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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Mar. Sci.
Sec. Coastal Ocean Processes
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fmars.2024.1451533
This article is part of the Research Topic Advanced Monitoring, Modelling, and Analysis of Coastal Environments and Ecosystems View all articles

Seasonal Dynamics of Submarine Groundwater Discharge in Zhanjiang Bay: An Investigative Study Utilizing 222 Rn as a Tracer

Provisionally accepted
Xin Lin Xin Lin 1,2Xiao Chen Xiao Chen 1,2Fajin Chen Fajin Chen 1,2Guangzhe Jin Guangzhe Jin 1*Chao Wang Chao Wang 1,2Machendiranathan Mayakrishnan Machendiranathan Mayakrishnan 1,2Ziyang Shi Ziyang Shi 1,2Xiangcheng Si Xiangcheng Si 1,2
  • 1 Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
  • 2 Key Laboratory of Climate, Resources and Environment in Continental Shelf Sea and Deep Sea, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The spatial and temporal variation of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) has been a topic of interest for researchers in recent years. However, the study of SGD is limited within the scope of Zhanjiang Bay. The present study examined the fluctuation patterns of seawater 222Rn in Zhanjiang Bay during the period from June 2021 to March 2022. This investigation employs the 222Rn tracing technique to establish a mass balance model to compute the SGD rate, and assess the significance of SGD in translocating nutrients into the bay. The Zhanjiang Bay is located in western Guangdong Province, known for its high temperatures and typhoon vulnerability. We conducted a four-month sampling, observing the differences between the rainy and dry seasons. Precipitation exerts a significant influence on the seasonal variations of SGD. The SGD rates of Zhanjiang Bay ranged from 7.14 to 10.75 cm·d-1 in the dry season and from 13.38 to 14.61 cm·d-1 in the rainy season. SGD-derived nutrients also exhibited seasonal fluctuations, the annual input of nutrients it supplies may be comparable to the quantity delivered by rivers, which significantly impacted the trophic status of the bay.

    Keywords: submarine groundwater discharge, Seasonal variation, Nutrients, 222 Rn, Zhanjiang Bay

    Received: 19 Jun 2024; Accepted: 29 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Lin, Chen, Chen, Jin, Wang, Mayakrishnan, Shi and Si. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Guangzhe Jin, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China

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