Stable isotope systematics of surface water bodies in the Himalayan and Trans-Himalayan (Kashmir) region

Stable hydrogen (D) and oxygen (18O) isotope ratios of the headwaters of the Indus and its tributaries, surface ice in glaciers, saline and fresh water lakes and thermal springs in the Himalayan and Trans-Himalayan (Kashmir) region are reported. The D-18O relationship for the river samples shows a slope of 9.12 0.29 which agrees well with the estimate of 8.99 0.33 based on a simple Rayleigh fractionation model. The unique signature of a higher deuterium excess (d) of the ‘Western Disturbance ’ is preserved in these samples. An altitude effect of ÿ0.9 per mil/km is observed in the 18O of Indus waters. At a lower altitude (Beas) the altitude effect is almost double, indicating that the altitude effect decreases with elevation in this region. 1