| Title |
A Study on the Light Extinction Characteristics in the Main Channel of Nakdong River by Monitoring Underwater Irradiance in Summer |
| Authors |
강미리 ( Mi-ri Kang ) ; 민중혁 ( Joong-hyuk Min ) ; 최정규 ( Jungkyu Choi ) ; 박수영 ( Suyoung Park ) ; 신창민 ( Changmin Shin ) ; 공동수 ( Dongsoo Kong ) ; 김한순 ( Han Soon Kim ) |
| DOI |
https://doi.org/10.15681/KSWE.2018.34.6.632 |
| Keywords |
Euphotic Depth; Light Extinction; Nakdong River; Underwater Irradiance; Water Quality Modeling |
| Abstract |
Algal dynamics is controlled by multiple environmental factors such as flow dynamics, water temperature, trophic level, and irradiance. Underwater irradiance penetrating from the atmosphere is exponentially decreased in water column due to absorption and scattering by water molecule and suspended particles including phytoplankton. As the exponential decrease in underwater irradiance affects algal photosynthesis, regulating their spatial distribution, it is critical to understand the light extinction characteristics to find out the mechanisms of algal dynamics more systematically. Despite the significance, the recent data have been rarely reported in the main stream areas of large rivers, Korea. In this study, the euphotic depths and light extinction coefficients were determined by monitoring the vertical variation of underwater irradiance and water quality in the main channel of Nakdong River near Dodong Seowon once a week during summer of 2016. The average values of euphotic depth and light extinction coefficient were 4.0 m and 1.3 m-1, respectively. The degree of light extinction increased in turbid water due to flooding, causing an approximate 50 % decrease in euphotic depth. Also, the impact was greater than the self-shading effect during the periods of cyanobacterial bloom. The individual light extinction coefficients for background, total suspended solid and algal levels, frequently used in surface water quality modeling, were determined as 0.305 m-1, 0.090 m-1/mg·L-1, 0.013 m-1/μg·L-1, respectively. The values estimated in this study were within or close to the ranges reported in literatures. |