Articles | Volume 27, issue 16
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-3083-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-3083-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Stable water isotopes and tritium tracers tell the same tale: no evidence for underestimation of catchment transit times inferred by stable isotopes in StorAge Selection (SAS)-function models
Department of Water Management, Faculty of Civil Engineering and
Geosciences, Delft University of Technology, Stevinweg 1, 2628CN Delft,
the Netherlands
Markus Hrachowitz
Department of Water Management, Faculty of Civil Engineering and
Geosciences, Delft University of Technology, Stevinweg 1, 2628CN Delft,
the Netherlands
Gerrit Schoups
Department of Water Management, Faculty of Civil Engineering and
Geosciences, Delft University of Technology, Stevinweg 1, 2628CN Delft,
the Netherlands
Christine Stumpp
Institute of Soil Physics and Rural Water Management, University of
Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna,
Austria
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Cited
16 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Catchment transit time variability with different SAS function parameterizations for the unsaturated zone and groundwater H. Türk et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-1053-2026
- Will groundwater-borne nutrients affect river eutrophication in the future? A multi-tracer study along the Elbe River J. Zill et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-6885-2025
- How old is the water in the Yellow River Source Area? A multiscale analysis using transit time distributions J. Fang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2025.134265
- Impact of dams on the water cycle in inland river basins of arid regions: based on runoff and isotope data Z. Zheng et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2026.135512
- Soil moisture and precipitation intensity jointly control the transit time distribution of quick flow in a flashy headwater catchment H. Türk et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-3935-2025
- Stochastic model for subsurface water flow in Swiss catchments M. Bovier et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advwatres.2024.104883
- A review of hydrogeochemical techniques for mineral exploration: history, present and future J. Kidder et al. https://doi.org/10.1144/geochem2024-065
- Technical note: Transit times of reactive tracers under time-variable hydrologic conditions R. Miazza & P. Benettin https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-1247-2026
- Catchment response to climatic variability: implications for root zone storage and streamflow predictions N. Tempel et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-4577-2024
- On the relevance of molecular diffusion for travel time distributions inferred from different water isotopes E. Zehe et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-2093-2026
- The Potsdam Soil Moisture Observatory: high-coverage reference observations at kilometer scale P. Grosse et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-1703-2026
- Multi-decadal stability of water ages and tracer transport in a temperate-humid river basin S. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ada8c1
- Different tracer, different bias: using radon to reveal flow paths beyond the Window of Detection J. Bacher et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-1523-2026
- Lessons learned from the spatiotemporal analysis of long‐term and time‐variable young water fractions of large central European river basins M. Stockinger & C. Stumpp https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.15038
- Multi-decadal fluctuations in root zone storage capacity through vegetation adaptation to hydro-climatic variability have minor effects on the hydrological response in the Neckar River basin, Germany S. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-4011-2024
- Harnessing radioactivity for groundwater monitoring A. Schmidt & M. Schubert https://doi.org/10.1038/s44221-026-00630-z
16 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Catchment transit time variability with different SAS function parameterizations for the unsaturated zone and groundwater H. Türk et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-1053-2026
- Will groundwater-borne nutrients affect river eutrophication in the future? A multi-tracer study along the Elbe River J. Zill et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-6885-2025
- How old is the water in the Yellow River Source Area? A multiscale analysis using transit time distributions J. Fang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2025.134265
- Impact of dams on the water cycle in inland river basins of arid regions: based on runoff and isotope data Z. Zheng et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2026.135512
- Soil moisture and precipitation intensity jointly control the transit time distribution of quick flow in a flashy headwater catchment H. Türk et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-3935-2025
- Stochastic model for subsurface water flow in Swiss catchments M. Bovier et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advwatres.2024.104883
- A review of hydrogeochemical techniques for mineral exploration: history, present and future J. Kidder et al. https://doi.org/10.1144/geochem2024-065
- Technical note: Transit times of reactive tracers under time-variable hydrologic conditions R. Miazza & P. Benettin https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-1247-2026
- Catchment response to climatic variability: implications for root zone storage and streamflow predictions N. Tempel et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-4577-2024
- On the relevance of molecular diffusion for travel time distributions inferred from different water isotopes E. Zehe et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-2093-2026
- The Potsdam Soil Moisture Observatory: high-coverage reference observations at kilometer scale P. Grosse et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-1703-2026
- Multi-decadal stability of water ages and tracer transport in a temperate-humid river basin S. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ada8c1
- Different tracer, different bias: using radon to reveal flow paths beyond the Window of Detection J. Bacher et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-1523-2026
- Lessons learned from the spatiotemporal analysis of long‐term and time‐variable young water fractions of large central European river basins M. Stockinger & C. Stumpp https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.15038
- Multi-decadal fluctuations in root zone storage capacity through vegetation adaptation to hydro-climatic variability have minor effects on the hydrological response in the Neckar River basin, Germany S. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-4011-2024
- Harnessing radioactivity for groundwater monitoring A. Schmidt & M. Schubert https://doi.org/10.1038/s44221-026-00630-z
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 15 Jun 2026
Short summary
This study shows that previously reported underestimations of water ages are most likely not due to the use of seasonally variable tracers. Rather, these underestimations can be largely attributed to the choices of model approaches which rely on assumptions not frequently met in catchment hydrology. We therefore strongly advocate avoiding the use of this model type in combination with seasonally variable tracers and instead adopting StorAge Selection (SAS)-based or comparable model formulations.
This study shows that previously reported underestimations of water ages are most likely not due...