Variability of the Suspended Particle Cross-Sectional Area in the Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea

A cross-sectional area (CSA) is a key element in the optical properties of suspended particles. The seasonal evolution of CSA has great potential for use in mapping total suspended particles, and such mapping plays an important role in water quality monitoring. In this study, the spatiotemporal variations in CSA in the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea were studied using temperature, salinity and chlorophyll-a data collected by four cruises. The CSA field data covered a wide range of spatiotemporal variabilities in the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea. The results revealed that the largest CSA (>2 m(-1)) was found in the coastal area, while the CSA (<= 1 m(-1)) on the outer shelf was much smaller. Large values of CSA (>15 m(-1)) were observed in winter, whereas the smallest values of CSA (0 similar to 2 m(-1)) were observed in summer. These results suggest that vertical mixing and ocean stratification might be important physical mechanisms that influences the CSA seasonal distribution in the surface layer. The results also showed that phytoplankton played an important role in the CSA, with an R-2 value of 0.601. The seasonal patterns of CSA documented in this study provide a fundamental theory for research on optical properties, mapping transparency, and photosynthetically active radiation.