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Earth science

Controls on isotopic gradients in rain

Concentrations of heavy isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen decrease in rain as storms cross land. A model examines the transport of water vapour that causes this effect, and provides insight into past and present climates.

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Figure 1: Rain over the Denali National Park, Alaska.

Bernd Zoller/Robert Harding Picture Library

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Correspondence to Katherine H. Freeman.

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Freeman, K. Controls on isotopic gradients in rain. Nature 516, 41–42 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/516041a

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