REMOTE SENSING ANALYSIS OF COLD WATER TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL VARIABILITY IN THE EAST SEA

Abstract

In this study, we monitored temporal and spatial variability in summer cold water events in the East Sea of Korea. We defined cold water as seawater that is >= 5 degrees C colder than the surrounding area. When cold water expands or changes in propagation direction, the National Institute of Fisheries Science (NIFS) of Korea issues a cold water upwelling warning to prevent aquafarm damage. To understand cold water effects, we analyzed the causes of continuous and strong cold water events, and propagation thereof, using satellite and in situ data for summer to autumn in the period 2011-2019. To investigate the cold water life cycle, we used satellite-derived sea surface temperature (SST) data collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellites Aqua and Terra, as well as in situ ocean surface current and wind data. Our results showed that cold water zones tend to expand in early summer and contract in late summer. The cycle of cold water expansion and contraction was repeated several times due to cold water events.