The 2nd Workshop on Water Isotopes in China was recently concluded in Tibet Hotel, Beijing. It recalled the achievement in the 1st Workshop, highlighting scientific issues and targeting at unresolved problems.

27 oral presentations were given during the 2nd Workshop, reporting on their latest research progresses in stable isotopes in various water bodies and seeking academic merging points. Wide and in-depth academic communications were conducted afterwards. Participants proposed that water isotope studies in China should be broadened in its research realm and according to national development need. More suggestions were also proposed on the organization of water isotope research community, construction of China’s water isotope database, and young talents cultivation.

The workshop was funded by NSFC program entitled China Network of Isotopes in Rivers and Precipitation. Over forty scientific staff attended the workshop from CAS research institutions and Chinese universities, with research background ranging from paleoclimate reconstruction using various proxies (e.g., ice cores, tree rings, speleothem and stalagmite records) to environment engineering by looking after the water cycle from ground and underground waters.

The next workshop was proposed at Changsha, Hunan Province, in 2012.