The Global Network of Isotopes in Precipitation (Spanish Edition)

Since 1961, the IAEA and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) have been jointly conducting a worldwide survey of hydrogen ( H, H) and oxygen ( O) isotopes in precipitation. This isotope monitoring network is called the Global Network of Isotopes in Precipitation, or GNIP. The initial objective was to systematically collect basic data on the isotope content of precipitation on a global scale to determine temporal and spatial variations of environmental isotopes in precipitation. With this information, scientists could find out the origin, movement and history of water. To support this work, the IAEA established its Isotope Hydrology Laboratory. With this setup, basic isotope data started becoming available for hydrological investigations. These data were made accessible online to researchers and practitioners all over the world from the 1990s onwards. They are now used to study water resources, but also to interpret past climatic archives and animal migrations.