Analysis of Surface Water Temperature Fluctuation and Empirical Orthogonal Function in Cheonsu Bay, Korea

Surface water temperature of a bay (from the south to the north) increases in spring and summer, but decreases in autumn and winter. Due to shallow water depth, freshwater outflow, and weak current, the water temperature in the central to northern part of the bay is greatly affected by the land coast and air temperature, with large fluctuations. Water temperature variations are large in the north-east coast of the bay, but small in the south-west coast. The difference between water temperature and air temperature is greater in winter and in the south-central part of the bay than that in the north to the eastern coast of the bay where sea dykes are located. As the bay goes from south to north, the range of water temperature fluctuation and the phase show increases. When fresh water is released from the sea dike, the surrounding water temperature decreases and then rises, or rises and then falls. The first mode of empirical orthogonal function (EOF) represents seasonal variation of water temperature. The second mode represents the variability of water temperature gradient in east-west and north-south directions of the bay. In the first mode, the maximum and the minimum are shown in autumn and summer, respectively, consistent with seasonal distribution of surface water temperature variance. In the second mode, phases of the coast of Seosan~Boryeong and the east coast of Anmyeon Island are opposite to each other, bordering the center of the deep bay. Periodic fluctuation of the first mode time coefficient dominates in the one-day and half-day cycle. Its daily fluctuation pattern is similar to air temperature variation. Sea conditions and topographical characteristics excluding air temperature are factors contributing to the variation of the second mode time coefficient.