Nebraska Network for Isotopes in Precipitation

home | snr | csd | geo | casnr | ianr | unl | email

Groundwater
Chemistry Lab

Nebraska Network
for Isotopes in
Precipitation

Justin Smith Morrill
Scholars
Program

Nebraska Network for
Isotopes in Precipitation

Where data are available, hydrologic studies may use precipitation’s stable oxygen and hydrogen isotope composition to investigate streamflow, groundwater/surface water interaction, and groundwater recharge. Paleoclimate studies utilize the d¹⁸O_{precipitation}–T_air relationship, in conjunction with lake sediments, fossils, or old groundwaters, for example to estimate paleotemperatures. Ecological studies utilize precipitation and soil-water isotope composition to track moisture uptake in plants, and to trace species migration patterns. Such studies require that the isotopic composition of precipitation be known. Oxygen-18 (d¹⁸O) and deuterium (d²H) data for precipitation are lacking across the north-central U.S. Great Plains and particularly for Nebraska. Thus, there is a need to establish additional meteoric water lines as isotope input functions across the region, as well as to develop better understanding of the isotopic climate linkages that control oxygen and hydrogen isotope ratios in precipitation. This website posts the results of several studies carried out to determine the d¹⁸O and d²H composition of precipitation across the region using archived National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) weekly composite precipitation samples.

Regional Map of Site Locations:

(Click on station dot to go to station website)

Yearly Data Statistics:

Site Name	Slope (A)	Intercept (B)	Weighted Mean d¹⁸O (^o/oo)	Arithmetic Mean d¹⁸O (^o/oo)	Weighted Mean d²H (^o/oo)	Arithmetic Mean d²H (^o/oo)
Mead	7.40	7.32	-7.4	-8.1	-48	-53
North Platte	7.66	4.96	-9.6	-9.8	-69	-71
Pawnee	7.86	7.66	-10.6	-12.2	-74	-88

Request Raw Isotope Data For Sites:

Email requests for raw data files should be sent to Dr. F. Edwin Harvey.

Stable Isotope Basics:
Click on the icon for a short tutorial on isotope basics.

Publications:

	Harvey, F.E., 2005, Stable Hydrogen and Oxygen Isotope Composition of Precipitation in Northeastern Colorado, Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 41(2), p. 447-459. (Full Article PDF)
	Harvey, F.E., 2001, Use of NADP Archive Samples to Determine the Isotope Composition of Precipitation: Characterizing the Meteoric Input Function for Use in Ground Water Studies, Ground Water, 39(3), p. 380-390. (Full Article PDF)
	Harvey, F.E. and J. M. Welker, 2000, Stable Isotopic Composition of Precipitation in the Semi-Arid North-Central Portion of the U.S. Great Plains, Journal of Hydrology, 238(1-2), p. 90-109. (Full Article PDF)