Structure and Variation of Tidal Flat Temperature in Gomso Bay, West Coast of Korea

Soil temperature was measured from the surface to 40 cm depth at three stations with different heights in tidal flat of Gomso Bay, west coast of Korea, for one month in every season 2004 to examine the thermal structure and the variation. Mean temperature in surface layer was higher in summer and lower in winter than in lower layer, reflecting the seasonal variation of vertically propagating structure of temperature by heating and cooling from the tidal flat surface. Standard deviation of temperature decreased from the surface to lower layer. Periodic variations of solar radiation energy and tide mainly caused short term variation of soil temperature, which was also intermittently influenced by precipitation and wind. Time series analysis showed the power spectral energy peaks at the periods of 24, 12 and 8 hours, and the strongest peak appeared at 24 hour period. These peaks can be interpreted as temperature waves forced by variations of solar radiation, diurnal tide and interaction of both variations, respectively. EOF analysis showed that the first and the second modes resolved 96% of variation of vertical temperature structure. The first mode was interpreted as the heating antl cooling from tidal flat surface and the second mode as the effect of phase lag produced by temperature wave propagation in the soil. The phase of heat transfer by 24 hour period wave, analyzed by cross spectrum, showed that mean phase difference of the temperature wave increased almost linearly with the soil depth. The time lags by the phase difference from surface to 10, 20 and 40cm were 3.2,6.5 and 9.8 hours, respectively. Vertical thermal diffusivity of temperature wave of 24 hour period was estimated using one dimensional thermal diffusion model. Average diffusivity over the soil depths and seasons resulted in at the middle station and at the lowest station. The depth-averaged diffusivity was large in spring and small in summer and the seasonal mean diffusivity vertically increased from 2 cm to 10 cm and decreased from 10 cm to 40 cm. Thermal propagation speeds were estimated by from 2 cm to 10 cm, 20 cm and 40 cm, respectively, indicating the speed reduction with depth increasing from the surface.