• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.287-302
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• 2003

The seasonal variations in the circulation of the water mass in the East Sea/Japan Sea have been simulated using a free surface primitive ocean model, RIAMOM (RIAM Ocean Model), comparing the results from GFDL-MOM1 (Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory Modular Ocean Model, version 1.1, hereafter MOM) with the GDEM (Generalized Digital Environmental Model) data. Both models appear to successfully reproduce the distinct features of circulation in the East Sea/Japan Sea, such as the NB (Nearshore Branch) flowing along the Japanese coast, the EKWC (East Korean Warm Current) flowing northward along the Korean coast, and the NKCC/LCC (North Korean Cold Current/Liman Cold Current) flowing southwestward along Korean/Russian coast. RIAMOM has shown better performance, compared to MOM, in terms of the realistic simulation of the flow field in the East Sea/Japan Sea; RIAMOM has produced more rectified flows on the coastal region, for example, the narrower and stronger NKCC/LCC than MOM has. There is however obvious differences between the model results and the GDEM data in terms of the calculation of the water mass; both models have shown a tendency to overpredict temperature and underpredict salinity below 50m; more diffusive forms of thermocline and halocline have been simulated than noted in GDEM data.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.287-296
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• 2022

High-frequency (HF) radar measures sea surface currents from the radio waves transmitted and received by antenna on land. Since the data quality of HF radar measurements sensitively depend on the radio wave environment around antenna, Antenna Pattern Measurements (APM) plays an important role in evaluating the accuracy of measured surface currents. In this study, APM was performed by selecting the times when the background noise level around antenna was high and low, and radial data were generated by applying the ideal pattern and measured pattern. The measured antenna pattern for each case was verified with the current velocity data collected by drifters. The radial velocity to which the ideal pattern was applied was not affected by the background noise level around antenna. However, the radial velocity obtained with APM in the period of high background noise was significantly lower in quality than the radial velocity in a low noise environment. It is recomended that APM be carried out in consideration of the radio wave environment around antenna, and that the applied result be compared and verified with the current velocity measurements by drifters. If it is difficult to re-measure APM, we suggest using radial velocity in generating total vector with the ideal pattern through comparative verification, rather than poorly measured patterns, for better data quality.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.135-146
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• 2013

This study investigates the characteristic of the Tsushima Warm Current from an assimilated high resolution global ocean prediction model, $1/12^{\circ}$ Global HYbrid Coordiate Ocean Model (HYCOM). The model results were verified through a comparison with current measurements obtained by acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) mounted on the passenger ferryboat between Busan, Korea, and Hakata, Japan. The annual mean transport of the Tsushima Warm Current was 2.56 Sverdrup (Sv) (1 Sv = $10^6m^3s^{-1}$), which is similar to those from previous studies (Takikawa et al. 1999; Teague et al. 2002). The volume transport time series of the Tsushima Warm Current from HYCOM correlates to a high degree with that from the ADCP observation (the correlation coefficient between the two is 0.82). The spatiotemporal structures of the currents as well as temperature and salinity from HYCOM are comparable to the observed ones.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers Conference
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• 2000.09a
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• pp.182-187
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• 2000

Laboratory for Coastal and Ocean Dynamics Studies at Sungkyunkwan University and Department of Physical Oceanography, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences has been working on cooperative studies on ocean circulation. (omitted)

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.266-276
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• 2013

The ocean is the largest reservoir of carbon in the climate system. Atmospheric $CO_2$ is efficiently transferred to the deep ocean by a process called the biological carbon pump: photosynthetic fixation of $CO_2$ at the sea surface and remineralization of sinking organic carbon at depths are main causes for the vertical contrast of carbon in the ocean. The sequestered carbon to the deep ocean returns to the sea surface by ocean circulation. Part of the upwelled $CO_2$ leaks into the atmosphere through air-sea gas exchange. It has been suggested that the air-sea partitioning of carbon has varied in concert with the glacial-interglacial climate variations, due partly to changes in ocean circulation. In this review paper, we briefly summarize key concepts of the oceanic carbon pump. We also discuss the response of the air-sea carbon partitioning to change in ocean circulation in the context of the glacial-interglacial climate change.

