GOCI-Observed Chlorophyll Belts Associated With Sea-Surface Fronts in the East China Sea

Abstract

Using chlorophyll-a observational data from the Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI) satellite operated by the Korean Satellite Center, thousands of high chlorophyll belts are found along the coast of East China Sea (ECS). These belts extend tens to hundreds of kilometers offshore with an average length of roughly 90 km and 18.3% occurrence probability. Through statistical analysis, appearance of these belts is characterized with a band oriented along the coastline direction around 100-km offshore with a maximum likely occurrence near 28.5°N. The instability of the coastal front plays an important role in the formation of the high-appearance band, and the eastward current associated with the estuarine front contributes to the maximum occurrence region around 28.5°N. These chlorophyll belts not only provide additional nutrients for phytoplankton growth but also are an important factor for the healthy coastal ecosystems.