Stable Isotopes in Precipitation and Meteoric Water: Sourcing and Tracing the North American Monsoon in Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah

Tulley-Cordova, Crystal L; Putman, Annie L.; Bowen, Gabriel J.

doi:10.1029/2021wr030039

Cited by 11 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 74 publications

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“…We found that the monsoon increased soil moisture (Figure 3 and Supplementary Figures 1, 2) across the study area and that the three foundation tree species (aspen, juniper, and piñon) in the study accessed monsoon-derived soil moisture. This is consistent with studies that have found that monsoon precipitation reaches depths significant for plants in the Four Corners region of the Southwest (Tulley-Cordova et al, 2021). This result also suggests shifts in the timing and magnitude of the North American Monsoon will have meaningful impacts on forested ecosystems throughout the Southwest.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…We used 363 weekly measurements from the US Network of Isotopes in Precipitation (USNIP) (Welker, 2000(Welker, , 2012Vachon et al, 2010;Terzer-Wassmuth et al, 2021;Xia et al, 2022) from 1989 to 2012 for the monsoon season (July-August-September) from four sites in Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado that occurred at similar elevations to the PJ (2,100 m) and aspen (3,100 m) sites in our study. In addition to USNIP data, we included 74 precipitation event measurements from two sites on the Navajo Nation taken from 2014 to 2016 (Tulley-Cordova et al, 2021). Previous studies have shown that isotopes in monsoon precipitation across the North American Monsoon domain are typically similar despite differences in site elevation due to sub-cloud processes in these convective systems (Tulley-Cordova et al, 2021).…”

Section: Isotope Mixing Model Description 231 Soil Isotope Mixing Mod...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition to USNIP data, we included 74 precipitation event measurements from two sites on the Navajo Nation taken from 2014 to 2016 (Tulley-Cordova et al, 2021). Previous studies have shown that isotopes in monsoon precipitation across the North American Monsoon domain are typically similar despite differences in site elevation due to sub-cloud processes in these convective systems (Tulley-Cordova et al, 2021). Further, we found that the isotopic composition of monsoon precipitation at each USNIP and Navajo Nation site varied within a similar range despite differences in elevation (Supplementary Figure 4).…”

Section: Isotope Mixing Model Description 231 Soil Isotope Mixing Mod...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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The importance of monsoon precipitation for foundation tree species across the semiarid Southwestern U.S.

Samuels-Crow¹,

Peltier²,

Liu³

et al. 2023

Front. For. Glob. Change

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Forest dynamics in arid and semiarid regions are sensitive to water availability, which is becoming increasingly scarce as global climate changes. The timing and magnitude of precipitation in the semiarid southwestern U.S. (“Southwest”) has changed since the 21st century began. The region is projected to become hotter and drier as the century proceeds, with implications for carbon storage, pest outbreaks, and wildfire resilience. Our goal was to quantify the importance of summer monsoon precipitation for forested ecosystems across this region. We developed an isotope mixing model in a Bayesian framework to characterize summer (monsoon) precipitation soil water recharge and water use by three foundation tree species (Populus tremuloides [aspen], Pinus edulis [piñon], and Juniperus osteosperma [Utah juniper]). In 2016, soil depths recharged by monsoon precipitation and tree reliance on monsoon moisture varied across the Southwest with clear differences between species. Monsoon precipitation recharged soil at piñon-juniper (PJ) and aspen sites to depths of at least 60 cm. All trees in the study relied primarily on intermediate to deep (10-60 cm) moisture both before and after the onset of the monsoon. Though trees continued to primarily rely on intermediate to deep moisture after the monsoon, all species increased reliance on shallow soil moisture to varying degrees. Aspens increased reliance on shallow soil moisture by 13% to 20%. Utah junipers and co-dominant ñons increased their reliance on shallow soil moisture by about 6% to 12%. Nonetheless, approximately half of the post-monsoon moisture in sampled piñon (38-58%) and juniper (47-53%) stems could be attributed to the monsoon. The monsoon contributed lower amounts to aspen stem water (24-45%) across the study area with the largest impacts at sites with recent precipitation. Therefore, monsoon precipitation is a key driver of growing season moisture that semiarid forests rely on across the Southwest. This monsoon reliance is of critical importance now more than ever as higher global temperatures lead to an increasingly unpredictable and weaker North American Monsoon.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Isotope Mixing Model Description 231 Soil Isotope Mixing Mod...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Isotope Mixing Model Description 231 Soil Isotope Mixing Mod...mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The importance of monsoon precipitation for foundation tree species across the semiarid Southwestern U.S.

