Stable isotope composition of precipitation over southeast Asia

Abstract

Spatial and temporal variability of the stable isotope composition of precipitation in the southeast Asia and western Pacific region is discussed, with emphasis on the China territory, based on the database of the International Atomic Energy Agency/World Meteorological Organization Global Network “Isotopes in Precipitation” and the available information on the regional climatology and atmospheric circulation patterns. The meteorological and pluviometric regime of southeast Asia is controlled by five different air masses: (1) polar air mass originating in the Arctic, (2) continental air mass originating over central Asia, (3) tropical‐maritime air mass originating in the northern Pacific, (4) equatorial‐maritime air mass originating in the western equatorial Pacific, and (5) equatorial‐maritime air mass originating in the Indian Ocean. The relative importance of different air masses in the course of a given year is modulated by the monsoon activity and the seasonal displacement of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). Gradual rain‐out of moist, oceanic air masses moving inland, associated with monsoon circulation, constitutes a powerful mechanism capable of producing large isotopic depletions in rainfall, often completely overshadowing the dependence of δ 18 O and δ 2 H on temperature. For instance, precipitation at Lhasa station (Tibetan Plateau) during rainy period (June–September) is depleted in 18 O by more than 6‰ with respect to winter rainfall, despite of 10°C higher surface air temperature in summer. This characteristic isotopic imprint of monsoon activity is seen over large areas of the region. The oceanic air masses forming the two monsoon systems, Pacific and Indian monsoon, differ in their isotope signatures, as demonstrated by the average δ 18 O of rainfall, which in the south of China (Haikou. Hong Kong) is about 2.5‰ more negative than in the Bay of Bengal (Yangoon). Strong seasonal variations of the deuterium excess values in precipitation observed in some areas of the studied region result from a complete reversal of atmospheric circulation over these areas and changing source of atmospheric moisture. High d‐excess values observed at Tokyo and Pohang during winter (15–25‰) result from interaction of dry air masses from the northern Asian continent passing the Sea of Japan and the China Sea and picking up moisture under reduced relative humidity. The isotopic composition of precipitation also provides information about the maximum extent of the ITCZ on the continent during summer.