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Stable isotope hydrology of the Table Mountain group

Rain was collected from 2010 to 2012 at 15 locations around the Cape Fold Belt, at the same time as samples from rivers, springs, seeps and boreholes, totalling 435 samples. Precipitation ranged from -75 ‰ to +40 ‰ for δD and -12 ‰ to +8 ‰ for δ¹⁸O , showing seasonal patterns, with lower δ values in...

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Main Author: Diamond, Roger Edward
Other Authors: Harris, Chris
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Department of Geological Sciences 2016
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access_status_str Open Access
author Diamond, Roger Edward
author2 Harris, Chris
author_browse Diamond, Roger Edward
Harris, Chris
author_facet Harris, Chris
Diamond, Roger Edward
author_sort Diamond, Roger Edward
collection Thesis
description Rain was collected from 2010 to 2012 at 15 locations around the Cape Fold Belt, at the same time as samples from rivers, springs, seeps and boreholes, totalling 435 samples. Precipitation ranged from -75 ‰ to +40 ‰ for δD and -12 ‰ to +8 ‰ for δ¹⁸O , showing seasonal patterns, with lower δ values in winter and higher in summer. Certain anomalous δ values can be attributed to individual weather events, such as thunderstorms. Using weighted data, the meteoric water line is δD = 6.15 δ¹⁸O + 8.21, which is similar to previous equations. The best fit line for groundwater δ values is δD = 7.09 δ¹⁸O + 10.08, the steeper gradient and higher intercept reflecting the predominance of heavy rainfall events with lower δ values in recharge, known as selection. The range of -47 ‰ to 0 ‰ for δD and -8 ‰ to -1 ‰ for δ¹⁸O values for all groundwater data is about half that of the rain values, due to the averaging effect from mixing during groundwater flow. Rainfall isotope composition is negatively correlated with continentality, as defined by the product of distance to the Atlantic and the closest coast. Isotope composition of rainfall is also strongly negatively correlated with altitude. Sites that are elevated within the landscape have a reduced altitude effect, such as tall peaks, whereas mountain valleys display enhanced altitude effects. Temporal and spatial variations in the strength of the amount effect reveal meteorological variability and emphasise the need for long term monitoring.
format Thesis
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institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language eng
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:33:23.204Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2016
publishDateRange 2016
publishDateSort 2016
publisher Department of Geological Sciences
publisherStr Department of Geological Sciences
record_format dspace
source_str UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/21190 Stable isotope hydrology of the Table Mountain group Diamond, Roger Edward Harris, Chris Geology Rain was collected from 2010 to 2012 at 15 locations around the Cape Fold Belt, at the same time as samples from rivers, springs, seeps and boreholes, totalling 435 samples. Precipitation ranged from -75 ‰ to +40 ‰ for δD and -12 ‰ to +8 ‰ for δ¹⁸O , showing seasonal patterns, with lower δ values in winter and higher in summer. Certain anomalous δ values can be attributed to individual weather events, such as thunderstorms. Using weighted data, the meteoric water line is δD = 6.15 δ¹⁸O + 8.21, which is similar to previous equations. The best fit line for groundwater δ values is δD = 7.09 δ¹⁸O + 10.08, the steeper gradient and higher intercept reflecting the predominance of heavy rainfall events with lower δ values in recharge, known as selection. The range of -47 ‰ to 0 ‰ for δD and -8 ‰ to -1 ‰ for δ¹⁸O values for all groundwater data is about half that of the rain values, due to the averaging effect from mixing during groundwater flow. Rainfall isotope composition is negatively correlated with continentality, as defined by the product of distance to the Atlantic and the closest coast. Isotope composition of rainfall is also strongly negatively correlated with altitude. Sites that are elevated within the landscape have a reduced altitude effect, such as tall peaks, whereas mountain valleys display enhanced altitude effects. Temporal and spatial variations in the strength of the amount effect reveal meteorological variability and emphasise the need for long term monitoring. 2016-08-11T10:19:36Z 2016-08-11T10:19:36Z 2014 Doctoral Thesis Doctoral PhD http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21190 eng application/pdf Department of Geological Sciences Faculty of Science University of Cape Town
spellingShingle Geology
Diamond, Roger Edward
Stable isotope hydrology of the Table Mountain group
thesis_degree_str Doctoral
title Stable isotope hydrology of the Table Mountain group
title_full Stable isotope hydrology of the Table Mountain group
title_fullStr Stable isotope hydrology of the Table Mountain group
title_full_unstemmed Stable isotope hydrology of the Table Mountain group
title_short Stable isotope hydrology of the Table Mountain group
title_sort stable isotope hydrology of the table mountain group
topic Geology
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21190
work_keys_str_mv AT diamondrogeredward stableisotopehydrologyofthetablemountaingroup