<p>The use of stable isotopes of water, both <span>δ</span><sup>2</sup>H and <span>δ</span><sup>18</sup>O has provided novel insights in hydrological studies, ecological applications, understanding climate variability, and reconstructing paleoclimate. However, information on the stable isotope composition of water in tropical marine island environments is normally scarce within the Central America Isthmus. Here, we present the first isotopic characterization of precipitation, surface water, and groundwater at Cocos Island, Costa Rica within the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean region. Our results show that the Cocos Island MWL can be described as: <span>δ</span><sup>2</sup>H=8.39·<span>δ</span><sup>18</sup>O+13.3; r<sup>2</sup>=0.98 (n=29). Dry season rainfall events ranged from -4.9 ‰ <span>δ</span><sup>18</sup>O up to -2.4 ‰ <span>δ</span><sup>18</sup>O with a mean <em>d-</em>excess of 13.2 ‰. By the beginning of May, the Intertropical Convergence Zone reaches Costa Rica resulting in a notable depletion in isotope ratios (up to -10.4 ‰ <span>δ</span><sup>18</sup>O and -76.2 ‰ <span>δ</span><sup>2</sup>H). During the wet season, <span>δ</span><sup>18</sup>O composition averaged -6.1 ‰ <span>δ</span><sup>18</sup>O and -38.5 ‰ <span>δ</span><sup>2</sup>H with a mean <em>d-</em>excess of 9.9 ‰. HYSPLIT air mass back trajectories indicate a strong influence on the origin of precipitation of two main moisture transport mechanisms, the northeasterly (January-May) and southwesterly (May-November) trade winds. Small seasonal variations were observed in the isotopic composition of surface water throughout the year with mean values ranging from -3.9 ‰ <span>δ</span><sup>18</sup>O (dry season, n=19) up to -4.8 ‰ <span>δ</span><sup>18</sup>O (wet season, n=13). Groundwater samples exhibited a similar trend with more depleted composition during the wet season (-5.2 ‰ <span>δ</span><sup>18</sup>O and -29.8 ‰ <span>δ</span><sup>2</sup>H). Overall, the marine isotopic composition measured in meteoric water at Cocos Island serves to better delineate the isotopic contribution of Pacific moisture towards the Central America Isthmus. It also provides a valuable isotopic reference to discriminate from orographic distillation and Caribbean enriched rainfall inputs in continental studies.</p><div> </div>
Tracking the water fingerprints of Cocos Island: a stable isotope analysis of precipitation, surface water, and groundwater
