Using Sea Surface Temperature as an Initial Indicator for Identifying Potential Submarine Groundwater Discharge Zones along the Coast of Taiwan

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) plays a crucial role in material transport and environmental variability in coastal regions. However, its spatial distribution is highly heterogeneous, making direct observation difficult and regional identification using remote sensing a persistent challenge. Since SGD often causes localized cooling in coastal waters, variations in sea surface temperature (SST) can serve as an initial indicator of potential discharge zones.

This study evaluates the feasibility of using SST data alone as an initial indicator of SGD along the coast of Taiwan. MODIS 8-day composite SST data are used to construct a long-term seasonal baseline. Temperature anomalies relative to this baseline are then analyzed to identify the spatiotemporal distribution patterns of coastal anomaly events.

The spatial characteristics of these anomaly events are examined across different seasons and compared with potential SGD zones reported in previous studies. This analysis explores whether SST, without integrating additional oceanic parameters, can provide reliable preliminary information for identifying SGD discharge zones and serve as a foundation for future multi-parameter integrated studies.