Spatiotemporal characterization of the isotopic composition of meteoric waters in Cuba

Abstract The stable isotope composition of meteoric water has been widely used to understand hydrological processes worldwide. We present a unique dataset, with the isotopic composition (δ18O and δ2H) of meteoric waters, derived from a nationwide study in Cuba. It includes monthly composite and even...

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Main Authors: Alejandro Garcia-Moya, Carlos Manuel Alonso-Hernández, Ricardo Sánchez-Murillo, Yasser Morera-Gómez, Minerva Sánchez-Llull, Oscar Díaz Rizo, Osvaldo Cuesta Santos, Rosemery López Lee, Osvaldo Brígido Flores, Enma Odalys Ramos Viltre, Lucia Ortega
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2024-12-01
Series:Scientific Data
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-024-04178-z
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Summary:Abstract The stable isotope composition of meteoric water has been widely used to understand hydrological processes worldwide. We present a unique dataset, with the isotopic composition (δ18O and δ2H) of meteoric waters, derived from a nationwide study in Cuba. It includes monthly composite and event-based precipitations, from January 2017 to December 2021 (N = 526 and N = 111 respectively). Monthly data showed minor seasonal trends (dry vs. rainy), with a notable influence of tropical cyclones. Event-based data demonstrated that precipitation associated with tropical cyclones exhibited lower isotopic compositions. The analysis of potential factors influencing the isotopic composition of precipitation showed a minor influence of the rainfall amount, but negligible influence of factors such are relative humidity, elevation, and air temperature. This data set can be used as a tool not only to understand hydrological processes at the country scale, but also to further improve and develop isotope-enabled modelling for assessing water balances and fluxes, understanding the impact of extreme events, and paleoreconstruction in the Intra-Americas Sea.
ISSN:2052-4463