A Study on the Rotary Tidal Current in the East China Sea

동지나해 어장의 회전 조류에 관하여

Even though it is well known that the tidal current in the East China Sea rotates clockwise, few report can be found about the precise pattern of it. To furnish some information available for the stow net fishermen, the author carried out the observation over 235 semidiurnal tidal cycle to investigate the pattern of the set and the rate of tidal current in the Korean fishing section 250 and 494, by reading the current meter and by tracing the corner reflectors with radar onboard the anchored obsen'ation vessel, from May 12, 1984 through February 27, 1986. The results obtained are as follows: 1. The mean semidiurnal tidal cycle was 12 h 20 m during spring tide, and 12 h 30 m during neap tide. 2. The mean interval from the calculated time of high water until the current began to set north was 2 h 30 m and 2 h 15 m in the fishing section 250 and 494 respectively, and the mean interval from the time of low water current began to set south was about 2 h 0 m in both sections. 3. In comparison of the occupied times to vary the set from one of 8 principal bearing points to the neighboring one, the shortest was while the set varied from N to NE and S to SW in the section 250 and 494 respectively. Contrary the longest was while the set varied from SE to S and from W to NW in the section 250 and 494 respectively. 4. In comparison of the rate while the set varied from one of 8 principal bearing points to the neighboring one, the fastest was while the set varied from SE to Sand NW to N in the section 250, and E to SE and W to NW in the section 494. Contrary the slowest was while the current set to NE and S W in the section 250, and N, NE and S W in the section 494.