Moisture transport observed by water vapor isotopes

Abstract

Stable isotopic composition of water provide insights into the global water cycle as well as reconstruction of paleoclimate. Measurements of isotopic composition of water vapor, in particular, provide information on the mechanisms of the atmospheric movement of water vapor and the subsequent phase changes in the atmosphere and they can be used for a variety of applications in the fields of hydrology, paleoclimatology, ecology and oceanography. Continuous records (8/27/12 ∼8/29/12) of isotopic composition of water vapor has been observed using a cavity ringdown spectrometer (CRDS) from Picarro (http://www.picarro.com) at Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI), Incheon near coastal region of the Yellow Sea. The isotopic compositions of water vapor ranges between ？10.6 and ？22.1 (δ18O) and ？68.5 and ？162.4 (δD) for two days. The data show that the isotopic compositions of water vapor exhibits a high variability that can be related to weather conditions, especially to changes in relative humidity. The results also suggest that they are strongly linked with water vapor transport in the atmosphere.e atmospheric movement of water vapor and the subsequent phase changes in the atmosphere and they can be used for a variety of applications in the fields of hydrology, paleoclimatology, ecology and oceanography. Continuous records (8/27/12 ∼8/29/12) of isotopic composition of water vapor has been observed using a cavity ringdown spectrometer (CRDS) from Picarro (http://www.picarro.com) at Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI), Incheon near coastal region of the Yellow Sea. The isotopic compositions of water vapor ranges between ？10.6 and ？22.1 (δ18O) and ？68.5 and ？162.4 (δD) for two days. The data show that the isotopic compositions of water vapor exhibits a high variability that can be related to weather conditions, especially to changes in relative humidity. The results also suggest t