Central American Hydrology Data with Stable Isotope Measurements

A regionalized rainfall isoscape and isotopic lapse rates for Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Honduras were developed from stable isotope variations in rainfall, surface water, and groundwater. The work by Ricardo Sánchez‐Murillo from Universidad Nacional characterizes groundwater recharge, with 72.3% as depleted recharge in highlands and median recharge elevations ranging from 1,104 to 1,979 meters above sea level. Results are intended to enhance forest conservation and inform water security planning in the Central American Isthmus.

Use Cases

• Modeling regional groundwater recharge based on stable isotope variations and recharge elevation data.
• Analyzing seasonal rainfall patterns based on described intra-seasonal isotopic W-shaped patterns and Mid-Summer Drought pulses.
• Mapping moisture transport and surface water-groundwater interactions based on isotopic separation between Caribbean and Pacific domains.
• Informing water protection regulations based on identified isotopic sub-cloud fractionation and secondary evaporation in the Dry Corridor.

Strengths

• Covers four Central American countries: Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Honduras.
• Provides quantified recharge percentages: 72.3% depleted highland recharge, 13.1% rapid recharge, and 14.6% enriched recharge.
• Includes specific median recharge elevation ranges from 1,104 to 1,979 meters above sea level.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Provenance

Source

Ricardo Sánchez‐Murillo, Universidad Nacional

Collection Method

Combines stable isotope variations in rainfall, surface water, and groundwater to develop regionalized models.

Geography

Central American Isthmus, specifically Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Honduras