A simple hydrologic-isotopic-balance (HIBAL) model for application to paleolake d18O records is presented. Inputs to the model include discharge, on-lake precipitation, evaporation, and the d18O values of these fluid fluxes. Monthly values of climatic parameters that govern the fractionation of 18O and 16O during evaporation have been extracted from historical data sets and held constant in the model. The ability of the model to simulate changes in the hydrologic balance and the d18O evolution of the mixed layer has been demonstrated using measured data from Pyramid Lake, Nevada. Simulations of the response in d18O to step- and periodic-function changes in fluid inputs indicate that the hydrologic balance and d18O values lag climate [...]
