Hydrologic and Isotopic Modeling of Alpine Lake Waiau, Mauna Kea, Hawai'i
Abstract
Analysis of hydrologic, meteorologic, and isotopic data collected over 3 yr quantifies and explains the enormous variability and isotopic enrichment (δ^(18)O = +16.9,δD = +50.0) of alpine Lake Waiau, a culturally and ecologically significant perched lake near the summit of Mauna Kea, Hawai'i. Further, a simple one-dimensional hydrologic model was developed that couples standard water budget modeling with modeling of δD and δ^(18)O isotopic composition to provide daily predictions of lake volume and chemistry. Data analysis and modeling show that winter storms are the primary source of water for the lake, adding a distinctively light isotopic signature appropriate for high-altitude precipitation. Evaporation at the windy, dry summit is the primary loss mechanism for most of the year, greatly enriching the lake in heavy isotopes.
Additional Information
© 2005 by University of Hawai'i Press. Accepted: February 20, 2004. We thank Betsy Gagné and William Stormont for assistance with access to the Mauna Kea Ice Age Natural Area Reserve (site of Lake Waiau), R. Koehler for assisting with sample collection, and D. Medcalf for supplying VLBA meteorological data. F. Seelos provided valuable model programming assistance, and R. Morris and S. Rovito gave helpful reviews of the manuscript. We also thank two anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments.Attached Files
Published - Ehlmann_PacSci2005p1.pdf
Files
Name | Size | Download all |
---|---|---|
md5:c93b03b825f8a395f7540d82d41c3eef
|
725.0 kB | Preview Download |
Additional details
- Eprint ID
- 34923
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20121016-114718516
- Created
-
2012-10-16Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
-
2022-11-29Created from EPrint's last_modified field
- Caltech groups
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences