• Journal of the korean society of oceanography
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.134-143
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• 2002

Using OGCM results, we have shown that the ring-like cold baroclinic eddies associated with cyclonic circulation are shed from late summer to early fall near the Izu-Ogasawara Ridge from the Kuroshio Extension owing to baroclinic instability. On the other hand, warm baroclinic eddies are generated by the intensified western boundary current associated with the warm anomaly accumulated near the Ridge in winter, which corresponds to the basin-wide barotropic intensification of the wind-driven gyre in winter. We are successful in reproducing the behavior of those meso-scale eddies using a simple two-layer primitive equation model driven by seasonal winds associated with the positive curl. Those eddies carry barotropic seasonal signals originated in the Pacific Basin quite slowly west of the ridge; this process introduces a phase lag in the timing of the seasonal maximum transport in the Philippine Basin west of the ridge. It Is demonstrated that the existence of bottom topography, baroclinicity, and nonlinearity due to advection are three necessary elements for the generation of these eddies south of Japan.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.145-156
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• 1995

Satellite infrared images were analyzed to study the distribution of eddies off the east coast of Korea from 1987 to 1991. Most of the eddies were filament-type and were generated near the fringe of the East Korea Warm Current (EKWC) flowing northward. Eddies having length of 20-40km and width of 10-20km were most abundant. The meso-scale eddies of 100-200km in diameter were found between Mukho and Wonsan Bay in almost all the images. There was no evidence for the consistent movement of eddies to a definite direction. The Ulleung Warm Eddy, although reported previously by the hydrographic data, could not be identified by the limited amount of infrared imagery.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.121-132
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• 1993

A three-dimensional barotropic model is used to compute meteorologically-induced circulations in the East Sea for monthly, seasonal and annual basis. The computed barotropic responses have shown that in the upper part of the 40$^{\circ}$ North latitude. counterclockwise meso-scale eddies have been formed off Dong Han Man, middle part of the East Sea and sea area between the Siberian coast and Hokkaido throughout the year except summer season. These results are in good agreements with some of earlier schematic circulation diagram.

• Journal of the korean society of oceanography
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.57-71
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• 2004

Based on the data obtained under the China-Korea joint project (1997-2001) and historic observations, the distribution, transportation and sedimentation of sediment in the southern Yellow Sea (SYS) are discussed, and the controversial formation mechanism of muddy sediments is also explored. The sediment transport trend analysis indicates that the net transport direction of sediment in the central SYS (a fine-grained sediment deposited area) points to $123.4^{\circ}E,\;35.1^{\circ}N$, which is a possible sedimentation center in the central SYS. The sediment transport pattern is verified by the distribution of total suspended matter (TSM) concentration and ${\delta}^{13}C$ values of particulate organic carbon (POC), the latter indicates that the bottom water plays a more important role than the surface water in transporting the terrigenous material to the central deep-water area of the SYS, and the Yellow Sea circulation is an important control factor for the sediment transport pattern in the SYS. The carbon isotope signals of organic matter in sediments indicate that the Shandong subaqueous delta has high sedimentation rate and the deposited sediments originate mainly from the modern Yellow River. The terrigenous sediments in deep-water area of the SYS originate mainly from the old Yellow River and the modern Yellow River, and only a small portion originates from the modern Yangtze River. The analytical results of TSM and stable carbon isotopes are further confirmed by another independent tracer of sediment source, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Five light mineral provinces in the SYS can be identified and they indicate inhomogeneity in sources and sedimentary environment. The modern shelf sedimentary processes in the SYS are controlled by shelf dynamic factors. The muddy depositional systems are produced in the shelf low-energy environments, which are controlled by some meso-scale cyclonic eddies (cold eddies) in the central SYS and the area southwest of the Cheju Island. On the contrary, an anticyclonic muddy depositional system (warm eddy sediment) appears in the southeast of the SYS (the area northwest of the Cheju Island). In this study, we give the cyclonic and anticyclonic eddy sedimentation patterns.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.225-242
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• 2012

This is the first attempt to produce simultaneous surface current field from satellite altimeter data for the entire East Sea and to provide surface current information to users with formal description. It is possible to estimate surface geostrophic current field in near real-time because satellite altimeters and coastal tide gauges supply sea level data for the whole East Sea. Strength and location of the major currents and meso-scale eddies can be identified from the estimated surface geostrophic current field. The mean locations of major surface currents were explicated relative to topographic, ocean-surface and undersea features with schematic representation of surface circulation. In order to demonstrate the practical use of this surface current information, exemplary descriptions of annual, seasonal and monthly mean surface geostrophic current distributions were presented. In order to objectively classify surface circulation patterns in the East Sea, empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis was performed on the estimated 16-year (1993-2008) surface current data. The first mode was associated with intensification or weakening of the East Korea Warm Current (EKWC) flowing northward along the east coast of Korea and of the anti-cyclonic circulation southwest of Yamato Basin. The second mode was associated with meandering paths of the EKWC in the southern East Sea with wavelength of 300 km. The first and second modes had inter-annual variations. The East Sea surface circulation was classified as inertial boundary current pattern, Tsushima Warm Current pattern, meandering pattern, and Offshore Branch pattern by the time coefficient of the first two EOF modes.