Stable isotope evidence of dual (Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal) vapour sources in monsoonal precipitation over north India

High resolution time series data of hydrogen (δD) and oxygen (δ18O) isotope values of precipitation have been generated for the first time at Kolkata, eastern India where the summer monsoon clouds from Bay of Bengal (BOB) commence their journey over India. Use of a Rayleigh cum two component mixing model and comparison of Kolkata data with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)–Global Network of Isotopes in Precipitation (GNIP) data base of New Delhi suggest that the precipitation at New Delhi cannot be explained by simple continental effect of a BOB vapour source alone, traveling and raining successively along Kolkata–New Delhi route. It is necessary to invoke an admixture of ∼ 20% vapour originating from the Arabian sea with the vapour coming from BOB and finally causing summer monsoon rains at New Delhi. The findings have major implications to the regional water vapour budget over India.