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Characteristics of atmospheric precipitation isotope and path analysis of water vapor transport in the Taxkorgan River Basin Valley

LI Hanwei1(), YAO Junqiang2(), RONG Tao1, ZHANG Tianyang1, GAO Yajie1   

  1. 1. Xinjiang Branch China Meteorological Administration Training Centre, Urumqi 830013, Xinjiang, China
    2. Institute of Desert Meteorology, China Meteorological Administration, Urumqi 830002, Xinjiang, China
  • Received:2023-10-20 Revised:2023-12-16 Online:2024-03-15 Published:2024-04-01

Abstract:

By using stable isotope data of atmospheric precipitation from September 2018 to May 2020 in the Taxkorgan River Basin Valley and meteorological data such as temperature, precipitation, and relative humidity from representative weather stations within the valley, this study analyzed the variation in δ18O, δ2H, and deuterium excess (d-excess) of precipitation. The influencing factors were explored, and the water vapor transport pathways of atmospheric precipitation in the valley were traced and analyzed using the hybrid single- particle Lagrangian integrated trajectory model (HYSPLIT). Results show that the δ2H and δ18O values of precipitation generally present a seasonal pattern of enrichment in summer and depletion in winter, showing a significant temperature effect (1.33‰·℃-1), but no significant precipitation effect was observed. The local meteoric water line is δ2H=7.63δ18O-3.55, which shows distinct arid climate characteristics. The HYSPLIT simulation results indicate that the water vapor of precipitation in the study basin is mainly influenced by the westerly circulation and local water vapor recycling, with local water vapor evaporation accounting for 54.09% in the summer half-year and the long-distance transport of the western route accounting for 45.53% in the winter half-year. Water vapor from the Indian Ocean in August can bypass the Tibetan Plateau and reach the study area. These findings can provide a reference basis for water resource management and climate response in the Taxkorgan River Basin Valley.

Key words: hydrogen and oxygen stable isotopes, atmospheric precipitation, water vapor sources, Taxkorgan River Basin Valley