Recent Advances in Tracer‐Aided Mixing Modeling of Water in the Critical Zone
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Safeguarding water resources for society and ecosystems requires a comprehensive understanding of hydrological fluxes within the Critical Zone, Earth's living skin where the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and lithosphere meet. For decades, tracer‐aided mixing models have been used to track water flow paths through the Critical Zone, mapping the journey of water particles from atmospheric moisture to groundwater. Recent advances in novel tracer measurements and modeling methodologies offer new insights into hydrological partitioning within the Critical Zone, enabling improved quantification of water fluxes across scales ranging from microscopic to macroscopic. Advanced tracer‐aided modeling approaches enable more rigorous testing of assumptions and improved quantification of uncertainties. In this review, we (a) summarize state‐of‐the‐art tracer and modeling techniques, with an emphasis on stable water isotope tracers, (b) synthesize insights emerging from new approaches, and (c) highlight opportunities to apply these methods in interdisciplinary Critical Zone research.
DOI: 10.5167/uzh-282235
Authors: Popp, Andrea L., Beria, Harsh, Sprenger, Matthias, Ala-aho, Pertti, Coenders, Miriam, Groh, Jannis, Klaus, Julian, Knapp, Julia L. A., Koren, Gerbrand, Bakiri, Iris, Xu Fei, Esther, Gillon, Marina, Harman, Ciaran, Hissler, Christophe, Holmes, Tegan, Jeelani, Ghulam, Kalvans, Andis, Montemagno, Alessandro, Zeray Öztürk, Emel, Žvab Rožič, Petra, Stadnyk, Tricia, Stumpp, Christine, Valiente, Nicolas, von Freyberg, Jana, Vreča, Polona, Zuecco, Giulia, van Meerveld, Ilja, Penna, Daniele, Kirchner, James W.
Language: English
Subfield: Geochemistry and Petrology
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7124747948
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