Depth-Dependent isotope dynamics in karst reservoirs: Multi-Decadal monitoring insights from French caves

Abstract

Understanding the stable oxygen isotope (δ¹⁸O/δD) compositions in rainwater and cave drip water within karst systems is essential for past climatic reconstructions all over the world. However, the relationship between cave drip water isotopes and upper karst infiltrated water and reservoirs remains unclear. Over twenty years, we monitored eight caves in France, from North to South: Arcy-sur-Cure, Villars, Cussac, Pech-Merle, Chauvet, Orgnac, Niaux, and Clamouse, collecting 3,000 dripping water samples from 32 drip points to measure δ¹⁸O and δD isotopes. As already observed in many cave sites, the isotopic composition of drip waters shows temporal stability with a Coefficient of Variation (CV) below 7 %, suggesting effective rainfall mixing during infiltration period. However, putting all these data on cave vertical cross sections, we observed subtle decreasing gradients in the averaged dripping δ¹⁸O values. For the first time in a multi-cave study, a clear logarithmic decrease of δ¹⁸O and δD with depth is found. Deeper sites show more negative isotopic values, especially in shallower zones (<50 m). In order to better understand these gradients, we used the hydrologic KarstFor model which revealed the importance of overflow mechanisms and of evapotranspiration (ETP) in driving this depth-dependent isotopic effect. These findings emphasize the significance of incorporating depth-dependent reservoir dynamics when analyzing isotopes in cave environments, advocating for a nuanced understanding of karst hydrological processes in affecting stalagmite δ¹⁸O.