• 한국해양학회지
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 1981

The seasonal variations of surface current patterns in the Japan Sea were drawn out from the results of drift bottle experiments, current measurements and hydrographic observations during 1979∼1980. The North Korean Cold Current(NKCC) and the East Korean Warm Current(EKWC) were common features of circulation in the eastern sea of Korea. The intrusion of NKCC along the Korean coast became strong in summer(average velocity of 47.4cm/sec off Jumunjin and 23.4cm/sec near Jugbyeon) when the Tsushima Current was strong. But there was no indication of the NKCC in November 1979. Dynamic topography(August & November 1979) and satellite picture(November 1979) seemed to show the topographic steering of EKWC beginning off Janggigab. Drift bottles arrived at the Japaness coast were affected significantly by the strong Tsushima Current in summer and by the predominant northwesterlies in winter instead of weak current.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.1-22
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• 2018

Eight different data sets are examined in order to gain insight into the surface heat flux traits of the East Asian marginal seas. In the case of solar radiation of the East Sea (Japan Sea), Coordinated Ocean-ice Reference Experiments ver. 2 (CORE2) and the Objectively Analyzed Air-Sea Fluxes (OAFlux) are similar to the observed data at meteorological stations. A combination is sought by averaging these as well as the Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR) and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)-1 data to acquire more accurate surface heat flux for the East Asian marginal seas. According to the Combination Data, the annual averages of net heat flux of the East Sea, Yellow Sea, and East China Sea are -61.84, -22.42, and $-97.54Wm^{-2}$, respectively. The Kuroshio area to the south of Japan and the southern East Sea were found to have the largest upward annual mean net heat flux during winter, at -460- -300 and at $-370--300Wm^{-2}$, respectively. The long-term fluctuation (1984-2004) of the net heat flux shows a trend of increasing transport of heat from the ocean into the atmosphere throughout the study area.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.696-700
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• 2004

In the Korean seas, Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and Thermal Fronts (TF) were analyzed temporally and spatially during 8 years from 1993 to 2000 using NOAA/AVHRR MCSST. As the result of harmonic analysis, distributions of the mean SST were $10~25^{\circ}C,$ and generally SST decreased as latitude increased. SST increased in the order as following; the South Sea $(20\~23^{\circ}C),$ the East Sea $(17\~19^{\circ}C)$, and the West $Sea(13\~16^{\circ}C).$ Annual amplitudes and phases were $4\~11^{\circ}C,\;210\~240^{\circ}$ and high values were shown as following; the West Sea $(A1,\;9\~11^{\circ}C),$ the Northern East Sea $(A5,\;8\~9^{\circ}C),$ the Southern East Sea $(A4,\;6\~8^{\circ}C),$ the South Sea $(A3,\;6\~7^{\circ}C),$ the East China Sea $(A2,\;4\~7^{\circ}C)$ and phases; $A3\;(238\~242^{\circ}),\;A4\;(235\~240^{\circ}),\;A5\;(225\~235^{\circ}),\;Al\;(220\~230^{\circ}),\;A2\;(210\~235^{\circ}),$ respectively, Both of them were related inversely except the area A2, therefore the rest areas were affected by seasonal variations. TF were detected by Soble Edge Detection Method using gradient of SST. Consequently, TF were divided into 4 fronts; the Subpolar Front (SPF) based on the Cold Water Mass (low SST and salinity Subartic Water), resulting from the North Korea Cold Current (NKCC) and the East Sea Proper Cold Water in the middle and low layer, and the Warm Water Mass (high SST and salinity Subtropical Water), resulting from the Tsushima Warm Current (TWC) in area A4 and 5, the Kuroshio Front (KF) based on the Kuroshio Current (KC) and shelf waters in the East China Sea (ESC) in A2, and the South Sea Coastal Front (SSCF) based on the South Sea Coastal Water (SSCW) and TWC in A3. Also, the Tidal Front was weakly appeared in AI. TF located in steep slope of submarine topography. Annual amplitudes and phases were bounded in the same place, and these results should be considered to influence of seasonal variations.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.265-272
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• 2002

