Watershed, climate, and stable isotope data (oxygen-18 and deuterium) for 50 boreal lakes in the oil sands region, northeastern Alberta, Canada, 2002–2017

• Published in: Data in Brief
• Main Authors: J.J. Gibson, Y. Yi, S.J. Birks
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2020
• Subjects: Computer applications to medicine. Medical informatics; R858-859.7; Science (General); Q1-390; Fort McMurray; Canada; Birch Mountains; Caribou Mountains; permafrost
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2020.105308; https://doaj.org/article/15f52d00cb4f475abbdbea2062806b9a

Watershed data, climate and stable data collected over a 16-year period from a network of 50 lakes in northeastern Alberta, are provided to allow for broader incorporation into regional assessments of environmental impacts, particularly hydrologic and geochemical processes under changing climate and land use development. Oxygen-18 and deuterium analyses of water samples are provided from late summer surveys of 50 lakes with varying land cover and permafrost conditions. Six sub-groups of lakes are represented, including Stony Mountains, West Fort McMurray, Northeast Fort McMurray, Birch Mountains, Caribou Mountains and Shield. This dataset includes 1582 isotopic analyses made on 791 water samples and 3164 isotope mass balance model outputs, as well as 800 lake/watershed parameters, 5600 climate parameters, and 800 modelled values for isotopic composition of precipitation used in the computations. Model data are provided to facilitate evaluation of transferability of the model for other applications, and to permit more sophisticated spatial analysis and intercomparison with geochemical and biological datasets. Details and further discussion on the isotope mass balance approach are provided in “Regional trends in water balance and runoff to fifty boreal lakes: a 16-year isotope mass balance assessment including evaluation of hydrologic drivers” [1]. Overall, the data are expected to be useful, in comparison with local and regional datasets, for water resource management and planning, including design of monitoring networks and environmental impact assessments for oil sands projects. Keywords: Stable isotopes, Lakes, Water balance, Boreal wetlands, Oil sands environment, Permafrost thaw