• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.56-66
• /
• 2008

Subtidal surface currents are derived from HF radar measurements in the Saemangeum coastal ocean of the Yellow sea in July 2002 and from September to November 2004. The surface current field is analyzed to examine the effect of wind, river plume and coastline change on the spatial distribution and temporal variation of the surface currents. In July 2002, average wind speed was 0.5 m/s and freshwater discharge from the Keum River was $0.88{\times}10^7\;ton/day$. Temporal mean currents ($\overline{U}$) flow to the northwest with speed of $7{\sim}10\;cm/s$ near the Keum River estuary, to the west as fast as 13 cm/s near the opening gap of the Saemangeum $4^{th}$ dyke, and to the northwest off the Gogunsan-archipelago. This flow pattern is a result of the Keum River plume dispersal and tide-residual currents from the opening gap of the Saemangeum $4^{th}$ dyke. Time series of spatially-averaged current (<$U-\overline{U}$>) direction is highly (r=0.98) correlated with wind direction. From September to November 2004, the opening gap of the Saemangeum $4^{th}$ dyke was closed, northwesterly wind blew with speed of 2.5 m/s on average and the Keum River discharge was $1.19{\times}10^7\;ton/day$. Temporal mean current field ($\overline{U}$) has weak surface flow in most of the coastal ocean and relatively strong currents flow to the southwest with speed of 10 cm/s along the shape coastline of the Gogunsan-archipelago and the Saemangeum $4^{th}$ dyke. The strong flow is generated by the prevailing northwesterly wind which pushes the Keum River plume toward the Saemangeum $4^{th}$ dyke. The residual currents from the opening gap of the Saemangeum $4^{th}$ dyke disappeared and correlation coefficient between time series of spatially-averaged current () direction and the wind direction is 0.69.