Authors:

Valentina Saenz

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About Paper:

Although recognized for centuries, the El Niño Phenomenon now represents more extreme climate events and far-reaching consequences. The Central Andean Western Cordillera, arid and occasionally subject to intense rainfall events, experiences more destructive flooding and landslides as a result. The millions of people in the region not only have very little water for their daily needs but also face the risk of losing everything, including their lives, when El Niño strikes. An enhanced understanding of rainfall patterns can empower communities to implement more efficient strategies for water management and damage mitigation. Stable isotopes are used to trace hydrological processes like rainfall; however, their interpretation in the region is challenging due to its sensitivity to large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns. This research aims to contribute to the improved interpretation of isotopic behavior in the region by expanding the available dataset with characterized rainwater samples collected daily from December 2023 to March 2024 (rainy season) in Arequipa, situated in the Central Andean Western Cordillera of Peru. An LGR water isotope analyzer will be used to measure stable isotope ratios of oxygen-18 to oxygen-16 and deuterium to hydrogen-1 (d18O and dD, respectively). Deuterium excess will be calculated to quantify how much a sample deviates from the Global Meteoric Water Line (GMWL), which may indicate additional evaporation or suggest water vapor recycling. Given that various sources of moisture have distinct isotopic signatures, this data will be useful to track how moisture sources and travel paths change and identify fluctuations within El Niño events. Keywords: El Niño Phenomenon; Central Andean Western Cordillera; Stable Isotopes of Rainfall; Atmospheric Moisture Transport

Source:

Purdue University / 2024

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Co-authors:

Valentina Saenz