ISODRIP, a model to transfer the delta O-18 signal of precipitation to drip water - Implementation of the model for Eagle Cave (central Spain)

The isotope signature of cave waters provides an excellent opportunity to better understand the recharge in karst regions and the complexity of drainage systems in the vadose zone. We have developed a cave isotope hydrological model (ISODRIP) that requires entering basic hydrometeorological information and a precipitation delta O-18 record to simulate the discharge and delta O-18 signals of different drip sites. The model includes four different modules to simulate various flow route regimes: continuous and discontinuous drips under diffuse or preferential flows. We use precipitation and cave water delta O-18 records that were obtained in Eagle Cave (central Spain) during a 5-year period to test our model and to better understand the dynamics of karst aquifers. Eagle Cave waters do not record evaporation. The delta O-18 signals do not have seasonality, although they record intra-annual and inter-annual variability. Additionally, cave water delta O-18 signal falls within the range of the annual average weighted isotope composition of precipitation. Well-mixed cave waters, that characterize diffuse flows, record 1 parts per thousand delta O-18 variability, whereas partially-mixed waters, that flow along preferential drainage routes, have up to 3 parts per thousand delta O-18 variability. The results suggest that precipitation takes on average 15 months to reach the cave through the diffuse flow network, whereas under preferential flow the transit time is highly variable depending on the previous condition of the system. ISODRIP includes a soil layer above the vadose zone that controls large recharge events, together with direct recharge components that bypass the soil layer enabling at least some recharge all year round. Thus, the simulations reproduce the observed lack of seasonal bias in the cave water delta O-18 composition in relation to the average weighted isotope composition of precipitation. This research highlights the importance of understanding recharge dynamics and the configuration of particular drips sites to properly interpret speleothem delta O-18 records. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The isotope signature of cave waters was studied using the ISODRIP model based on data from Eagle Cave in central Spain. The results indicate that various factors, including flow routes, influence the isotopic signals of cave waters significantly.