Variability in observed stable water isotopes in snowpack across a mountainous watershed in Colorado

Carroll, Rosemary W. H.; Deems, Jeffery; Maxwell, Reed; Sprenger, Matthias; Brown, Wendy; Newman, Alexander; Beutler, Curtis; Bill, Markus; Hubbard, Susan S.; Williams, Kenneth H.

doi:10.1002/hyp.14653

Title: Variability in observed stable water isotopes in snowpack across a mountainous watershed in Colorado

Journal Article · Tue Jul 26 00:00:00 EDT 2022 · Hydrological Processes

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.14653· OSTI ID:1884783

^[1];

^[2];

^[3];

^[4];

^[5];

^[4];

^[4]

Desert Research Inst. (DRI), Reno, NV (United States)
National Snow and Ice Data Center, Boulder, CO (United States)
Princeton Univ., NJ (United States)
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Rocky Mountain Biological Lab., Gothic, CO (United States)

Abstract Isotopic information from 81 snowpits was collected over a 5‐year period in a large, Colorado watershed. Data spans gradients in elevation, aspect, vegetation, and seasonal climate. They are combined with overlapping campaigns for water isotopes in precipitation and snowmelt, and a land‐surface model for detailed estimates of snowfall and climate at sample locations. Snowfall isotopic inputs, describe the majority of δ ¹⁸ O snowpack variability. Aspect is a secondary control, with slightly more enriched conditions on east and north facing slopes. This is attributed to preservation of seasonally enriched snowfall and vapour loss in the early winter. Sublimation, expressed by decreases in snowpack d‐excess in comparison to snowfall contributions, increases at low elevation and when seasonal temperature and solar radiation are high. At peak snow accumulation, post‐depositional fractionation appears to occur in the top 25 ± 14% of the snowpack due to melt‐freeze redistribution of lighter isotopes deeper into the snowpack and vapour loss to the atmosphere during intermittent periods of low relative humidity and high windspeed. Relative depth of fractionation increases when winter daytime temperatures are high and winter precipitation is low. Once isothermal, snowpack isotopic homogenization and enrichment was observed with initial snowmelt isotopically depleted in comparison to snowpack and enriching over time. The rate of δ ¹⁸ O increase (d‐excess decrease) in snowmelt was 0.02‰ per day per 100‐m elevation loss. Isotopic data suggests elevation dictates snowpack and snowmelt evolution by controlling early snow persistence (or absence), isotopic lapse rates in precipitation and the ratio of energy to snow availability. Hydrologic tracer studies using stable water isotopes in basins of large topographic relief will require adjustment for these elevational controls to properly constrain stream water sourcing from snowmelt.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

View Accepted Manuscript (Publisher)

Cite

Export

Save

Research Organization:: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-05CH11231

OSTI ID:: 1884783

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1885619

Journal Information:: Hydrological Processes, Vol. 36, Issue 8; ISSN 0885-6087

Publisher:: WileyCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

References (55)

