• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.47-64
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• 2001

Water mass classification was conducted using the data of 1985 and 1986 in the East China Sea and the Korea Strait. Kuroshio water (type K) and mixed water (type I) were broadly distributed at 50 m depth in winter and spring, and mixed waters (type I to IV) were distributed in summer and autumn. At 100 m depth of the East China Sea, and mixed water (type I) was broadly distributed in winter and spring, and mixed waters (type I to III) were in summer, and type I was in autumn. Water mass in summer is the most influenced from the Chinese coastal water. In the Korea Strait, the Kuroshio water (type K) was the main water mass in winter and spring, and mixed waters (type I to IV) were in summer and autumn. If temperatures are corrected to remove the cooling effect from the atmosphere, the Kuroshiowater region was diminished, however the mixed water region was expanded in winter and spring. This shows that although the Kuroshio water appears to be a main water mass of the East China Sea and the Korea Strait in winter andspring, in reality the mixed water (type I) which is slightly changed from the Kuroshio water (type K) widely distributed. The tongue-shaped distribution of low density surface water indicates that the water mixed with the Chinese coastal water flows to the Korea Strait and the Okinawa in summer.