Characteristics of δ18O and δ2H and their implication for the interaction between precipitation, groundwater and river water in the upper River Tuojiang, Southwest China

Abstract

Abstract The Tuojiang River has multiple water sources and serious pollution problems, but its hydrological mechanism in the upper reaches is still unclear. To better understand the hydrological characteristics of the Tuojiang River, the isotopic compositions of its precipitation, river water and groundwater in the upper reaches have been investigated from May 2018 to April 2019. The results indicated that the isotope values of precipitation, river water and groundwater fluctuate significantly throughout the year with depleted value in the wet season and enriched value in the dry season. Spatially, the isotope values of river water increase gradually from upstream to downstream. River water is the main source of recharge to groundwater and precipitation is the minor one. The isotope-based hydrograph separation shows that the Mianyuan River and Pihe River contribute more greatly to Tuojiang River than the Shiting River and Yazi River. The mean residence time of river water from the Tuojiang River varies from 0.95 to 1.49 years, which indicates that rivers in the upper reaches of the Tuojiang River respond to precipitation quickly. This study proved the usefulness of stable isotopes to identify the different water cycle components and reflect the pollution problem in multiple water source confluence areas.