Spatiotemporal characterization of the isotopic composition of meteoric waters in Cuba

Abstract

Abstract The stable isotope composition of meteoric water has been widely used to understand hydrological processes worldwide. We present a unique dataset, with the isotopic composition (δ18O and δ2H) of meteoric waters, derived from a nationwide study in Cuba. It includes monthly composite and event-based precipitations, from January 2017 to December 2021 (N = 526 and N = 111 respectively). Monthly data showed minor seasonal trends (dry vs. rainy), with a notable influence of tropical cyclones. Event-based data demonstrated that precipitation associated with tropical cyclones exhibited lower isotopic compositions. The analysis of potential factors influencing the isotopic composition of precipitation showed a minor influence of the rainfall amount, but negligible influence of factors such are relative humidity, elevation, and air temperature. This data set can be used as a tool not only to understand hydrological processes at the country scale, but also to further improve and develop isotope-enabled modelling for assessing water balances and fluxes, understanding the impact of extreme events, and paleoreconstruction in the Intra-Americas Sea.