• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.16-24
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• 2023

The salinity of sea water is known as a less influencing variable in the calculation of the sound speed of the sea water. This study investigated how the low salinity of sea water affects the vertical structure of the sound speed near the mouth of the Yangtze (Changjiang) River when the diluted fresh water extends toward the East China Sea in the summer. As a result of comparing two types of sound speeds considered measured and fixed salinity, sound speeds appeared distinguishable when the halocline formed steeper than the thermocline due to Yangtze-River Diluted Water (YRDW). In addition, unlikely with fixed salinity conditions, when measured salinity was considered, an underwater sound channel appeared in the middle of the thermocline of which the source depth is located. Accordingly, considering the salinity, this study suggests using Expendable Conductivity Temperature Depth (XCTD) and Expendable Sound Velocimeter (XSV) rather than Expandable Bathy Thermograph (XBT) when calculating sound speed because of the strong halocline due to YRDW in the summer.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.321-329
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• 2010

Photosynthetic pigments, nutrients, and hydrographic variables were examined in order to elucidate the spatio-temporal variation of water column structure and its effect on phytoplankton community structure in the western channel of the Korea Strait in fall 2006 and spring 2007. High phytoplankton biomass in the spring was associated with high salinity, implying that nutrients were not supplied by coastal waters or the Yangtze-River Diluted water (YRDW) with low salinity. Expansion of the Korea Strait Bottom Cold Water (KSBCW) and a cold eddy observed during the spring season might enhance the nutrient supply from the subsurface layer to the euphotic zone. Chemotaxonomic examination showed that diatoms accounted for 60-70% of total biomass, followed by dinoflagellates. Nutrient supply by physical phenomena such as the expansion of the KSBCW and the occurrence of a cold eddy appears to be the controlling factors of phytoplankton community composition in the Korea Strait. Further study is needed to elucidate the mechanisms by which the KSBCW is expanded, and its role in phytoplankton dynamics.