• Ocean and Polar Research
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• 제30권2호
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• pp.193-205
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• 2008

A model of the current and seasonal volume transport in the East China Sea was used to investigate the origin of the Tsushima Warm Current (TSWC). The modeled volume transport field suggested that the current field west of Kyushu ($30^{\circ}-32^{\circ}N$) was divided into two regions, R1 and R2, according to the bottom depth. R1 consisted of the Taiwan Warm Current (TWWC) region and the mixed Kuroshio-TWWC (MKT) water region, while R2 was the modified Kuroshio water (MKW) region west of Kyushu. The MKW branched from the Kuroshio and flowed into the Korea/Tsushima Straits through the Cheju-Kyushu Strait, contributing 41% of the annual mean volume transport of the TSWC. The TWWC and MKT water flowed into the Korea/Tsushima Straits through the Cheju-Kyushu and Cheju Straits, contributing 32% and 27% of the volume transport, respectively. The maximum volume transport of the MKW was 53% of the total volume transport of the TSWC in November, while the maximum volume transport of the water in the R1 region through the Cheju-Kyushu Strait was 41% in July. Hence, there were two peaks per year of volume transport in the TSWC.

• Journal of the korean society of oceanography
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• 제32권1호
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• pp.1-7
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• 1997

Surface current fields in the eastern East China Sea (ECS) were constructed by analyzing trajectories of 58 satellite-tracked surface drifters released during 1991-1996. Composite trajectories and 20-minute-by-20-minute box-averaged current vectors show that the basic current pattern composes of: the Kuroshio main stream, which turns eastward toward the Tokara Strait; a northward branch current of the Kuroshio on the ECS outer shelf deeper than 100 m; and an anticyclonic circulation in the northern Okinawa Trough west of Kyushu. The northward branch current sharply changes its direction to the northeast when it crosses a line connecting Cheju Island, Korea and Goto Islands, Japan. The basic pattern of current field changes slightly from winter to summer, and the main axis of the Tsushima Current in the Korea Strait is found to shift seasonally. The drifter experiment does not support the claim that the Yellow Sea Warm Current is separated from the northward branch current on the outer shelf southeast of Cheju Island. We suggest that the use of the term 'Tsushima Current' be limited to the northeast channel flow in the Korea Strait. The new term 'Kuroshio Branch Current' is suggested for the northward branch current on the outer shelf south of Cheju-do, which is separated from the Kuroshio.

• 대한원격탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한원격탐사학회 2006년도 Proceedings of ISRS 2006 PORSEC Volume II
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• pp.672-675
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• 2006

The geostrophic current component is estimated from the sea surface velocity observed by the long-range High-Frequency Ocean Radar (HF radar) system in the upstream of the Kuroshio, by comparing with geostrophic velocity determined from along-track T/P and Jason-1 altimetry data. However, the sea surface velocity of the HF radar (HF velocity) contains not only the geostrophic current but also the ageostrophic current such as tidal current and wind-driven Ekman current. Tidal current component is first extracted by the harmonic analysis of the time series of the HF velocity. Then, the Ekman current is further estimated from daily wind data of IFREMER by applying the least-square method to the residual difference between the HF velocity and the altimetry geostrophic velocity. As a result, the Ekman current in the HF velocity is estimated as 1.32 % of the wind speed and as rotated 45$^{\circ}$ clockwise to the wind direction. These parameters are found almost common in the Kuroshio area and in the Open Ocean. After these corrections, the geostrophic velocity component in the HF velocity agrees well with the altimetry geostrophic velocity.

• 수산해양교육연구
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• 제26권6호
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• pp.1358-1365
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• 2014

This study is to analyze the variability of floating marine debris(FMD) on the Kuroshio Current Area(KCA). A sighting survey was conducted from July 5th to July 16th, 2013 while navigating on KCA from Keelung, Taiwan to Tokyo, Japan using T/V KAYA of Pukyong National University. The sampled zones were divided into 6 transects and observed FMD during daytime in each transect. And also specified with 56 segments by defined one hour tracking distance as one segment on the survey routes. The results are as follows: 1. Hourly deviation of FMD's quality in each transect goes up to 10 times at NT, HS and SK. The others 3 times or so. 2. During the surveys, the largest amounts of it were found as total mean of $31.0num(ea)/km^2$ at NT transect in the northern part of Taiwan. So it is estimated because this area has gotten out of KCA. 3. And also quality of it on KCA was not directly related to Kuroshio Current's strong or weak. In conclusion, For the more detailed results on KCA are required of much more surveys.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• 제23권2호
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• pp.141-160
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• 2001

The challenge of predicting the Japanese coastal ocean motivated Frontier Observational Research System for Global Change (FORSGC) and the Japan Marine Science and Technology Center (JAMSTEC) to start a multiyear observational programme in the upstream Kuroshio in November 2000. This field effort, the Kuroshio Observation Program (KOP), should enable us to determine the barotropic and baroclinic components of the western boundary current system, thus, to better understand interactions of the currents with mesoscale eddies, the Kuroshio instabilities, and path bimodality. We, then, will be able to improve modeling predictability of the mesoscale, seasonal, and inter-annual processes in the midstream Kuroshio near the Japanese main islands by using this knowledge. The KOP is focused on an enhanced regional coverage of the sea surface height variability and the baroclinic structure of the mainstream Kuroshio in the East China Sea, the Ryukyu Current east of the Ryukyu's, and the Kuroshio recirculation. An attractive approach of the KOP is a development of a new data acquisition system via acoustic telemetry of the observational data. The monitoring system will provide observations for assimilation into extensive numerical models of the ocean circulation, targeting the real-time monitoring of the Japanese coastal waters.

