Evolution of the isotopic composition of atmospheric waters in the Mediterranean Sea area

Abstract

The isotopic composition of rain in the Levant is a reflection of the modification of continental air masses by interaction with the warm Mediterranean Sea. The detailed pattern of evolution of Levantine air has been studied by an isotopic survey of rain from twenty coastal and island stations in the eastern Mediterranean Sea area. The changes in tritium, deuterium, and oxygen 18 concentrations as a function of the distance from the coast usually differ from those calculated for a continuous air mass modification model. Rather, the major changes occur in the Aegean Sea and along the Turkish coast, in an area of major cyclogenesis. A model of convergent air masses, based on the synoptic patterns, is more consistent with the observed isotopic composition of atmospheric waters in the area.