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Hydrometeorological processes in semi-arid western India: insights from long term isotope record of daily precipitation

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Abstract

Long term (2005–2016) daily precipitation isotope data (δ18O, δD and d-excess) from Ahmedabad in semi-arid Western India are examined in light of various meteorological parameters and air parcel trajectories to identify prominent patterns in the isotopic character and discern the underlying hydrometeorological processes. One of the most prominent and systematic annual patterns is the isotopic depletion (average δ18O: − 2.5‰ in Jun–Jul; − 5.2‰ in Aug–Sept) in the second half of the Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM), which is observed in the 11 out of the 12 years of this study. Four geographically feasible causal factors have been examined if they contribute to observed late monsoon isotopic depletion. These factors are: (1) increased contribution of terrestrially recycled vapor; (2) intra-seasonal change in sea-surface, surface-air and cloud base temperatures; (3) increased rain-out fraction from marine vapor parcel; and (4) increase in relative proportion of convective rain. It is inferred from the present study that isotopic depletion in the second half of ISM is associated with: (1) increased contribution (45% from 36%) of terrestrially recycled moisture; (2) 1.9° C lower cloud base temperature; (3) increased rainout fraction due to decreased wind velocity (6.9 m/s from 8.8 m/s); and (4) an increase of 22.3% in the proportion of convective rain. Daily rain events with atypical isotopic composition (20‰ < d-excess < 0‰) are ascribed mainly to local weather perturbations causing sudden updraft of moist air facilitating terrestrial recycling of water vapor.

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Acknowledgements

The work reported here is carried out under the aegis of a National Programme on Isotope Fingerprinting of Waters of India (IWIN), which was initially funded jointly by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, vide Grant No. IR/S4/ESF-05/2004, and the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), a Unit under the Department of Space, Government of India. The IWIN National Programme is currently sustained by the PRL. Authors sincerely thank the three anonymous reviewers for their careful review, critical comments and constructive suggestions, which significantly improved the quality of this study. Authors thank the Executive Editor Dr. Jianping Li for the kind patience during the process of review and revision.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geosciences Division, Physical Research Laboratory, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad, 380009, India

    Harsh Oza, Virendra Padhya, Akash Ganguly & R. D. Deshpande

  2. Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Gandhinagar, 382355, India

    Harsh Oza

  3. Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Tirupati, 517507, India

    K. Saikranthi

  4. National Atmospheric Research Laboratory, Gadanki, 517112, India

    T. N. Rao

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  1. Harsh Oza
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Oza, H., Padhya, V., Ganguly, A. et al. Hydrometeorological processes in semi-arid western India: insights from long term isotope record of daily precipitation. Clim Dyn 54, 2745–2757 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-020-05136-2

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