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Hydrogen and oxygen isotope composition of precipitation and stream water on sub-Antarctic Marion Island

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 December 2017

M-J. Stowe ,
Chris Harris ,
David Hedding ,
Frank Eckardt  and
Werner Nel
M-J. Stowe*
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental and Geographical Science, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
Chris Harris
Affiliation:
Department of Geological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
David Hedding
Affiliation:
Department of Geography, University of South Africa, Florida 1710, South Africa
Frank Eckardt
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental and Geographical Science, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
Werner Nel
Affiliation:
Department of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Fort Hare, Alice 5700, South Africa
*
michaeljamesy@gmail.com
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Abstract

We measured the hydrogen and oxygen isotope composition (δ2H and δ18O) of precipitation and stream water from the Soft Plume River at multiple spatiotemporal scales on sub-Antarctic Marion Island, Indian sector of the Southern Ocean. Monthly precipitation δ2H and δ18O values ranged from -43.7‰ to -14.7‰ and from -7.0‰ to -3.3‰ (n=13), respectively. Stream water values ranged from -48.0‰ to -25.4‰ for δ2H and from -7.6‰ to -4.0‰ for δ18O (n=92). The monthly precipitation data yielded a local meteoric water line with the equation δ2H=8.4δ18O+11.4. There was no clear seasonality in isotope composition present in precipitation and stream water. Along the stream, no significant difference was observed between sites. However, δ2H and δ18O values were lower and more variable at the highest site. This is probably the result of the ‘amount effect’, where more precipitation fell at a higher elevation compared with a downstream site in the catchment. The findings illustrate spatiotemporal patterns in precipitation and stream water isotopes and provide insight into mechanisms affecting their composition on sub-Antarctic Marion Island.

Keywords

amount effectisotope hydrologylocal meteoric water linemaritime island
Type
Biological Sciences
Information
Antarctic Science , Volume 30 , Issue 2 , April 2018 , pp. 83 - 92
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Copyright
© Antarctic Science Ltd 2017 

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