Using stable isotopes to estimate travel times in a data-sparse Arctic catchment: Challenges and possible solutions
Use of isotopes to quantify the temporal dynamics of the transformation of precipitation into run‐off has revealed fundamental new insights into catchment flow paths and mixing processes that influence biogeochemical transport. However, catchments underlain by permafrost have received little attenti...
Published in: | Hydrological Processes |
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Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1893/27420 https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.13146 http://dspace.stir.ac.uk/bitstream/1893/27420/1/Tetzlaff_et_al-2018-Hydrological_Processes.pdf |
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ftunivstirling:oai:dspace.stir.ac.uk:1893/27420 2023-05-15T14:27:44+02:00 Using stable isotopes to estimate travel times in a data-sparse Arctic catchment: Challenges and possible solutions Tetzlaff, Doerthe Piovano, Thea Ala-Aho, Pertti Smith, Aaron Carey, Sean K Marsh, Philip Wookey, Philip A Street, Lorna E Soulsby, Chris Natural Environment Research Council University of Aberdeen McMaster University University of Waterloo Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Edinburgh orcid:0000-0001-5957-6424 2018-06-15 application/pdf http://hdl.handle.net/1893/27420 https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.13146 http://dspace.stir.ac.uk/bitstream/1893/27420/1/Tetzlaff_et_al-2018-Hydrological_Processes.pdf en eng Wiley Tetzlaff D, Piovano T, Ala-Aho P, Smith A, Carey SK, Marsh P, Wookey PA, Street LE & Soulsby C (2018) Using stable isotopes to estimate travel times in a data-sparse Arctic catchment: Challenges and possible solutions. Hydrological Processes, 32 (12), pp. 1936-1952. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.13146 Permafrost catchments in transition: hydrological controls on carbon cycling and greenhouse gas budgets NE/K000284/1 http://hdl.handle.net/1893/27420 doi:10.1002/hyp.13146 WOS:000435783100015 2-s2.0-85047664400 926754 http://dspace.stir.ac.uk/bitstream/1893/27420/1/Tetzlaff_et_al-2018-Hydrological_Processes.pdf © 2018 The Authors. Hydrological Processes Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ CC-BY active layer Arctic headwaters isotopes permafrost transit times Journal Article VoR - Version of Record 2018 ftunivstirling https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.13146 2022-06-13T18:43:20Z Use of isotopes to quantify the temporal dynamics of the transformation of precipitation into run‐off has revealed fundamental new insights into catchment flow paths and mixing processes that influence biogeochemical transport. However, catchments underlain by permafrost have received little attention in isotope‐based studies, despite their global importance in terms of rapid environmental change. These high‐latitude regions offer limited access for data collection during critical periods (e.g., early phases of snowmelt). Additionally, spatio‐temporal variable freeze–thaw cycles, together with the development of an active layer, have a time variant influence on catchment hydrology. All of these characteristics make the application of traditional transit time estimation approaches challenging. We describe an isotope‐based study undertaken to provide a preliminary assessment of travel times at Siksik Creek in the western Canadian Arctic. We adopted a model–data fusion approach to estimate the volumes and isotopic characteristics of snowpack and meltwater. Using samples collected in the spring/summer, we characterize the isotopic composition of summer rainfall, melt from snow, soil water, and stream water. In addition, soil moisture dynamics and the temporal evolution of the active layer profile were monitored. First approximations of transit times were estimated for soil and streamwater compositions using lumped convolution integral models and temporally variable inputs including snowmelt, ice thaw, and summer rainfall. Comparing transit time estimates using a variety of inputs revealed that transit time was best estimated using all available inflows (i.e., snowmelt, soil ice thaw, and rainfall). Early spring transit times were short, dominated by snowmelt and soil ice thaw and limited catchment storage when soils are predominantly frozen. However, significant and increasing mixing with water in the active layer during the summer resulted in more damped steam water variation and longer mean travel times (~1.5 ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Arctic Ice permafrost University of Stirling: Stirling Digital Research Repository Arctic Hydrological Processes 32 12 1936 1952 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Stirling: Stirling Digital Research Repository |
op_collection_id |
ftunivstirling |
language |
English |
topic |
active layer Arctic headwaters isotopes permafrost transit times |
spellingShingle |
