The Republic of Korea Ocean Satellite Center (KOSC) of the Republic of Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology (KIOST) has succeeded in using satellite images to investigate the hourly variation in water turbidity along the south and west coasts of Republic of Korea.

The research outcome was published in the September 1, 2012 issue of the Journal of Geophysical Research (JGR) by the American Geophysical Union. JGR featured the paper as its Editor’s Highlight in that issue.

The research team investigated temporal variation in the turbidity of the coastal waters off Mokpo every hour using images acquired by its Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI), also known as the Cheollian satellite, and monitored turbidity changes based on the tidal cycle. Through its research, the team was able to successfully identify that the temporal variation in turbidity was driven by the tidal cycle.

KIOST said its research has opened up other possibilities in utilizing data from the Cheollian satellite, such as investigating the progress of erosions and sedimentations occurring in coastal seas around the Korean Peninsula.

This study was possible because the GOCI is the world’s first geostationary ocean color observation satellite able to obtain data eight times a day throughout the year. The data from the satellite is no less reliable than the data collected directly from the coastal waters, which proves the feasibility of using GOCI data for various other kinds of monitoring research. 

KIOST has fully operated the Cheollian satellite, launched in June, 2010, since April 18, 2011, and has been providing a data distribution service to related organizations. Recently, it is offering satellite data to the online giant Naver for use in its thematic map service.

*Reference

<Journal of Geophysical Research: JGR>

Published by the American Geophysical Union, JGR contains research on the processes that contribute to the understanding of the Earth, Sun, Solar System and all of their related environments and elements. It is composed of seven sections？space physics, solid earth, oceans, atmospheres, planets, earth surface and biogeosciences. JGR is a prestigious publication in its field with a 2011 impact factor of 3.0.