Samuels-Crow¹,

Peltier²,

Liu³

et al. 2023

Front. For. Glob. Change

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“…Reconstructed soil water oxygen isotope compositions for paleosol carbonates (δ 18 O dsw ) provide additional insight into the seasonal formation of carbonate, when compared with seasonal precipitation. Though no direct measurements are available for the SLV, there is a recent compilation of seasonal precipitation isotope compositions for the Colorado Plateau of northeast Arizona and northwest New Mexico, at similar elevation and latitude to the SLV (Tulley‐Cordova et al., 2021). This shows that most summer monsoon precipitation falls within the range of −10‰ to −5‰ (VSMOW), whereas spring season precipitation tends to have values lower than −10‰ (VSMOW).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Clumped Isotopes Record a Glacial‐Interglacial Shift in Seasonality of Soil Carbonate Accumulation in the San Luis Valley, Southern Rocky Mountains, USA

Hudson,

Kelson,

Paces

et al. 2024

Geochem Geophys Geosyst

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Clumped isotope paleothermometry using pedogenic carbonates is a powerful tool for investigating past climate changes. However, location‐specific seasonal patterns of precipitation and soil moisture cause systematic biases in the temperatures they record, hampering comparison of data across large areas or differing climate states. To account for biases, more systematic studies of carbonate forming processes are needed. We measured modern soil temperatures within the San Luis Valley of the Rocky Mountains and compared them to paleotemperatures determined using clumped isotopes. For Holocene‐age samples, clumped isotope results indicate carbonate accumulated at a range of temperatures with site averages similar to the annual mean. Paleotemperatures for late Pleistocene‐age samples (ranging 19–72 ka in age) yielded site averages only 2°C lower, despite evidence that annual temperatures during glacial periods were 5–9°C colder than modern. We use a 1D numerical model of soil physics to support the idea that differences in hydrologic conditions in interglacial versus glacial periods promote differences in the seasonal distribution of soil carbonate accumulation. Model simulations of modern (Holocene) conditions suggest that soil drying under low soil pCO2 favors year‐round carbonate accumulation in this region but peaking during post‐monsoon soil drying. During a “glacial” simulation with lowered temperatures and added snowpack, more carbonate accumulation shifted to the summer season. These experiments show that changing hydrologic regimes could change the seasonality of carbonate accumulation, which in this study blunts the use of clumped isotopes to quantify glacial‐interglacial temperature changes. This highlights the importance of understanding seasonal biases of climate proxies for accurate paleoenvironmental reconstruction.

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“…Tree water use in this region was determined by using the stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen (δ 2 H and δ 18 O) (e.g., Brunel et al., 1995; Dawson & Ehleringer, 1991; Eggemeyer et al., 2009; Roden & Ehleringer, 2007; Tang & Feng, 2001). The seasonal water sources are distinguishable in the NAM system because winter precipitation is depleted in the heavier isotopes ( 2 H and 18 O) compared to summer precipitation (Dansgaard, 1964; Flanagan & Ehleringer, 1991; Tulley‐Cordova et al., 2021). We note that this differs from other monsoonal climate systems, such as that associated with the Asian monsoon (Hu et al., 2013), in which winter precipitation is isotopically enriched compared to summer precipitation.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Influence of Winter Snowpack on the Use of Summer Rains in Montane Pine Forests Across the Southwest U.S.

Bailey,

Szejner,

Strange

et al. 2023

JGR Biogeosciences

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A two decade‐long megadrought, with likely anthropogenic causes, has impacted forest growth and mortality across the southwestern U.S. Given this event, and the future likelihood of similar climate challenges, it is important to understand how different water resources are used by semi‐arid forests in this region. Within the geographic domain of the North American Monsoon climate system, we studied seasonal water‐use in eight different Pinus ponderosa montane forests distributed across a climate gradient with varying contributions from winter and summer precipitation. We collected oxygen isotopes from precipitation, soil, and xylem water during two contrasting hydrologic years to determine how trees differentially use winter versus summer precipitation sources. Most trees switched from using snowmelt water as the primary source during the early‐summer hyper‐arid period, to monsoon rainwater during the late‐summer. However, during the low snowpack year, which represents the most common climate phenomenon during the megadrought, trees at all sites used less summer rain when compared to the higher snowpack year, demonstrating a drought‐induced antecedent influence of winter precipitation on the uptake of summer rain. A possible mechanism to explain the antecedent effect is an earlier snow disappearance during the low snowpack year weakening hydrologic connectivity within the soil profile, decreasing the soil infiltration of summer rains. However, in years with higher snowpack, the snow lasts longer, and this can improve the hydrologic connectivity within the soil profile. As a result, there is more infiltration of summer rains into the soils. This can enhance the maintenance of active shallow fine‐root biomass during the period when snowpack disappears, and monsoon rains have yet to arrive. These findings provide insight into how the seasonal interactions between major seasonal climate systems influence forest tree water use in the face of an extreme megadrought.

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Stable Isotopes in Precipitation and Meteoric Water: Sourcing and Tracing the North American Monsoon in Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah

Cited by 11 publications

References 74 publications

The importance of monsoon precipitation for foundation tree species across the semiarid Southwestern U.S.

The importance of monsoon precipitation for foundation tree species across the semiarid Southwestern U.S.

Clumped Isotopes Record a Glacial‐Interglacial Shift in Seasonality of Soil Carbonate Accumulation in the San Luis Valley, Southern Rocky Mountains, USA

The Influence of Winter Snowpack on the Use of Summer Rains in Montane Pine Forests Across the Southwest U.S.

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