Spatio-temporal variations of strontium isotope ratios in the Mur River: a tool to support river management.

ABSTRACT: This study explores the application of strontium (Sr) isotope ratios (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr) as geochemical tracers to understand hydrological connectivity and anthropogenic influences in a geologically diverse Alpine river catchment encompassing regions of Austria and Slovenia. Focusing on the Mur River and its tributaries, water samples were collected across 45 sites during three hydrological regimes to capture seasonal and spatial variability. In total, 28 tributaries were sampled to evaluate their influence on the isotope composition of the main river. Isotope analyses using multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, supplemented by geospatial mapping and multivariate statistics, were combined with measurements of 26 elemental concentrations to investigate

SUBMITTER: Moser U 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12811288 | biostudies-literature | 2026

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature