Abstract

To investigate water mass structure and DO(Dissolved Oxygen) distribution in Chinhae Bay, temperature, salinity and DO were observed in the bay in summer and winter from 1990 to 1993, and two-dimensional tidal current and parameter log($H/U^3$) were computed. Shallow water fronts in the bay were formed in summer in Kaduk channel and the central part of the bay having log($H/U^3$) values of $2.0{\sim}2.5$. Oxygen deficiency at the bottom layer in summer occurred in the western and northern part of the bay with weak tidal current, where the value of log($H/U^3$) was more than about 3.5 and $M_2$ tidal current was less than about 20 cm/s. DO concentration at the bottom layer of Kaduk channel and the central channel of the bay having the strong tidal current was more than about 3.5 mg/l. The isolines of DO concentration were nearly parallel to the isovelocity, and the concentrations correlated with the frontal location. The frontal location and DO distribution were influenced by tidal range, river inflow and meteorological conditions, and also correlated with bottom slope characteristics.

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