• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 1999

Hydrographic survey was carried out in the mid-eastern Yellow Sea from Keum River to Taean Peninsula in order to study the motion of the freshwater from the Keum River during July 07-12, 1997 when a large volume of freshwater was discharged from the Keum River weir. The low-salinity (less than 30.0 psu) plume was distributed over the large area between the Keum River and Ochong Island, 60 km northwest off the Keum River mouth. A band of relatively low saline water, originating from the Keum River, was also observed to the north of Ochong Island. The strong haline front had advanced from near Sibidongpa Island to Ochong Island, 25 km northwest of Sibidongpa Island, for 48 hours. A northwestward flow of a speed greater than 0.2 m/s was observed in the surface plume layer to the north of Sibidongpa Island where the water column was strongly stratified. The observed mean flow and the change of the frontal position are interpreted as resulting from the spreading of the Keum River plume. These results suggest that the discharge from the Keum River plays an important role in the coastal circulation of the mid-eastern Yellow Sea adjacent to the river.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.96-109
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• 2021

Since terrestrial input plays a major role in coastal primary production, an understanding of land-ocean coupling (LOC) is key to understand coastal ecological changes. In this study, the LOC has been classified into three stages (i.e., the baseflow, plume event and residual flow). In order to characterize its pattern in Nakdong River estuary, multi-platform data were obtained from remote sensing (geostationary ocean color image (GOCI)), in-situ measurement (marine environment information system (MEIS)), on-site measurement (discharge data and meteorological data). The MEIS data were grouped into three stages of LOC using principal component analysis (PCA), and the LOC (2013 ~ 2018) was examined at each stage using multi-platform data. In the Nakdong River estuary, the maximum value of chlorophyll-a (chl-a) was unexpectedly appeared during the plume event. It is assumed that there was no significant increase in turbidity, expected during the typical plume event, together with the weak flushing effect, caused the enhanced phytoplankton growth. Compared with other estuaries, LOC is common in estuaries affected by freshwater inflow, but LOC has different pattern depending on the size of the plume. While estuaries that form small plumes of about 10 km (low freshwater discharge and weak flushing effect) observed high chl-a in the plume event because the phytoplankton can response to the increased nutrient more rapidly. estuaries that form large plumes of more than 100 km est (high freshwater discharge and strong flushing effect) follow the typical LOC pattern conceptualized in this study (high chl-a in the residual flow).

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.227-234
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• 2009

Using a finite volume ocean circulation model based on an unstructured grid (FVCOM), we studied the structure of a fresh water bulge that influences on the Region Of Freshwater Influence. Fresh water discharged a river forms a coastal boundary current to the righthand side and a cyclonically circulation freshwater bulge that grows with time. In the middle of the bulge, vertical motions bring fresh water to the bottom. When tidal motions are included, the bulge disappears while the boundary currents becomes wider. Through a simple comparison of areas occupied low salinity water we quantified vertical and horizontal mixing due to the tide and showed that the tidal motion enhances the vertical mixing. During the first few tidal cycles right after the onset of the river discharge, due to tidal excursion the horizontal mixing becomes stronger. The vertical mixing by the tide mixes the fresh water After a certain time the water around the river mouth is well mixed and the horizontal excursion of the fresh water near the river mouth does not have much effect on the horizontal mixing. When there is no tidal motion horizontal mixing is mainly by the inertial instability at the surface and the horizontal mixing becomes stronger over time.