Processes governing the stable isotope composition of water in the St. Lawrence river system, Canada

Linkages between δ18O–δ2H and hydrological processes have been investigated from isotopic time series recorded in the St. Lawrence River basin. Three stations were monitored from 1997 to 2008. They include the Ottawa River, the St. Lawrence River main channel at Montreal and the fluvial estuary. All sites depict seasonal isotopic cycles characterized by heavy isotope depletions during the snowmelt period and heavy isotope enrichments throughout the ice-free period. The data define δ2H–δ18O regression lines falling below the meteoric water line. In the Ottawa River, calculations suggest that approximately 8 % of the total inflow to the basin is lost through evaporation. In the St. Lawrence River main channel, seasonal isotopic fluctuations most likely reflect hydrological processes occurring within the Great Lakes and mixing with tributaries located downstream. In the St. Lawrence River fluvial estuary, isotopic data allow partitioning streamflow components and suggest that the recorded seasonal variations mainly respond to mixing processes.