Use of uranium isotopes for the determination of river tributary flow rates: Case of the Var and the Vésubie

When a river flow rate is known on one point, it is possible to determine the one of upstream tributaries. This can be done by measuring the concentrations of a dissolved element (for example Ca²⁺), provided that no chemical precipitations have occurred in mixture waters. In this later case, the determination of flow rate is however possible by isotopic geochemistry, by knowing isotopic ratios of an element, for ex. ²³⁴U/²³⁸U, in each river considered and the ratio of the concentrations in dissolved ²³⁸U in two of them. A study of the Var and its tributary the Vésubie is performed: in January 31st, 2001, the flow rate D₃, downstream the confluence was 35 m³/s. The ratio of the ²³⁸U concentrations in the Vésubie river and in the Var upstream (²³⁸U₁/²³⁸U₂) was 5.5. The isotopic ratios ²³⁴U/²³⁸U measured in the Var, downstream the confluence were R₃ = 1.51, upstream R₂ = 1.75, and in the Vésubie R₁ = 1.08. We have calculated the Vésubie flow rate as D₁ = 3.2 m³/s.