Spatial distribution of Phytoplankton Pigment Concentration (PPC) and Sea Surface Temperature (SST) around the East Korean Warm Current (EKWC) was described, using both Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS) images and Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) images in May, 1980. Water mass in this region can be classified into five categories in the horizontal profile of PPC and SST, nLw (normalized water-leaving radiance) images: (1) coastal cold water region associated with concentrations of dissolved organic material or yellow colored substances and suspended sediments, (2) cold water region of thermal frontal occurred by a combination of phytoplankton absorption and suspended materials, (3) warm water overlay region by the phytoplankton absorption than the suspended materials; (4) warm water region occurred by the low phytoplankton absorption, and (5) offshore region occurred by the high phytoplankton absorption. In particular, the highest PPC (>2.0 mg/m^3) area appeared in the CZCS and AVHRR images with a band shaped distribution of the thermal front and ocean color front region, which is located the coastal cold waters alonB western thermal front of the warm streamer of the EKWC. In this region, the highest PPC occurred by a combination of the high absorption of the phytoplankton (443 nm) and highest reflectance of suspended materials (550 nm). Another high PPC ($\simeq$$6\;mg/m^3$) appeared in the warm water overlay region inside warm streamer. High phytoplankton pigment concentration of this region was corresponding to the short wavelength of 443 nm, which represented phytoplankton absorption of the CZCS image.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.12-23
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• 1981

A numerical experiment is made in order to clarify the mechanism of the upwelling phenomenon along the coast near the poleward edge of the western boundary current. The possibility of the upwelling is suggested from the analysis of the observational data in the east of Honshu, Japan, and in the south eastern coast of Korean Peninsula. This upwelling phenomenon is very deep and can be traced to the bottom layer. The upwelling phenomenon seems to be a general oceanic feature which characterizes the region along the west coast near the poleward edge of the western boundary current. This experiment is simulating the oceanic condition of the transition region between Kuroshio front and the Oyashio front in the east of Honshu, Japan. The possible explanations of the causes of the upwelling are as follows;In the interior of the modeled ocean the cold heavy water supplied from the north and the warm light water from the south make the north-south gradient of the pressure field and accelerate the eastward current to produce the h-orizontal divergence feld near the west coast. The divergence is compensated by the upwelling near the separation region. Another one is that the upwell-ed cold water strengthen constantly the pressure gradient which is balanced by the northward current and is weakened by the horizontal diffusion.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.175-181
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• 1999

A recurring eddy which located at the terminal end of the Korean East Warm Current was captured on ocean color and sea surface temperature imagery from satellite in spring and autumn. During late April, 1997 thermal infrared imagery from the NOAA AVHRR sensor and ocean color data from the Japanese ADEOS-I OCTS sensor, revealed this feature. The cold core had elevated chlorophyll concentrations, based on OCTS estimates, of greater than 3 mg/m$^3$ while the warmer surrounding waters had chlorophyll concentrations of 1 mg/m$^3$ or less. The elevated cholophyll accociated with this eddy has not been previously described. The eddy is also evident in SST images from autumn, but the SST in the core is warmer than in spring, and the warm jet flowing to the west of the eddy is also warmer is autumn compared to spring. A reccurring eddy and the high chlorophyll_a concentration area which surround around the eddy show on NOAA and SeaWiFS images in March 2, 1998. The eddy forms at the northern extent of the Korean East Warm Current as those waters collide with the cold, south-flowing Liman Current over a topographic shelf about 1500 m deep. This region of the eddy formation appears to have a strong connection with the dynamics of the western part of the polar front eddy field that dominates surface mesoscale structure in the central East (Japan) Sea. Interaction of the eddy with ARGOW tracked drifters, and evidence for its persistence are discussed.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.1044-1055
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• 1997

