Water isotopes reveal early drought signals in Central Amazon rainfall
The historic droughts of 2023 and 2024 in the Amazon reduced river flows and altered the region's rainfall composition. Daily monitoring in Manaus, the capital of the Brazilian state of Amazonas, revealed these changes through the use of isotopes, which act as a kind of water "fingerprint." This method demonstrated how El Niño and warming in the North Atlantic affected the origin of moisture and…
A new study published in the journal Hydrological Processes reveals that early drought signals can be detected in the Central Amazon through the use of water isotopes. Researchers from São Paulo State University in Brazil, led by geographer and doctoral candidate Rafaela Rodrigues Gomes, monitored daily rainfall in Manaus, the capital of the Brazilian state of Amazonas, from March 2023 to February 2025.
By analyzing the ratios of light and heavy isotopes in rainwater, the researchers were able to demonstrate how El Niño and warming in the North Atlantic affected the origin of moisture and precipitation dynamics. This method, which acts as a kind of water fingerprint, can provide an early warning of prolonged droughts in the region.
The study is one of the first in more than 30 years to use isotopic techniques in Amazonian hydroclimatic research.
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