active layer Arctic headwaters isotopes permafrost transit times Tetzlaff, Doerthe Piovano, Thea Ala-Aho, Pertti Smith, Aaron Carey, Sean K Marsh, Philip Wookey, Philip A Street, Lorna E Soulsby, Chris Using stable isotopes to estimate travel times in a data-sparse Arctic catchment: Challenges and possible solutions |
topic_facet |
active layer Arctic headwaters isotopes permafrost transit times |
description |
Use of isotopes to quantify the temporal dynamics of the transformation of precipitation into run‐off has revealed fundamental new insights into catchment flow paths and mixing processes that influence biogeochemical transport. However, catchments underlain by permafrost have received little attention in isotope‐based studies, despite their global importance in terms of rapid environmental change. These high‐latitude regions offer limited access for data collection during critical periods (e.g., early phases of snowmelt). Additionally, spatio‐temporal variable freeze–thaw cycles, together with the development of an active layer, have a time variant influence on catchment hydrology. All of these characteristics make the application of traditional transit time estimation approaches challenging. We describe an isotope‐based study undertaken to provide a preliminary assessment of travel times at Siksik Creek in the western Canadian Arctic. We adopted a model–data fusion approach to estimate the volumes and isotopic characteristics of snowpack and meltwater. Using samples collected in the spring/summer, we characterize the isotopic composition of summer rainfall, melt from snow, soil water, and stream water. In addition, soil moisture dynamics and the temporal evolution of the active layer profile were monitored. First approximations of transit times were estimated for soil and streamwater compositions using lumped convolution integral models and temporally variable inputs including snowmelt, ice thaw, and summer rainfall. Comparing transit time estimates using a variety of inputs revealed that transit time was best estimated using all available inflows (i.e., snowmelt, soil ice thaw, and rainfall). Early spring transit times were short, dominated by snowmelt and soil ice thaw and limited catchment storage when soils are predominantly frozen. However, significant and increasing mixing with water in the active layer during the summer resulted in more damped steam water variation and longer mean travel times (~1.5 ... |
author2 |
Natural Environment Research Council University of Aberdeen McMaster University University of Waterloo Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Edinburgh orcid:0000-0001-5957-6424 |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Tetzlaff, Doerthe Piovano, Thea Ala-Aho, Pertti Smith, Aaron Carey, Sean K Marsh, Philip Wookey, Philip A Street, Lorna E Soulsby, Chris |
author_facet |
Tetzlaff, Doerthe Piovano, Thea Ala-Aho, Pertti Smith, Aaron Carey, Sean K Marsh, Philip Wookey, Philip A Street, Lorna E Soulsby, Chris |
author_sort |
Tetzlaff, Doerthe |
title |
Using stable isotopes to estimate travel times in a data-sparse Arctic catchment: Challenges and possible solutions |
title_short |
Using stable isotopes to estimate travel times in a data-sparse Arctic catchment: Challenges and possible solutions |
title_full |
Using stable isotopes to estimate travel times in a data-sparse Arctic catchment: Challenges and possible solutions |
title_fullStr |
Using stable isotopes to estimate travel times in a data-sparse Arctic catchment: Challenges and possible solutions |
title_full_unstemmed |
Using stable isotopes to estimate travel times in a data-sparse Arctic catchment: Challenges and possible solutions |
title_sort |
using stable isotopes to estimate travel times in a data-sparse arctic catchment: challenges and possible solutions |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/1893/27420 https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.13146 http://dspace.stir.ac.uk/bitstream/1893/27420/1/Tetzlaff_et_al-2018-Hydrological_Processes.pdf |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic Arctic Ice permafrost |
genre_facet |
Arctic Arctic Ice permafrost |
op_relation |
Tetzlaff D, Piovano T, Ala-Aho P, Smith A, Carey SK, Marsh P, Wookey PA, Street LE & Soulsby C (2018) Using stable isotopes to estimate travel times in a data-sparse Arctic catchment: Challenges and possible solutions. Hydrological Processes, 32 (12), pp. 1936-1952. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.13146 Permafrost catchments in transition: hydrological controls on carbon cycling and greenhouse gas budgets NE/K000284/1 http://hdl.handle.net/1893/27420 doi:10.1002/hyp.13146 WOS:000435783100015 2-s2.0-85047664400 926754 http://dspace.stir.ac.uk/bitstream/1893/27420/1/Tetzlaff_et_al-2018-Hydrological_Processes.pdf |
op_rights |
© 2018 The Authors. Hydrological Processes Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.13146 |
container_title |
Hydrological Processes |
container_volume |
32 |
container_issue |
12 |
container_start_page |
1936 |
op_container_end_page |
1952 |
_version_ |
1766301638074564608 |