To find out generating mechanism of eddies in the polar frontal zone of the East Sea, we carried out a series of numerical experiments using the nonlinear $1^{1/2}-layer$ model allowing the effect of the polar front. We assumed the polar front at about $39^{\circ}N$ in zonal direction with the cold water region in the northern part and the warm water region in the southern part of the model ocean. To examine the effect of the frontal motion without the influence of the Tsushima Current from the beginning of the geostrophic adjustment, the initial state of the model ocean was assumed motionless. Eastward current was caused by the geostrophic adjustment process in the polar frontal zone that induced a steady northward coastal current along the Korean coast to satisfy the mass continuity. The overshooting of this coastal current acted as an initial disturbance of the zonal flow field which caused meanders and eddies. The spatial scales of eddies were in good agreement with the baroclinic instability theory.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.461-475
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• 2020

This study was conducted in the southwestern area of Korea using a neuston net in September (14 stations) 2017 to understand the environmental factors affecting neustonic zooplankton. Temperature, salinity, chlorophyll a concentration, suspended solids, and microplastics were included as environmental factors. Based on the density of the copepods, the study area was divided into three regions: the Seomjin River water influence area, the frontal mixing area, and the warm water affected area (Jeju warm current and Tsushima warm current). In the latter two areas, the major species were Pontella chierchiae, Canthocalanus pauper, and Oncaea spp. Also, neustonic zooplankton showed a significant relationship between the density of phytoplankton and microplastics in the frontal mixing area, and temperature and suspended solids in the warm water affected area, respectively (p<0.05). This indicates that microplastics can affect the offshore zooplankton community.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.290-294
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• 2001

Satellite data, with Sea Surface Temperature(SST) by NOAA and Sea Level(SL) by Topex/poseidon, are used to estimate characteristics on the variations and correlations of SST and SL in the East Asian Seas from January 1993 through May 1998. In the oceanic climate, the variations of SL shown the high values in the main current of Kuroshio and the variations of SST shown not the remarkable seasonal variations because of the continuos compensation of warm current by Kuroshio. In the continental climate, SL shown high variations in the estuaries(the Yellow River, the Yangtze River) with the mixing the fresh water in the mouth of estuaries of the saline water in the coasts of continent and SST shown highly the seasonal variations due to the climatic effect of continents. In the steric variations in summer, the eastern sea of Japan, the East China Sea and the western sea of Korea shown the increment of sea level with 10~20cm. But the Bohai bay in China shown relatively the high values of 20~30cm due to the continental climate. Generally the trends of SST and SL increased during all periods. That is say, the slopes of SST and SL presented 0.29$^{\circ}C$/year and 0.84cm/year, respectively. The annual and semi-annual amplitudes shown a remarkable variations in the western sea of Korea and the eastern sea of Japan.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.324-331
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• 1992

Water masses and circulations around Korean peninsula are briefly described based on recent studies. The results of theses studies are discussed from the physical point of view. Oceanic conditions in this region are largely due to the roles played by the Tsushima Warm Current, an onshore extension of the Kuroshio, and local conditions such as wind, surface heat flux and fresh water input etc. To the south and west of Korea, the northern/western border of the Tsushima Warm Current Water is roughly the line joining Taiwan and Cheju island. In summer, it is affected by large amount of fresh water discharged from the Changjiang and in winter, an intrusion of this water into the Yellow Sea is induced by the prevailing northwesterly monsoon wind. To the east of Korea, the Tsushima Warm Current Water presents roughly south of the line joining the wast coast of Korea near 37-38$^{\circ}$N and Tsugaru-Soya Straits in the northern Japan. But this situation, together with those in deeper layers, may greatly be changed by winter atmospheric conditions (wind and surface heat flux). The seas around Korea are not yet physically well understood and many problems wait physical explanations. Some problems, along with personal views of them, are mentioned.