Using 3H as a tracer to study streamflow components in large plain catchments on temperate climate

Abstract

³H enters the hydrologic cycle after oxidizing in the ³H¹HO molecule and it constitutes a very useful tracer for hydrological studies. One of these applications is streamflow component separation, which provides useful information to understand the hydrological cycle. This application is based on the fact that the contents in precipitation (runoff) tend to be markedly higher than those in groundwater (baseflow) because of decreasing activity in the last as a consequence of radioactive decay. The main objective of this paper is to test ³H for hydrograph separation in sub-tropical South America, where it is favoured by high values in precipitation. The catchment of the Quequén Grande River, in Argentina, was selected. Total flow in surface water is a mixing between the baseflow and the event flow portion; the separation was done in three sections of the drainage network, and the proportion of baseflow were 36%, 88% and 47%.