The Journal of
the Korean Society on Water Environment

The Journal of
the Korean Society on Water Environment

Bimonthly
  • ISSN : 2289-0971 (Print)
  • ISSN : 2289-098X (Online)
  • KCI Accredited Journal

Editorial Office

Title Seasonal characteristics of thermal and chemical stratification in Lake Paldang
Authors 손주연 ( Ju Yeon Son ) ; 박진락 ( Jin Rak Park ) ; 노혜란 ( Hye Ran Noh ) ; 유순주 ( Soon Ju Yu ) ; 임종권 ( Jong Kwon Im )
DOI https://doi.org/10.15681/KSWE.2020.36.1.1
Page pp.1-13
ISSN 2289-0971
Keywords Chemical stratification; Lake dynamics; Lake stability; Mixing processes; Thermal stratification; Vertical Profiling
Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the thermal and chemical stratification in Lake Paldang 2013-2018 weekly using Schmidt’s stability index (SSI) and the index of chemical stratification (IC-i). The annual average for SSI was 19.1 g cm/cm2 with the maximum value of 45.3 g cm/cm2 in the summer and the minimum value of 4.8 g cm/cm2 in fall-winter showing seasonal differences as well as increased vertical mixing in the summer. The lake stability increased higher in 2016 as compared with the other period. The most influential factors of thermal stratification were temperature and heavy rainfall. Especially, high water temperature and a prolonged residence duration caused by reduced rainfall and inflows could result in an increase of the stratification period. While decreasing inflow and outflow at the end of the rainfall, the thermal stratification was restrengthened within 7-14 days, and then stabilized rapidly before the rainfall. IC-DO increased with high air temperature in the spring and fall-winter. However increasing sunshine duration and residence time and decreasing rate of outflow caused an increase of IC-DO in the summer. Rainfall (less than 800 mm/year) and discharge (less than 200 CMS) significantly declined in 2015 resulting in IC-DO (0.77) increased more than three times over the other years and bottom water hypoxia occurred. The SSI and IC-i used in this study could be applied to other lakes to understand changes in stratification and mixing dynamics.