** Progress in Earth and Planetary Science is the official journal of the Japan Geoscience Union, published in collaboration with its 51 society members.
** Progress in Earth and Planetary Science is partly financially supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Publication of Scientific Research Results to enhance dissemination of information of scientific research.
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Interdisciplinary research
Session convener-recommended article JpGU Meeting 2015
201703201703
High-resolution mapping and time-series measurements of 222Rn concentrations and biogeochemical properties related to submarine groundwater discharge along the coast of Obama Bay, a semi-enclosed sea in Japan
Kobayashi S, Sugimoto R, Honda H, Miyata Y, Tahara D, Tominaga O, Shoji J, Yamada M, Nakada S, Taniguchi M
submarine groundwater discharge (SGD), 222Rn monitoring, chlorophyll-a, nutrients, wind-driven advection, coastal seas
222Rn concentrations and seepage flux (upper panel), 222Rn concentrations and northward wind (lower panel)
High-resolution mapping along the coast and time-series measurements of the radon-222 (222Rn) concentrations in the shallow zone in a semi-enclosed sea, Obama Bay, Japan, were undertaken in 2013. The temporal and spatial variations in the 222Rn concentrations were analyzed in parallel with meteorological conditions, physical–biogeochemical characteristics, and the submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) flux measured with a seepage meter. These data indicate that the groundwater influences the water properties of the bay and that the groundwater supply pathways are not limited to the local SGD. The concentrations of 222Rn flowing into the bay from rivers was known to be relatively high because groundwater seeps from the river bed. High-222Rn water was almost always present around the river mouth, and northward advection of the water affected the distribution of 222Rn concentrations in the bay. The southward wind suppressed the advection of the high-222Rn water and largely controlled the temporal variations in 222Rn concentrations at a station located on the north side of the river mouth, whereas the local SGD affected the short-term changes in the 222Rn concentrations. The concentrations of 222Rn and chlorophyll-a, an indicator of phytoplankton biomass, show a significant positive correlation in the surface layer along the coastline in seasons when the nutrient supply was the main factor limiting primary productivity.
