Variable apparent hydrogen isotopic fractionation between sedimentary n-alkanes and precipitation on the Tibetan Plateau

The hydrogen isotope ratio values of sedimentary leaf wax n-alkanes (δDwax) have been considered a reliable proxy for precipitation isotope ratios (δDP) across various transects on a global basis. Records of δDwax have been used to infer past changes in hydrology, climate and altimetry, assuming nearly constant apparent hydrogen isotopic fractionation (εwax-P) between sedimentary leaf wax components and precipitation. Here, we present the results of an analysis of δDwax values from the surface sediments of 22 lakes across a precipitation and vegetation gradient on the Tibetan Plateau. The δDwax values correlated significantly with mean annual precipitation δD (r 0.90) and summer precipitation δD (r 0.91), suggesting that δDwax can record δDP in very dry regions. However, εwax-P varies with annual precipitation as well as with relative humidity. Calculation using Craig-Gordon isotope models showed that the variable εwax-P values likely resulted from intensive soil evaporation and plant evapotranspiration in this relatively arid region. This implies that variable isotopic fractionation should be taken into consideration when reconstructing paleohydrology, paleoclimate and paleoaltimetry.