Heat flux across the surface of a macrotidal flat in southwest Korea

Abstract

Temporal-spatial variations of heat fluxes between the tidal flat and seawater or atmosphere across the surface of a tidal flat were investigated from observed sediment, seawater, and atmosphere temperatures. The tidal flat receives heat from seawater during morning inundation, while heat exchange is reversed during afternoon inundation. Heat fluxes at tidal flat and seawater or atmosphere interface have a good relationship with exposure time in each station. Heat exchange between the tidal flat and seawater or atmosphere over the entire tidal flat was estimated from the correlation between heat flux and exposure time. In spring, summer, and autumn, the tidal flat gained mean heat of 2.352, 0.949, and 0.899 MJ m-2 from the atmosphere over each daytime exposure but lost 1.904, 0.955, and 1.680 MJ m-2 over each nighttime exposure, respectively. In spring, summer, and autumn, the tidal flat gained mean heat of 0.459, 0.336, and 0.601 MJ m-2 from seawater over each morning inundations and supplied mean heat of 0.530, 0.364, and 0.505 MJ m -2 to seawater over each afternoon inundation, respectively. Copyright 2009 by the American Geophysical Union.