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Isotope seasonality in soils
In last weeks #waterwednesday I briefly explained the reason behind the seasonality effect of stable water isotope composition. When water infiltrates into the soil, this signature is first preserved. However, as the water trickels further down, it mixes with preexisting water, slowly dampening the signature. This post is part of my water science communication series…
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How heavy is rain? Basics of stable water isotopes
Winter rain is lighter than that in summer. Does not make sense? Yes, it does! The cause are stable water isotopes. Water is made up of 2 types of atoms: Hydrogen (H) and Oxygen (O). These Atoms come in different varietys, also called isotopes. The isotopes of water exist in two weight levels: light 1H…