Tracer-based estimation of temporal variation of water sources: an insight from supra- and subglacial environments

Kumar, Naveen; Ramanathan, Arvind; Keesari, Tirumalesh; Chidambaram, S.; Ranjan, Shyam; Soheb, Mohd; Tranter, Martyn

doi:10.1080/02626667.2018.1526381

Cited by 7 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…Lower d-excess values were observed in rain events, whereas higher values were observed in snowfall events and the snowpack. A similar trend was also reported in precipitation events collected from the Chhota Shigri Glacier during the same period [32]. Glacier ice samples showed the highest d-excess values among all followed by the Sutri Dhaka stream.…”

Section: Stable Isotope Characteristics and Its Relationship With Dissupporting

confidence: 84%

“…δ 18 O and δ 2 H measured in rainwater samples varied from −13.9 ‰ to −5.4 ‰ and −107.2 ‰ to −32.5 ‰ with a mean of −11.2‰ and −81.6‰, respectively. Similarly, δ 18 O in rainwater samples collected from the Chhota Shigri Glacier showed a median value of −11.2‰ [32]. The fresh snow samples collected at the base camp and hydrological station during the snowfall events, 20-24 September 2015, showed depleted δ 18 O values compared to that of the snowpack.…”

Section: Stable Isotope Characteristics and Its Relationship With Dismentioning

confidence: 93%

“…However, we missed collecting samples of few rain events due to a lack of adequate logistic support. Therefore, for the present study, we have also used isotopic data of precipitation published during the same season (June to October 2015) for the Chhota Shigri Glacier, upper Chandra Basin [32]. Considering the proximity of these two glaciers, i.e., Chhota Shigri and Sutri Dhaka Glaciers, with a distance less than 15 km, we expect similar hydro-meteorological conditions.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Thus, we have used δ 18 O and d-excess as tracers in constraining the end members for a three-component hydrograph separation of the Sutri Dhaka stream. Since the contribution of rainwater to total discharge is insignificant, we have not considered it as a major hydrograph component in our calculations [32,36,37,46]. The equation for three-component hydrograph separation can be written as follows [44].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A recent isotope-based study near the snout of the Gangotri Glacier (Upper Ganga Basin) have reported snow, glacier melts and direct runoff contributions of about 59.6, 36.8 and 3.6%, respectively [31]. Another study based on stable water isotope (δ 18 O) and Electrical Conductivity (EC) has estimated contributions of supraglacial melt (~65%) and subglacial melt (~35%) from the Chhota Shigri Glacier [32]. Furthermore, few attempts have been made to validate the isotope-based precipitation source and hydrograph separation of snow/ice-melts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Moisture Sources for Precipitation and Hydrograph Components of the Sutri Dhaka Glacier Basin, Western Himalayas

Singh

Rahaman

Sharma

et al. 2019

Water

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Himalayan glaciers are the major source of fresh water supply to the Himalayan Rivers, which support the livelihoods of more than a billion people living in the downstream region. However, in the face of recent climate change, these glaciers might be vulnerable, and thereby become a serious threat to the future fresh water reserve. Therefore, special attention is required in terms of understanding moisture sources for precipitation over the Himalayan glaciers and the hydrograph components of streams and rivers flowing from the glacierized region. We have carried out a systematic study in one of the benchmark glaciers, “Sutri Dhaka” of the Chandra Basin, in the western Himalayas, to understand its hydrograph components, based on stable water isotopes (δ18O and δ2H) and field-based ablation measurements. Further, to decipher moisture sources for precipitation and its variability in the study region, we have studied stable water isotopes in precipitation samples (rain and snow), and performed a back-trajectory analysis of the air parcel that brings moisture to this region. Our results show that the moisture source for precipitation over the study region is mainly derived from the Mediterranean regions (>70%) by Western Disturbances (WDs) during winter (October–May) and a minor contribution (<20%) from the Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) during summer season (June–September). A three-component hydrograph separation based on δ18O and d-excess provides estimates of ice (65 ± 14%), snowpack (15 ± 9%) and fresh snow (20 ± 5%) contributions, respectively. Our field-based specific ablation measurements show that ice and snow melt contributions are 80 ± 16% and 20 ± 4%, respectively. The differences in hydrograph component estimates are apparently due to an unaccounted snow contribution ‘missing component’ from the valley slopes in field-based ablation measurements, whereas the isotope-based hydrograph separation method accounts for all the components, and provides a basin integrated estimate. Therefore, we suggest that for similar types of basins where contributions of rainfall and groundwater are minimal, and glaciers are often inaccessible for frequent field measurements/observations, the stable isotope-based method could significantly add to our ability to decipher moisture sources and estimate hydrograph components.

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Section: Stable Isotope Characteristics and Its Relationship With Dissupporting

confidence: 84%

Section: Stable Isotope Characteristics and Its Relationship With Dismentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Moisture Sources for Precipitation and Hydrograph Components of the Sutri Dhaka Glacier Basin, Western Himalayas

Singh

Rahaman

Sharma

et al. 2019

Water

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Study of isotopic seasonality to assess the water source of proglacial stream in Chhota Shigri Glaciated Basin, Western Himalaya

Kumar

Ramanathan

Arora

et al. 2019

Hydrological Processes

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The impact of surface melt patterns and the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) is examined on the varying contributions of end member (snow, glacier ice, and rain) to proglacial streamflow during the ablation period (June-October) in the Chhota Shigri glaciated basin, Western Himalaya. Isotopic seasonality observed in the catchment precipitation was generally reflected in surface runoff (supraglacial melt and proglacial stream) and shows a shift in major water source during the melt season. Isotopically correlated (δ 18 O-δD) high deuterium intercept in the surface runoff suggests that westerly precipitation acts as the dominant source, augmenting the other snow-and ice-melt sources in the region. The endmember contributions to the proglacial stream were quantified using a three-component mixing. Overall, glacier ice melt is the major source of proglacial discharge. Snowmelt is the predominant source during the early ablation season (June) and the peak ISM period (August and September), whereas ice melt reaches a maximum in the peak melt period (July). The monthly contribution of rain is on the lower side and shows a steady rise and decline with onset and retreat of the monsoon. These results are persistent with the surface melt pattern observed in Chhota Shigri glacier, Upper Chandra basin. Moreover, the role of the ISM in Chhota Shigri glacier is unvarying to that observed in other glacierized catchments of Upper Ganga basin. Thus, this study augments the significant role of the ISM in glacier mass balance up to the boundary of the centralwestern Himalayan glaciated region. K E Y W O R D S hydrograph, ISM, Isotopic seasonality, melt pattern, proglacial stream

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Relative contribution from different water sources to supraglacial runoff in western Himalaya

Kumar,

Ganguly,

Biswal

et al. 2024

Journal of Hydrology

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Tracer-based estimation of temporal variation of water sources: an insight from supra- and subglacial environments

Cited by 7 publications

References 56 publications

Moisture Sources for Precipitation and Hydrograph Components of the Sutri Dhaka Glacier Basin, Western Himalayas

Moisture Sources for Precipitation and Hydrograph Components of the Sutri Dhaka Glacier Basin, Western Himalayas

Study of isotopic seasonality to assess the water source of proglacial stream in Chhota Shigri Glaciated Basin, Western Himalaya

Relative contribution from different water sources to supraglacial runoff in western Himalaya

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