• Journal of the korean society of oceanography
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.80-86
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• 2003

The horizontal distributions of $^{224}Ra$ (half life=3.4 days) and $^{223}Ra$ (half life=11.3 days) were measured in surface seawaters of the Nakdong River estuary and the South Sea of Korea in April and October 2002. In order to determine these short-lived Ra isotopes, we used a delayed coincidence counter which is much more rapid and accurate than traditional methods. In an estuarine mixing zone (salinity, ~l6 ppt), the activities of $^{224}Ra\;and\;^{223}Ra$ were much greater than what would be expected from a mixture of freshwater and seawater in the Nakdong River estuary. This excess Ra may be a result of Ra desorption from fresh sediments originating from the river upstream. However, in the more open areas of the Nakdong River estuary (salinity>30 ppt) and the South Sea of Korea, $^{224}Ra\;and\;^{^{223}Ra$ activities decreased exponentially as a function of distance offshore. Using the decrease of $^{223}Ra$ with distance offshore in the South Sea of Korea, we estimated the apparent horizontal eddy diffusivities. The apparent eddy diffusion coefficients in South Sea of Korea are calculated to be approximately $3500-8000\;\textrm{m}^2/sec$.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.151-162
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• 1980

To clarify the dispersion of pollutants introduced in the coastal region, a series of current measurements, the drogue and drift bottle experiments as well as the dye diffusion experiments were carried out in Onsan Bay and in the coastal waters of Ubong-ri near Ulsan. In the southeastern coastal region of Korean peninsula, that is, in the outside of Onsan Bay, the flood tidal current flows south-south-westward, and the ebb current flows north-north-eastward at a maximum speed of 1.0-1.1 knots at spring tide. In an inlet south of Cape Ubong, an anticyclonic eddy of 1 km in diameter is usually formed during both flood and ebb flows. The tidal current predominates in Onsan Bay at around spring tide. The maximum speed around spring tide was observed to be approximately 0.14 knot, while it was slower than 0.1 knot and variable at neap tide when the wind drift current played an important role. The flood tidal current flows westward while the ebb flow flows eastward in the northern region of the bay. The flood tidal current in the southern region of the bay flows west-north-westward, while the ebb current east-north-eastward. Wind drift currents in the coastal region of southern Korea are generally deduced to be southward in winter, the monthly mean speed being approximately 0.1 knot. Dye solution released at the northwestern corner in Onsan Bay was transported by eastward ebb tidal current toward the mouth of the bay dispersing by the wind. The apparent diffusion coefficient at 150 minutes after release in the bay was calculated to be $4.4\times10^4\;cm^2.sec^{-1}$, whereas that in the anticyclonic eddy was more or less smaller.