Data supporting the research of elemental and lithium isotopic compositions of river water, lake water, ground water, fine sediment, and extracted salt from sediment in small catchments of the northern Tibetan Plateau

This dataset provides an integrated geochemical and hydrological characterization of small catchments across a precipitation gradient on the northern Tibetan Plateau. The primary research objective is to elucidate the lithium isotopic fractionation during silicate weathering and transport in high-altitude, cold-arid environments. The dataset encompasses four interconnected tables containing: 1) catchment-scale topographic and climatic data (GIS-derived), 2) detailed hydrochemistry and dissolved Li isotope compositions of river, lake, and groundwater samples collected in different seasons (analyzed via IC, ICP-MS, and MC-ICP-MS), 3) major/trace element compositions and solid-phase Li isotope signatures of fine-grained sediments (analyzed via XRF and ICP-MS), and 4) elemental and Li isotopic compositions of water-extractable salts from sediments. This multi-media approach enables robust catchment-scale mass balance and isotopic modeling to constrain Li sources and fractionation mechanisms.