Isotopic Investigation of Cold Surface Condensation: A Laboratory Based Study
Abstract
Cold surface condensation is an important process in the atmosphere that takes place in several forms. This can happen on trees, buildings (frost) or ground (fog). This is different from snow and yet has implications in hydrology. The study of such precipitation, using stable isotopes, are few (1, 2, 3). These studies also used a closed system approach where waters of known isotopic composition were used. In this study a simple technique was developed to condense atmospheric water vapor directly onto a cold surface. Data obtained so far show very high deuterium excess (> + 120‰) which has not been reported in earlier studies. Obviously, this is driven by diffusional or other types of kinetic fractionation. To constrain the interpretation, samples of rain and vapor are being collected simultaneously. Rainfall in the study area has been shown to be an equilibrium process and hence the sampling strategy adopted here will address the kinetic fractionation effects more accurately (4). The study is ongoing and all the results will be discussed.
References (1) J. Jouzel, L. Merlivat, J. Geophys. Res., 89, 11749-11759 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1029/JD089iD07p11749 (2) R. Uemura, Y. Matsui, N. Yoshida, O. Abe, S. Mochizuki, Polar Meteorol. Glaciol., 19, 1-14 (2005). (3) Deshpande, et al. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 100, 60-72 (2013). (4) Hurst, S. and Krishnamurthy, R.V. Book Chapter "Stable Isotopes in Precipitation: a Review". Encyclopedia of Water: Science, Technology, and Society. Ed. Cassie Strickland. John Wiley (2018).- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2018
- Bibcode:
- 2018AGUFM.A21M2908B
- Keywords:
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- 0322 Constituent sources and sinks;
- ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND STRUCTUREDE: 0330 Geochemical cycles;
- ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND STRUCTUREDE: 0365 Troposphere: composition and chemistry;
- ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND STRUCTUREDE: 0426 Biosphere/atmosphere interactions;
- BIOGEOSCIENCES