The WoKaS-Iso database: workflow for a global compilation of oxygen-18 and deuterium records in karst springs and cave drip water for enhanced understanding of karst systems
Abstract
For analysing karst hydrogeological systems, observations of karst springs and cave drips are considered indispensable. In addition to hydrometric observations, knowing the oxygen and hydrogen stable isotope ratios has improved the understanding of vadose zone and aquifer dynamics, likewise supporting system characterisation and modelling. However, limited accessibility and high costs of the analysis of stable isotopes in karst aquifers have hindered progress in karst research and impeded the accurate understanding of karst processes especially when it comes to comparative or large-scale studies. In this study, we present our workflow to compile the WoKaS-Iso database, the first extensive collection of time series data for Oxygen-18 and Deuterium isotopes in karst springs and cave drip water from diverse sources, encompassing publications, theses, reports, online archives, and collaborative initiatives worldwide. The database incorporates data sourced from 241 springs and 74 caves, of which 73 caves contain 365 individual drip sites and one cave contains input data only. In total, the database comprises 1007 time series, including 389 spring time series and 618 cave drip water time series. The compiled isotope records span the period from 1967 to 2024, with the strongest temporal coverage during the 2010s and continuing coverage into the early 2020s. Of these sites, 148 springs and 64 caves contain both δ 18 O and δ 2 H records, while 93 springs and 9 caves contain only one isotope tracer. These datasets provide coverage across significant karst regions globally, spanning China, the USA, Europe, the Middle East, and Australia. Within datasets, 79 % for springs and 68 % for cave drip water exhibit resolutions finer than monthly intervals. In addition, by integrating isotopic records with ancillary environmental variables including spring discharge, cave drip rate, precipitation, and rainwater isotopes, the database offers a more comprehensive perspective on hydrological behaviours in karst aquifers, hence advancing hydrogeological characterisation and modelling. The WoKaS-Iso database not only deepens the understanding of the complex systems but also promotes sustainable water resource management as well as the potential to foster collaborative research. The database can be accessed at: https://doi.org/10.25532/OPARA-909 (Zang, 2025).
// Source
Authors: Yining Zang, Pauline C. Treble, Kei Yoshimura, Jayson Gabriel Pinza, Fengbo Zhang, Kübra Özdemir Çallı, Xiaojun Mei, Admin Husic, Alena Gessert, Andrej Stroj, Bartolomé Andreo, Bernard Ladouche, Christine Stumpp, Diana Mance, Eleni Zagana, Fen Huang, Giuseppe Sappa, Harald Günter Kunstmann, Heike Brielmann, Hong Zhou, Huaying Wu, Jakob Garvelmann, James L. Berglund, Jean‐Baptiste Charlier, Jens Lange, Juan Antonio Barberá Fornell, Junbing Pu, Κ. Κατσάνου, Kun Ren, Laura E. Toran, Laurence William Gill, María Filippini, Martin Králík, Matías Mudarra, Min Zhao, Mingming Luo, Nico Goldscheider, Nikolaos Lambrakis, Pantaleone De Vita, Qiong Xiao, Shi Yu, Silvia Iacurto, Silvio Coda, Ted McCormack, Vincenzo Allocca, W.G. Darling, W. D’Alessandro, Xulei Guo, Yundi Hu, Zhijun Wang, Eva Kaminsky, Jiřı́ Faimon, Marek Lang, Pavel Pracný, Aurel Perşoiu, Andreas Hartmann
Institutions: KU Leuven, Temple University, University of Vienna, University of Antwerp, UNSW Sydney, BOKU University, Universidad de Málaga, The University of Tokyo, Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement, University of Bologna, IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, China University of Geosciences, Masaryk University, University of Freiburg, Sapienza University of Rome, University of Augsburg, University of Naples Federico II, Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement, University of Patras, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University of Rijeka, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Emil Racovita Institute of Speleology, Virginia Tech, Université de Montpellier, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Technische Universität Dresden, China Geological Survey, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Shanghai Maritime University, Ştefan cel Mare University of Suceava, Trinity College Dublin, Natural History Museum Vienna, University of Pavol Jozef Šafárik, Guizhou Normal University, Institute of Geochemistry, Romanian Academy, Chongqing Normal University, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières, British Geological Survey, Institute of Mathematics, AgroParisTech, Environment Agency Austria, University of Wisconsin–Platteville, Gestion de l'Eau, Acteurs, Usages, Czech Geological Survey, Croatian Geological Survey, Geological Survey of Ireland, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai