Nine major rivers have been sampled around the Indian subcontinent to give an overview of the surface water characteristics. Both 18O and deuterium have been measured to determine the origin of the water and the possible evapotranspiration process. The major ions have also been analysed to obtain complementary information. Although some basins have been studied previously (mainly in the north), this is the first attempt at a wider investigation of major Indian rivers. The results are discussed from the perspective of the hydroclimatological, geographical and geological specificity of the river basins. ? 18O values vary from light-isotope-enriched Himalayan rivers to heavy-isotope-enriched peninsular Indian rivers in a northwest-southeast gradient across the subcontinent. There is more evapotranspiration, leading to heavy isotope enrichment, in the peninsular (southern Deccan) rivers compared with the light-isotope-enriched snow- and glacier-melt-derived waters of the Himalayan rivers. The ?18O values of Indian rivers correspond roughly to the ?18O values of the rains falling over the subcontinent. However, the influence of tributaries is dominant over rainfall in rivers like the Narmada and Tapti. The Cauvery and Krishna rivers show maximum evapotranspiration and sodium pollution, as indicated by the ?18O values, deuterium excess and major ion data. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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dc.contributor.authorLambs, L.
dc.contributor.authorBalakrishna, K.
dc.contributor.authorBrunet, F.
dc.contributor.authorProbst, J.L.
dc.date.accessioned2026-02-05T11:00:17Z
dc.date.issuedOxygen and hydrogen isotopic composition of major Indian rivers: A first global assessment
dc.description.abstract2005
dc.identifier.citationHydrological Processes, 2005, 19, 17, pp. 3345-3355
dc.identifier.issn8856087
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.5974
dc.identifier.urihttps://idr.nitk.ac.in/handle/123456789/27905
dc.subjectDeuterium
dc.subjectEvapotranspiration
dc.subjectHydrogen
dc.subjectIsotopes
dc.subjectOxygen
dc.subjectWater analysis
dc.subjectIndian rivers
dc.subjectIsotopic composition
dc.subjectStable isotopes
dc.subjectRivers
dc.subjectisotopic composition
dc.subjectriver basin
dc.subjectstable isotope
dc.subjectwater quality
dc.subjectAsia
dc.subjectEurasia
dc.subjectIndia
dc.subjectSouth Asia
dc.titleNine major rivers have been sampled around the Indian subcontinent to give an overview of the surface water characteristics. Both 18O and deuterium have been measured to determine the origin of the water and the possible evapotranspiration process. The major ions have also been analysed to obtain complementary information. Although some basins have been studied previously (mainly in the north), this is the first attempt at a wider investigation of major Indian rivers. The results are discussed from the perspective of the hydroclimatological, geographical and geological specificity of the river basins. ? 18O values vary from light-isotope-enriched Himalayan rivers to heavy-isotope-enriched peninsular Indian rivers in a northwest-southeast gradient across the subcontinent. There is more evapotranspiration, leading to heavy isotope enrichment, in the peninsular (southern Deccan) rivers compared with the light-isotope-enriched snow- and glacier-melt-derived waters of the Himalayan rivers. The ?18O values of Indian rivers correspond roughly to the ?18O values of the rains falling over the subcontinent. However, the influence of tributaries is dominant over rainfall in rivers like the Narmada and Tapti. The Cauvery and Krishna rivers show maximum evapotranspiration and sodium pollution, as indicated by the ?18O values, deuterium excess and major ion data. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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