Effects of Thermal Discharge from Coastal Nuclear Power Plants and Thermal Power Plants on the Thermocline Characteristics in Sea Areas with Different Tidal Dynamics

The thermal discharge from coastal nuclear power plants and thermal power plants (CNATPP) not only increases the water temperature, but it also stratifies the seawater. Comprehending the characteristics of stratification that is caused by thermal discharge constitutes the basis for developing a comprehensive understanding of how thermal discharge affects marine organisms. The spatial and temporal characteristics of seawater stratification induced by thermal discharge were analyzed on the basis of measured data while using two study areas with different tidal dynamics as examples. The results showed the following. (1) Thermal discharge influenced the area within 3 km of the outlet. (2) In the East China Sea (which has strong tidal dynamics), the most significant stratification occurred 0.5 km–1.0 km from the outlet; however, in the South China Sea (which has weak tidal dynamics), the degree of stratification decreased with increasing distance from the outlet. (3) In the East China Sea (i.e., strong tidal dynamics), the depth of the thermocline during ebb tide gradually moved upward, while that during flood tide gradually moved downward, and the opposite was observed in the South China Sea (i.e., weak tidal dynamics). Finally, (4) the thermocline that was caused by thermal discharge mostly occurred at water depths above 7 m.