Re-evaluation of the effects of precipitation amount and temperature on precipitation δ18O at the monthly and interannual timescales

Abstract Proxy records of the oxygen isotope ratio 18O/16O past precipitation (δ18Op) have played an important role in revealing hydroclimatic changes, on basis global observed relationships between monthly δ18Op and both amount temperature only a few years as reported by Dansgaard 1964. It is therefore crucial to systematically re-evaluate using modern instrumental data. We analysed annual mean correlations from 108 stations over about 60 years. Consistent with previously results, values high latitudes (≥60°) show significant positive correlation (referred ‘temperature effect’) negative trend low (≤20°) (‘amount effect’). However, these do not hold true for yearly data more than three-quarters evaluated. This indicates that different temporal resolutions could be complicated thought. For related natural archives, such ice cores, sediments, carbonates, further careful evaluation required establish robustness their paleoclimatic implications.