Precipitation in the mountains of Central Asia: isotopic composition and source regions

Abstract

Over 900 event-based precipitation samples were collected in 2019–2021 in the Tien Shan and its foothills and analysed using cavity ring-down spectroscopy. δD and δ18O values were highest in summer and lowest in winter, and annual cycles of deuterium excess (d-excess) varied between sites, reflecting local conditions. The δ18O and δD values increased from north to south in all seasons except autumn, and latitude was a statistically significant predictor of δ18O and δD in the overall data set, along with elevation in winter and elevation and longitude in autumn. Elevation was a significant predictor of d-excess in all seasons, and local air temperature was a more important control over δ18O and δD than precipitation depth. Local meteoric water lines were derived using seven regression methods applied to non-weighted and weighted precipitation. Non-weighted ordinary least squares regression and reduced major axis regression methods are recommended overall, except for summer when the precipitation-weighted least squares regression should be used, particularly in the south. Atmospheric back-trajectory and mixing-model analyses were applied in combination to identify air mass source regions and their relative contribution to precipitation. Recycled moisture from irrigated land in the Amu Darya and Syr Darya basins and from the study catchments accounted for 29 %–71 % of precipitation, depending on the site and season. In the Chon Kyzyl-Suu catchment, local re-evaporation from Issyk-Kul accounted for up to 85 % of precipitation. These findings highlight the importance of moisture from terrestrial sources, especially irrigated land, for the formation of precipitation in the Tien Shan.