On Shear-Driven Ventilation of Snow Clifton, Andrew; Manes, Costantino; Rüedi, Jean-Daniel Boundary-Layer Meteorology, Vol. 126, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-007-9235-0	journal	November 2007
Spatial and Temporal Variability of Snow Isotopic Composition on Mt. Zugspitze, Bavarian Alps, Germany Hürkamp, Kerstin; Zentner, Nadine; Reckerth, Anne Journal of Hydrology and Hydromechanics, Vol. 67, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.2478/johh-2018-0019	journal	November 2018
Isotopic variation of snow cover and streamflow in response to changes in canopy structure in a snow-dominated mountain catchment Koeniger, Paul; Hubbart, Jason A.; Link, Timothy Hydrological Processes, Vol. 22, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.6967	journal	January 2008
Input data processing tools for the integrated hydrologic model GSFLOW Gardner, Murphy A.; Morton, Charles G.; Huntington, Justin L. Environmental Modelling & Software, Vol. 109 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2018.07.020	journal	November 2018
Quantifying the effects of vegetation structure on snow accumulation and ablation in mixed-conifer forests: THE EFFECTS OF VEGETATION STRUCTURE ON SNOW IN MIXED-CONIFER FORESTS Broxton, P. D.; Harpold, A. A.; Biederman, J. A. Ecohydrology, Vol. 8, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.1565	journal	October 2014
Early melt season snowpack isotopic evolution in the Tarfala valley, northern Sweden Dahlke, Helen E.; Lyon, Steve W. Annals of Glaciology, Vol. 54, Issue 62 https://doi.org/10.3189/2013AoG62A232	journal	January 2013
Streamflow partitioning and transit time distribution in snow-dominated basins as a function of climate Fang, Zhufeng; Carroll, Rosemary W. H.; Schumer, Rina Journal of Hydrology, Vol. 570 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2019.01.029	journal	March 2019
Representing spatial variability of snow water equivalent in hydrologic and land-surface models: A review: REPRESENTING SPATIAL VARIABILITY OF SWE IN MODELS Clark, Martyn P.; Hendrikx, Jordy; Slater, Andrew G. Water Resources Research, Vol. 47, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1029/2011WR010745	journal	July 2011
Isotopic evidence for lateral flow and diffusive transport, but not sublimation, in a sloped seasonal snowpack, Idaho, USA Evans, Samantha L.; Flores, Alejandro N.; Heilig, Achim Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 43, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1002/2015GL067605	journal	April 2016
Influence of sublimation on stable isotope records recovered from high-altitude glaciers in the tropical Andes Stichler, W.; Schotterer, U.; Fröhlich, K. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, Vol. 106, Issue D19 https://doi.org/10.1029/2001JD900179	journal	October 2001
Spatial analysis of the intra-annual variation of precipitation isotope ratios and its climatological corollaries: PRECIPITATION ISOTOPIC SEASONALITY Bowen, Gabriel J. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, Vol. 113, Issue D5 https://doi.org/10.1029/2007JD009295	journal	March 2008
Potential impacts of a warming climate on water availability in snow-dominated regions Barnett, T. P.; Adam, J. C.; Lettenmaier, D. P. Nature, Vol. 438, Issue 7066 https://doi.org/10.1038/nature04141	journal	November 2005
Use of Water Isotopes in Hydrological Processes Vreča, Polona; Kern, Zoltán Water, Vol. 12, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.3390/w12082227	journal	August 2020
The modular modeling system (MMS) — The physical process modeling component of a database-centered decision support system for water and power management Leavesley, G. H.; Markstrom, S. L.; Brewer, M. S. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, Vol. 90, Issue 1-2 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00619290	journal	July 1996
Isotopes in the Water Cycle: Regional- to Global-Scale Patterns and Applications Bowen, Gabriel J.; Cai, Zhongyin; Fiorella, Richard P. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Vol. 47, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-earth-053018-060220	journal	May 2019
Isotopic evolution of a seasonal snowpack and its melt Taylor, Susan; Feng, Xiahong; Kirchner, James W. Water Resources Research, Vol. 37, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1029/2000WR900341	journal	March 2001
A Global Perspective on Local Meteoric Water Lines: Meta‐analytic Insight Into Fundamental Controls and Practical Constraints Putman, Annie L.; Fiorella, Richard P.; Bowen, Gabriel J. Water Resources Research, Vol. 55, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.1029/2019WR025181	journal	August 2019
Stable isotopes in precipitation Dansgaard, W. Tellus, Vol. 16, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.3402/tellusa.v16i4.8993	journal	January 1964
Post-depositional modification of stable water isotopes in winter snowpacks in the Canadian Rocky Mountains Sinclair, K. E.; Marshall, S. J. Annals of Glaciology, Vol. 49 https://doi.org/10.3189/172756408787814979	journal	January 2008
