Nuclear geophysiology: stable water isotopes as evaluators of hydroclimate predictions in the Murray-Darling basin

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Date
2005-01-31
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Australian Institute of Physics
Abstract
Isotopic data from two end-range and one central aquifer in the Murray Darling Basin are used to determine precipitation intensity thresholds for evaluation of GCM predictions. Applying these to ‘good’ and ‘poor’ Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP) simulations of the Murray Darling gives rise to large differences in rainfall amount (30% to 62%). Selecting only ‘good’ models shows a >150mm annual groundwater recharge loss in El Niño cf. La Niña climates. These isotopic techniques are applicable to future model scenarios of basin-scale hydrology, especially in difficult to simulate semi-arid basins.
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Keywords
Hydrogen compounds, Isotopes, Oxygen compounds, Separation processes, Simulation, Water, Sedimentary basins, Southern Oscillation
Citation
Henderson-Sellers, A., Airey, P., & McGuffie, K. (2005), Nuclear geophysiology: stable water isotopes as evaluators of hydroclimate predictions in the Murray-Darling basin. Paper presented to the 29th Condensed Matter and Materials Meeting, "Australian Institute of Physics Sixteenth Biennial Congress", Canberra, 2005, 31 January - 4 February 2005.