Climatic controls on the stable isotopic composition of precipitation in Northeast Asia

Kwang Sik Lee, Andrew J. Grundstein, David B. Wenner, Man Sik Choi, Nam Chil Woo, Dee Ha Lee

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

59 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

An examination of oxygen and hydrogen isotopic compositions of precipitation in NE Asia from the IAEA/WMO data set reveals that many sites have a distinct winter-summer seasonal pattern in deuterium excess (d-) values that appears to reflect different climatic conditions. To further understand this pattern, stable isotopic data were obtained for individual rainfall events over a 2 yr period at Jeju Island, Korea. The δ18O- and δD-values of precipitation at Jeju Island are not dependent upon temperature. However, the deuterium excess values, which range from 3.0 to 40.6‰, show a distinct seasonal variation with higher d-values in winter (>1̃5‰) and lower values in summer (1̃0‰). Such a seasonal variation is closely related to different air masses affecting the island during different seasons: a cold-dry continental polar air mass in winter and a hot-humid maritime tropical air mass in summer.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)137-148
Number of pages12
JournalClimate Research
Volume23
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2003 Jan 31

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Environmental Chemistry
  • Environmental Science(all)
  • Atmospheric Science

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