description
The changes in the isotopic composition of water in the water cycle occur primarily during the passage of water into and through the atmosphere. The specific isotopic signatures engendered by these processes are then imprinted on the terrestrial water bodies, forming the basis for the many applications of isotopes in hydrological studies. A detailed understanding of the complex and changing processes involved is thus a necessary pre-condition for the use of this tool in studies of present and past climatic systems.