Persistence and Plasticity in Conifer Water‐Use Strategies Berkelhammer, M.; Still, C. J.; Ritter, F. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, Vol. 125, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JG004845	journal	February 2020
Factors controlling seasonal groundwater and solute flux from snow-dominated basins Carroll, Rosemary W. H.; Bearup, Lindsay A.; Brown, Wendy Hydrological Processes, Vol. 32, Issue 14 https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.13151	journal	June 2018
Isotopic exchange between snow and atmospheric water vapor: Estimation of the snowmelt component of groundwater recharge in the southwestern United States Earman, Sam; Campbell, Andrew R.; Phillips, Fred M. Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 111, Issue D9 https://doi.org/10.1029/2005JD006470	journal	January 2006
Environmental Isotope Studies of an Alpine Snowpack Stichler, W.; Rauert, W.; Martinec, J. Hydrology Research, Vol. 12, Issue 4-5 https://doi.org/10.2166/nh.1981.0024	journal	August 1981
Challenges in Building an End-to-End System for Acquisition, Management, and Integration of Diverse Data From Sensor Networks in Watersheds: Lessons From a Mountainous Community Observatory in East River, Colorado Varadharajan, Charuleka; Faybishenko, Boris; Henderson, Amanda IEEE Access, Vol. 7 https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2019.2957793	journal	January 2019
Understanding snow hydrological processes through the lens of stable water isotopes Beria, Harsh; Larsen, Joshua R.; Ceperley, Natalie Claire WIREs Water, Vol. 5, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.1311	journal	July 2018
Persistent wind-induced enhancement of diffusive CO ₂ transport in a mountain forest snowpack Bowling, D. R.; Massman, W. J. Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 116, Issue G4 https://doi.org/10.1029/2011JG001722	journal	January 2011
Efficiency of the Summer Monsoon in Generating Streamflow Within a Snow‐Dominated Headwater Basin of the Colorado River Carroll, Rosemary W. H.; Gochis, David; Williams, Kenneth H. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 47, Issue 23 https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL090856	journal	December 2020
Mountain hydrology of the western United States: MOUNTAIN HYDROLOGY OF THE WESTERN US Bales, Roger C.; Molotch, Noah P.; Painter, Thomas H. Water Resources Research, Vol. 42, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.1029/2005WR004387	journal	August 2006
Deuterium variations in an annual snowpack Judy, Clark; Meiman, James R.; Friedman, Irving Water Resources Research, Vol. 6, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1029/WR006i001p00125	journal	February 1970
Isotopic composition of precipitation in a topographically steep, seasonally snow-dominated watershed and implications of variations from the global meteoric water line Tappa, Daniel J.; Kohn, Matthew J.; McNamara, James P. Hydrological Processes, Vol. 30, Issue 24 https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.10940	journal	August 2016
The Seasonal Snow Cover Dynamics: Review on Wind-Driven Coupling Processes Mott, Rebecca; Vionnet, Vincent; Grünewald, Thomas Frontiers in Earth Science, Vol. 6 https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2018.00197	journal	December 2018
The Effect of Turbulence on Drifting Snow Sublimation Wang, Zhengshi; Huang, Ning; Pähtz, Thomas Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 46, Issue 20 https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL083636	journal	October 2019
Seasonal Deuterium Excess Variations of Precipitation at Summit, Greenland, and their Climatological Significance Kopec, B. G.; Feng, X.; Posmentier, E. S. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, Vol. 124, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JD028750	journal	January 2019
Is Evaporation an Important Component in High Alpine Hydrology? Lang, Herbert Hydrology Research, Vol. 12, Issue 4-5 https://doi.org/10.2166/nh.1981.0017	journal	August 1981
Global Isotope Hydrogeology―Review Jasechko, Scott Reviews of Geophysics, Vol. 57, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1029/2018RG000627	journal	July 2019
PRMS-IV, the precipitation-runoff modeling system, version 4 Markstrom, Steven L.; Regan, R. Steve; Hay, Lauren E. https://doi.org/10.3133/tm6B7	report	January 2015
Annual variation in event-scale precipitation δ²H at Barrow, AK, reflects vapor source region Putman, Annie L.; Feng, Xiahong; Sonder, Leslie J. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, Vol. 17, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-4627-2017	journal	January 2017
Spatial variation of snowmelt and sublimation in a high-elevation semi-desert basin of western Canada Jackson, Scott I.; Prowse, Terry D. Hydrological Processes, Vol. 23, Issue 18 https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.7320	journal	August 2009
On the importance of sublimation to an alpine snow mass balance in the Canadian Rocky Mountains MacDonald, M. K.; Pomeroy, J. W.; Pietroniro, A. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, Vol. 14, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-1401-2010	journal	January 2010
Stable isotope compositions of precipitation from Gunnison, Colorado 2007–2016: implications for the climatology of a high-elevation valley Marchetti, David W.; Marchetti, Suzanne B. Heliyon, Vol. 5, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02120	journal	July 2019
Influence of the Depth Hoar Layer of the Seasonal Snow Cover on the Ground Thermal Regime Zhang, T.; Osterkamp, T. E.; Stamnes, K. Water Resources Research, Vol. 32, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1029/96WR00996	journal	July 1996
Stable isotopes in mineralogy O'Neil, James R. Physics and Chemistry of Minerals, Vol. 2, Issue 1-2 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00307527	journal	January 1977
Difficulties in Determining Snowpack Sublimation in Complex Terrain at the Macroscale Svoma, Bohumil M. Advances in Meteorology, Vol. 2016 https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/9695757	journal	January 2016
The Importance of Snow Sublimation on a Himalayan Glacier Stigter, Emmy E.; Litt, Maxime; Steiner, Jakob F. Frontiers in Earth Science, Vol. 6 https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2018.00108	journal	August 2018
Modeling the isotopic evolution of snowpack and snowmelt: Testing a spatially distributed parsimonious approach Ala-aho, Pertti; Tetzlaff, Doerthe; McNamara, James P. Water Resources Research, Vol. 53, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1002/2017WR020650	journal	July 2017
Sub-Hourly Variability of Stable Isotopes in Precipitation in the Marginal Zone of East Asian Monsoon Han, Tingting; Zhang, Mingjun; Wang, Shengjie Water, Vol. 12, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.3390/W12082145	journal	July 2020
A Model for Deuterium and Oxygen 18 Isotope Changes During Evergreen Interception of Snowfall Claassen, H. C.; Downey, J. S. Water Resources Research, Vol. 31, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1029/94WR01995	journal	March 1995
Sublimation from a seasonal snowpack at a continental, mid-latitude alpine site Hood, Eran; Williams, Mark; Cline, Don Hydrological Processes, Vol. 13, Issue 12-13 https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1085(199909)13:12/13<1781::AID-HYP860>3.0.CO;2-C	journal	September 1999
A distributed model of blowing snow over complex terrain Essery, Richard; Li, Long; Pomeroy, John Hydrological Processes, Vol. 13, Issue 14-15 https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1085(199910)13:14/15<2423::AID-HYP853>3.0.CO;2-U	journal	October 1999
Snow Temperature Changes within a Seasonal Snowpack and Their Relationship to Turbulent Fluxes of Sensible and Latent Heat Burns, Sean P.; Molotch, Noah P.; Williams, Mark W. Journal of Hydrometeorology, Vol. 15, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1175/JHM-D-13-026.1	journal	February 2014
Terrestrial water fluxes dominated by transpiration: Comment Schlaepfer, Daniel R.; Ewers, Brent E.; Shuman, Bryan N. Ecosphere, Vol. 5, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1890/ES13-00391.1	journal	May 2014
Isotope variations in a Sierra Nevada snowpack and their relation to meltwater Unnikrishna, Padinare V.; McDonnell, Jeffrey J.; Kendall, Carol Journal of Hydrology, Vol. 260, Issue 1-4 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-1694(01)00596-0	journal	March 2002
Isotopic evolution of a seasonal snowcover and its melt by isotopic exchange between liquid water and ice Lee, Jeonghoon; Feng, Xiahong; Faiia, Anthony M. Chemical Geology, Vol. 270, Issue 1-4 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2009.11.011	journal	February 2010
Seasonality of stable isotope composition of atmospheric water input at the southern slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania Otte, Insa; Detsch, Florian; Gütlein, Adrian Hydrological Processes, Vol. 31, Issue 22 https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.11311	journal	September 2017
How isotopic fractionation of snowmelt affects hydrograph separation Taylor, Susan; Feng, Xiahong; Williams, Mark Hydrological Processes, Vol. 16, Issue 18 https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.1232	journal	January 2002

Similar Records

Projecting 21st century snowpack trends in western USA mountains using variable-resolution CESM

Journal Article · Fri Mar 24 00:00:00 EDT 2017 · Climate Dynamics · OSTI ID:1884783

Rhoades, Alan M.; Ullrich, Paul A.; Zarzycki, Colin M.

Sensitivity studies on the impacts of Tibetan Plateau snowpack pollution on the Asian hydrological cycle and monsoon climate

Journal Article · Wed Mar 02 00:00:00 EST 2011 · Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics · OSTI ID:1884783

Qian, Yun; Flanner, M G; Leung, Lai-Yung R; +1 more

Multiyear trends in snowpack ion accumulation and loss, northern Michigan

Journal Article · Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1990 · Water Resources Research; (United States) · OSTI ID:1884783

Stottleymer, R; Rutkowski, D

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Colorado
d-excess
mountains
snowfall
snowmelt
snowpack
stable water isotopes

Title: Variability in observed stable water isotopes in snowpack across a mountainous watershed in Colorado

Citation Formats

References (55)

Similar Records

Related Subjects