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Characteristics of δ 18O in precipitation over Eastern Monsoon China and the water vapor sources

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  • Geography
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Chinese Science Bulletin

Abstract

Monsoon circulation is an important carrier of water vapor transport, and it impacts the precipitation of the monsoonal regions through the constraints and controls of large-scale water vapor transport and distributions as well as the water vapor balance. An overall research on stable Hydrogen and Oxygen isotopes in precipitation over Eastern Monsoon China could benefit a comprehensive understanding of the monsoonal precipitation mechanism. Seventeen field stations of the Chinese Network of Isotopes in Precipitation (CHNIP) have been selected to collect monthly composite precipitation samples during the years 2005–2006. Components of δD and δ 18O have been analyzed to achieve the spatiotemporal distributions. The established Local Meteoric Water Line δD=7.46δ 18O+0.90 based on the 274 obtained monthly samples could be treated as isotope input functions across the region, due to basically reflecting the specific regional meteorological conditions over Eastern Monsoon China. The δ-value depleted from coastal to inner area. In Southern China and Northeastern China there were typical periodic patterns of δ 18O. Different dominant affecting metrological factors have been raised with different regions. From south to north, the temperature effect of δ 18O enhanced, while the amount effect changed from existing at an all-year-scale in Southern China to being only remarkable during the main rainy seasons in North China and Northeastern China. Main geographical controls varied from altitude in Southern China and North China to latitude in Northeastern China. Furthermore, δ 18O had an implication of advance and retreat of the monsoon as well as rainfall belt transfer. δ 18O was also a tracer for the movement path of typhoon and tropical storms.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Water Cycle & Related Land Surface Processes, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China

    JianRong Liu, XianFang Song, Xin Liu & ShiQin Wang

  2. Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    JianRong Liu, Xin Liu & ShiQin Wang

  3. CERN Sub-center of Water, Beijing, 100101, China

    GuoFu Yuan & XiaoMin Sun

Authors
  1. JianRong Liu
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  2. XianFang Song
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  3. GuoFu Yuan
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  4. XiaoMin Sun
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  5. Xin Liu
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  6. ShiQin Wang
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to XianFang Song.

Additional information

We thank the Synthesis Centre of Chinese Ecosystem Research Centre (CERN) and NOAA-CIRES (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) for providing the meteorological data. Sincerely appreciation is given to the staff members of all the observatory field stations for collecting precipitation samples. Without their dedication this study would not have been possible. We are also grateful to Prof. Yang Jinrong and Yuan Jingjing for analysis of the water samples. Discussions with and encouragement from Prof. Ai Likun and Dr. Chen Feng from Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences are invaluable. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 40830636 and 40671034), Foundation of Isotopes in Precipitation of Chinese Ecosystem Research Network.

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Liu, J., Song, X., Yuan, G. et al. Characteristics of δ 18O in precipitation over Eastern Monsoon China and the water vapor sources. Chin. Sci. Bull. 55, 200–211 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-009-0202-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-009-0202-7

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