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Spatial distribution of ¹⁸O in meteoric precipitation

¹ Department of Earth Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, California 95064, USA
² Department of Geological Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA

Proxy data reflecting the oxygen isotope composition of meteoric precipitation (¹⁸O_ppt) are widely used in reconstructions of continental paleoclimate and paleohydrology. However, actual geographic variation in modern water compositions is difficult to estimate from often sparse data. A first step toward understanding the geologic pattern of change in ¹⁸O_ppt is to describe the modern distribution in terms of principal geographic parameters. To this end, we empirically model relationships between ¹⁸O in modern precipitation and latitude and altitude. We then identify geographic areas where large-scale vapor transport patterns give rise to significant deviations from model ¹⁸O_ppt compositions based on latitude and altitude. Model value and residual grids are combined to derive a high-resolution global map of ¹⁸O_ppt that can serve as a spatial reference against which proxy data for paleoprecipitation can be compared. Reiteration of the procedure outlined here, for paleo-¹⁸O_ppt data, may illuminate past changes in the climatic and physiographic parameters controlling the distribution of ¹⁸O regimes.

Key Words: isotopes • oxygen • paleoclimates • precipitation

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