• Atmosphere
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.69-74
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• 2005

In this short article, oceanic processes that could have strong effect on the climate have been explained while focusing on the oceanic thermohaline circulation (THC). First, the structure of THC is explained using a simple scaling law. Then, the thermohaline catastrophe, which is believed to be a cause of a rapid climate changes observed in paleoclimate records, and interdecadal variations in THC are explained. The interactions between the oceans and $CO_2$ are also mentioned briefly.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.171-179
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• 2013

The long-term variability of sea surface temperature in the East China Sea was reviewed based mainly on published literatures. Though the quantitative results are not the same, it is generally shown that sea surface temperature is increasing especially in recent years with the rate of increase about $0.03^{\circ}C$/year. Other meaningful results presented in the literatures is that the difference of water properties between layers upper and lower than the thermocline in summer shows an increasing trend both in temperature and salinity, suggesting that the stratification has been intensified. As a mechanism by which to evaluate the wintertime warming trend in the region, the weakening of wind strength, which is related to the variation of sea level pressure and atmospheric circulation in the western North Pacific and northern Asian continent, is suggested in the most of related studies.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.161-172
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• 2001

A model-to-model comparison is attempted between Princeton Ocean Model (POM) and Miami Isopycnic Coordinate Ocean Model (MICOM) as a first step to extend our knowledge of models' performances in studying the East Sea circulation. The two models have fundamentally different numerical schemes and boundary conditions imposed on these models are not exactly the same each other. This study indicates that MICOM has a critical weak point in that it does not reproduce the shallow surface currents properly while it handles the thermohaline processes and associated movements of intermediate and deep waters efficiently. It is suggested that the mixed layer scheme needs to be modified so that it can match with inflow boundary conditions in order to reproduce the surface currents properly in MICOM. POM reproduces the surface current pattern better than MICOM, although the surface currents in POM appear to undergo the unrealistic seasonal variation and have exaggeratedly large vertical scale. These defects seem to arise during the process of adapting POM to the East Sea, and removing these defects is left as a future task.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.158-166
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• 2024

In a numerical method for the study of the circulation model, various vertical coordinate systems are used to simulate the physical response of the ocean and atmosphere to the increasing greenhouse gas emission. In this study, four types of vertical coordinate systems frequently used in oceanic and atmospheric circulation numerical models, i.e., height, general, pressure, and normalized vertical coordinate systems, respectively are introduced. Finally, the hydrostatic pressure equation, vertical velocity, equation of horizontal motion, and continuity equation expressed in a vertical coordinate system were introduced, and the pros and cons of the vertical coordinate system were summarized to promote the accuracy of numerical model development.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.257-266
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• 2000

A vertically-averaged, two-dimensional version of the Princeton Ocean Model has been applied to the South Sea to simulate the circulation driven by tides and inflows/outflows across open boundaries. To incorporate both forcing properly, a two-step modeling approach is adopted, in which the tidal circulation is first simulated by specifying the tides along the open boundaries, and then both the calculated tidal currents and the observed steady mean currents are prescribed across the open boundaries. Model results show that the steady, subtidal circulation of the South Sea is different from the residual circulation due to tidal rectification, and subtidal currents become locally as strong as tidal currents. The Cheju Current entering the model domain across the Cheju Strait flows eastward in general while shifting onshore or offshore areas following local isobaths. The Tsushima Current entering across the southern boundary reaches farther to the north in the eastern vicinity of Cheju-Do as compared to that entering across other parts of the southern boundary. The Tsushima Current turns to the east, merges with the Cheju Current, and both the Cheju and Tsushima Current exit to the East Sea through the western channel of the Korea Strait. An intensification of the outflow occurs over the deep trough adjacent to the Tsushima Island, which appears to be due to the formation of the frictional boundary layer in order to remove excess positive relative vorticity generated by an increase in the layer thickness. The circulation driven by both the tidal and inflows/outflows is different from that driven by each forcing separately in coastal areas, which implies that both forcings should be considered simultaneously in the simulation of more realistic coastal circulation.