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Thermal characteristics of soil and water during summer at King Sejong Station, King George Island, Antarctica

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Abstract

Soil temperatures, water temperatures, and weather parameters were monitored at a variety of locations in the vicinity of King Sejong station, King George Island, Antarctica, during summer 2010–2011. Thermal characteristics of soil and water were analysed using time-series analyses, apparent thermal diffusivity (ATD), and active layer thickness. The temperatures of pond water and nearby seawater showed the distinctive diurnal variations and correlated strongly with solar radiation (r = 0.411–0.797). Soil temperature (0.1–0.3 m depth) also showed diurnal fluctuations that decreased with depth and were directly linked to air temperature (r = 0.513–0.783) rather than to solar radiation; correlation decreased with depth and the time lag in the response increased by 2–3 hours per 0.1 m of soil depth. Owing to the lack of snow cover, summertime soil temperature was not decoupled from air temperature. Estimated ATD was between 0.022 and 29.209 mm2/sec, showed temporal and spatial variations, and correlated strongly with soil moisture content. The maximum estimated active layer thickness in the study area was a 41–70 cm, which is consistent with values reported in the previous work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, 24341, Republic of Korea

    Jin-Yong Lee

  2. Department of Geological Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea

    Hyoun Soo Lim

  3. Korea Polar Research Institute, Incheon, 21990, Republic of Korea

    Ho Il Yoon

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  1. Jin-Yong Lee
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  2. Hyoun Soo Lim
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Correspondence to Hyoun Soo Lim.

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Lee, JY., Lim, H.S. & Yoon, H.I. Thermal characteristics of soil and water during summer at King Sejong Station, King George Island, Antarctica. Geosci J 20, 503–516 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12303-016-0026-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12303-016-0026-9

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