Estimation of soil water evaporation from isotope hydrology methods in an agricultural field

These data are from this publication: Oerter, E. J., Perelet, A., Pardyjak, E., & Bowen, G. (2017). Membrane inlet laser spectroscopy to measure H and O stable isotope compositions of soil and sediment pore water with high sample throughput. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 31(1), 75-84.

Abstract:
RATIONALE: The fast and accurate measurement of H and O stable isotope compositions (δ2H and δ18O values) of soil and sediment pore water remains an impediment to scaling-up the application of these isotopes in soil and vadose hydrology. Here we describe a method and its calibration to measuring soil and sediment pore water δ2H and δ18O values using a water vapor-permeable probe coupled to an isotope ratio infrared spectroscopy analyzer.
METHODS: We compare the water vapor probe method with a vapor direct equilibration method, and vacuum extraction with liquid water analysis. At a series of four study sites in a managed desert agroecosystem in the eastern Great Basin of North America, we use the water vapor probe to measure soil depth profiles of δ2H and δ18O values.
RESULTS: We demonstrate the accuracy of the method to be equivalent to direct headspace equilibration and vacuum extraction techniques, with increased ease of use in its application, and with analysis throughput rates greater than 7h1. The soil depth H and O stable isotope profiles show that soil properties such as contrasting soil texture and pedogenic soil horizons control the shape of the isotope profiles, which are reflective of local evaporation conditions within the soils.
CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that this water vapor probe method has potential to yield large numbers of H and O stable isotope analyses of soil and sediment waters within shorter timeframes and with increased ease than with currently existing methods.