• 대한원격탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한원격탐사학회 2006년도 Proceedings of ISRS 2006 PORSEC Volume II
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• pp.926-929
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• 2006

Some features of vertical structure of the frontal interaction zone of the warm Kuroshio Current and cold Oyashio Current are known from 1930 from analysis of ship data. Ship data however do not allow carrying out the area detailed survey opposite to satellite infrared (IR) observations which possess by high spatial and temporal resolution. Analysis of NOAA AVHRR IR images demonstrated that process of formation and development of the Kuroshio warm core rings is highly complex. They are formed as a result of development of anticyclonic meanders of the warm Kuroshio waters and spin off them from the current. Joint analysis of thermal infrared images and altimetry data has also indicated that interaction of eddies to the frontal zone plays a crucial role in formation of large eddies moving to the Southern Kuril region.

• Journal of the korean society of oceanography
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• 제37권3호
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• pp.187-195
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• 2002

The characteristics of surface circulation in the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea are discussed by analyzing a great deal of current data observed by 142 sets of mooring buoy and 58 sets of drifters trajectories collected in the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea through domestic and abroad measurements. Some major features are demonstrated as bellow: 1) Tsushima Warm Current flows away from the Kuroshio and has multiple sources in warm half year and comes only from Kuroshio surface water in cold half year. 2) Taiwan Warm Current comes mainly from the Taiwan Strait Water in warm half year and comes from the intruded Kuroshio surface water and branches near 27N in cold half year. 3) The Changjiang Diluted Water turns towards Cheju Island in summer and flows southward along the coastal line in winter. 4) The study sea area is an eddy developing area, especially in the southern area of Cheju Island and northern area of Taiwan.

• 한국해안해양공학회지
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• 제6권4호
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• pp.364-374
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• 1994

본 연구에서는 순압모델을 이용하여 대마난류(Tsushima Warm Current)의 분기기작 및 계절별 분기위치의 변화에 바람이 미치는 영향을 살펴보았다. 모델 격자간격은 위도와 경로방향 모두 0.25$^{\circ}$로 하였고 해수표면에 적용한 계절별 바람응력은 Hellerman and Rosenstein(1983)의 바람을 이용하였다. 모델결과에 의하면 대마난류는 북풍계열의 바람이 강한 동계(10월-3월)에는 일론 큐슈 남서쪽 대륙사면에서 쿠로시오로부터 직접 분기되어 형성되며, 하계(4월-9월)에는 대만해협(Taiwan Strait)을 통해 유입된 대만난류가 대마난류의 기원으로 나타난다. 쿠로시오는 동계에 최대 수송량을 가지며 하계에 최소를 보이고, 대만난류(Taiwan Current)의 수송량은 이러한 쿠로시오와 약 160도의 위상차를 갖는다. 대마난류의 수송량 변화는 쿠로시오의 변화와 120$^{\circ}$의 위상차(약 4개월)를 가질 때 잘 일치한다.

• 대한원격탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한원격탐사학회 2006년도 Proceedings of ISRS 2006 PORSEC Volume I
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• pp.475-478
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• 2006

Total primary production resulting from the photosynthetic process can be defined as the amount of organic matter produced in a given period of time. It is proportional to the chlorophyll-a (chl-a) values in the surface layer of the ocean. The MODIS board on Aqua satellite measures visible and infrared radiation in 36 wavebands, providing simultaneous images of chl-a concentration and sea surface temperature (SST) in the upper layer of the sea. The seasonal distribution of chl-a concentration during one year from April 2005 to March 2006 was examined. Light has a role of starting the seasonal cycle. The Kuroshio Current in this area induces many oceanographical features affecting to the change of seasonal control. The chl-a concentration is also seasonal, which is low in summer and high in winter. In summer, the meandering of Kuroshio Current induces strong eddies and increases the chl-a concentration. In autumn, the delayed small autumn bloom occurred until last December due to the Kuroshio Current. When the Kuroshio axis moves far from the coast, the coastal water dominates and increases the concentration even in the winter. The spring bloom starts early at the beginning of March and decreases during the spring.

• 대한원격탐사학회지
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• 제18권5호
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• pp.243-253
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• 2002

Time-mean and absolute geostrophic velocities of the Kuroshio current south of Japan are derived from TOPEX/Poseidon altimeter data using a Gaussian jet model. When compared with simultaneous measurements from a shipboard acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) at two intersection points, the altimetric and ADCP absolute velocities correlate well with the correlation coefficient of 0.55 to 0.74. The accuracy of time-mean velocity ranges from 1 cm s$^{-1}$ to 5 cm s$^{-1}$. The errors in the absolute and the mean velocities are similar to those reported previously for other currents. The comparable performance suggests the Gaussian jet model is a promising methodology for determining absolute geostrophic velocities, noting that in this region the Kuroshio does not meander sufficiently and thus provides unfavorable environment for the performance of the Gaussian jet model.