Isotopes in the water cycle. Past, present and future of a developing science / Изотопы в круговороте воды. Прошлое, настоящее и будущее развивающейся науки

Improved understanding of the Earth’s water cycle is a key element of global efforts to develop policies and practices for the sustainable management of water resources. Isotope and nuclear techniques have provided unmatched insights into the processes governing the water cycle and its variability under past and present climates. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) convened the first symposium on isotope hydrology in 1963. As isotope hydrology developed as an independent discipline, the IAEA symposia, convened every four years, provided a vehicle to review the state of the science and discuss future developments. Proceedings of these symposia contain classical papers that still form the basis of a number of applications in hydrology and inspire current research. <...>