Classification of Stable Isotopes and Identification of Water Replenishment in the Naqu River Basin, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Abstract

The stable isotopic study of the mechanism of runoff replenishment in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is a time-consuming and complicated process requiring complex monitoring data and scientific evaluation methods. Based on the data of water stable isotopes (18O and 2H) in the Naqu River basin, the present paper developed a framework of the variable fuzzy evaluation model (VFEM) to provide a method to classify stable isotopes and generalize the source identification of water replenishment by rainfall or snowmelt in the Naqu River basin. The grade eigenvalues of tributaries were ranked from low to high as follows: 1, 1.005, 1.089, 1.151, 1.264, 1.455 and 2.624. Three sets of tributaries were distinguished. The grade eigenvalues of the Najinqu, Bazongqu, Mumuqu, Chengqu and Gongqu Rivers were small, indicating that these tributaries were strongly supplemented by precipitation and snowmelt; the grade eigenvalue of the Zongqingqu River was in the medium range (1.455); the third group included the Mugequ River with a high status value (2.624). This study mainly highlighted the combination of the classification of stable isotopes and plots of δ2H vs. δ18O in the source identification of water replenishment, which will be helpful for studying runoff replenishment and the evolution mechanism in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.