Concentration of 18O in precipitation over Moscow in 2014

Abstract

The series of δ¹⁸O values is presented for all precipitation events in Moscow in 2014. Precipitation samples were taken at the observation site of the Meteorological Observatory of Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU MO), and the isotopic analysis was carried out in the isotopic laboratory of the Department of Geography of MSU. The concentration of stable ¹⁸O in precipitation over Moscow in 2014 varied from -0.09 to -26.29‰. The maximum amplitudes of δ¹⁸O were registered in March-April and October. The pronounced interrelation was revealed between the oxygen isotopic composition of precipitation and surface air temperature (the correlation coefficient is 0.85). The computation of back trajectories of air masses and the analysis of weather charts demonstrated that the most isotopically light precipitation is typical of relatively cold air masses slowly moving over the continent during the last five days before precipitation. In this case, the ongoing condensation leads to the progressive isotopic depletion of precipitation (more and more isotope-depleted precipitation is registered). On the contrary, fast air transport from the middle and even from high latitudes of the Atlantic Ocean leads to the relatively constant of δ¹⁸O values of precipitation.