• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.59-65
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• 2007

Rapid variation of coastal ecosystem in the East Sea of Korea, such as fishery resource variation and subtropical chang of bentic flora, accordong to the global warming are actually noticed. In this study we try to identify the characterics of water mass existing in this coastal area and to consider the variation of their physical and chemical properties using data of temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen obtained by National Fisheries Research & Development Institute from 1960 to 2005. The temperature of all water mass rise during last 45 years; the rise of North Korea Cold Water temperature (about $2.33^{\circ}C$) is 1.5 times higher than that of Tsushima warm water (about $1.6^{\circ}C$), and the temperature rise of Tsushima Surface Water, directly affected by climate chang is $2.57^{\circ}C$, higher than the atmospheric temperature rise during same period, indicating that subtropical change makes progress more rapidly in the coastal marine ecosystem than in the land ecosystem. Otherwise, the salinity in the surface water decrease $0.29\%_{\circ}$ during last 45 years due to the rising trend of rainfall with atmospheric temperature. The dissolved oxygen concentration in the all water mass make a decreasing trend. Specially for the North Korea Cold Water, the dissolved oxygen concentration diminish 0.021 mg/l per year and the decrease in the East Sea Proper Water indicate a change of inner water circulation system.

• 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.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.141-148
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• 2008

In order to investigate the effect of inflow of Yangze river on the distribution of chlorophyll-${\alpha}$, the results of serial oceanographic observation during 2000-2005 were used. The oceanographic conditions in the northern East China Sea is influenced by the Tsushima Warm Current and low saline water derived from the Yangze river. The distributions of these water masses vary significantly by the season in the northern East China Sea. The sea surface temperature and salinity were stable and concentrations of chlorophyll-${\alpha}$ were low in the eastern part of $126^{\circ}E$. On the contrary, the salinity was significantly influenced by the low saline water derived from Yangze river with the high concentrations of chlorophyll-${\alpha}$. It is suggested that the low saline water inflowed from the Yangze river affects high concentrations of chlorophyll-${\alpha}$ in the northern East China Sea in summer.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.97-113
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• 2020

In-situ observations were carried out in April 2015 to investigate the occurrence of water temperature inversion in a region west of Jeju Island. Analysis of in-situ in the western part of Jeju island showed that cold water moved to the southeast from the surface to the middle layer and warm water moved from the middle to the lower layer of the northwest direction. The water temperature inversion occurred at 84 stations (63.1%) out of 133 stations. At the boundary of the water temperature inversion layer, it was formed in the middle layer and disappeared. In the strongly appearing, it started from the middle layer to the lower layer. The shape of the water temperature inversion layer was different. As a result of horizontal water temperature slope analysis of the water temperature inversion zone, maximum 0.23℃/km was obtained and the mean was 0.06℃/km. The role of water temperature inversion as an indicator to determine the formation of water front. As a result of the water mass analysis, Jeju Warm Current Water and Tsushima Warm Current Water of high temperature and high salt intruded from the middle to the bottom. In the middle layer occurred as the Yellow Sea Cold Water of low water temperature and low salinity expanded.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.37-51
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• 2012

We investigated the distribution and species composition of zooplankton in relation to hydrographical characteristics in the Korea Strait during the winter (February) and summer (July) of 2009. Satellite images of sea surface temperatures and in situ CTD data showed that the southeastern water zone (St3-5) off Jeju Island was strongly influenced by the Tsushima Current during both the winter and summer, whereas the Changjiang Diluted Water, characterized as water with relatively low salinity, was evident in the coastal waters of Jeju Island during the summer. During winter, zooplankton abundance was significantly higher than in the summer, with dominance by copepods, ostracods, siphonophorans, appendicularians, and nauplii. In both seasons, copepods represented >70% of the total zooplankton population. Calanus sinicus, a large calanoid copepod, was dominant in near the coast, and that may be associated with the intrusion of low salinity water (i.e., the Changjiang Diluted Water) along the coast. The abundance of P. parvus s.l. and A. omorii, known as neritic copepods, was mainly associated with the Korea Southern Coastal Water. Foraminiferans, Ostracods, O. plumifera, and P. aculeatus were concentrated in the southeastern water off Jeju Island during both seasons; showing their association with the Tsushima Current, which is characterized warm, high salinity water. Our results suggest that the distribution, abundance, and species composition of zooplankton are highly influenced by different water masses in the Korea Strait.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.581-594
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• 2004

CREAHS II carried out an intensive hydrographic survey covering almost entire East Sea in 1999. Hydrographic data from total 203 stations were released to public on the internee. This paper summarized the results of water mass analysis by OHP (Optimum Multiparameter) method that utilizes temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, alkalinity, silicate, nitrate, phosphate and location data as an input data-matrix. A total of eight source water types are identified in the East Sea: four in surface waters(North Korea Surface Water, Tatar Surface Cold Water, East Korean Coastal Water, Modified Tsushima Surface Water), two intermediate water types (Tsushima Middle Water, Liman Cold Water), two deep water types (East Sea Intermediate Water, East Sea Proper Water). Of these NKSW, MTSW and TSCW are the newly reported as the source water type. Distribution of each water types reveals several few interesting hydrographic features. A few noteworthy are summarized as follows: The Tsushima Warm Current enter the East Sea as three branches; East Korea Coastal Water propagates north along the coast around $38^{\circ}N$ then turns to northeastward to $42^{\circ}N$ and moves eastward. Cold waters of northern origin move southward along the coast at the subsurface, which existence the existence of a circulation cell at the intermediate depth of the East Sea. The estimated volume of each water types inferred from the OMP results show that the deep waters (ESIW + ESPW) fill up ca. 90% of the East Sea basins. Consequently the formation and circulation of deep waters are the key factors controlling environmental condition of the East Sea.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.1063-1069
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• 2005

In order to investigate the distribution of suspended particulate matter of the surface water in the South Sea of Korea in early winter, the cruise results during 2 to 8 December 2004 were analyzed in relation to the hydrography. The front was formed along the line connecting between Tsushima and Cheju Islands, which divided the water into two water masses; the coastal water with for temperature and for salinity, and the Tsushima Warm Current Water with high temperature and high salinity. In the coastal water the suspended particulte matter was 5.0-6.5 mg/l, while in the oceanic water suspended particulate matter was 4.5-5.0 mg/l. The coastal water showed higher mixing effects, compared to the oceanic area where vertical stratification was clearly formed. These indicate that the distribution of suspended particulate matter was affected by the stratification or mixing of the water column. Also it is suggested that the mixing effects of sea surface cooling and rind play an important role on the distribution of suspended particulate matter in the South Sea of Korea in winter time.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.331-340
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• 1988

Using the oceanographic data during 196s~ 1983, the seasonal variation of the water type in the Tsushima Current is discussed by analyzing the thermosteric anomaly $(\delta_T)$. By investigating with the index of $33.8\%_{\circ}$ in salinity, it is shown that the low saline water inflowed through the Korea Strait affects the variations of water type in surface layer from summer to fall. On the sea surface, the value of $\delta_T$ is affected mainly by the sea surface temperature (SST). However, in summer, $\delta_T$ is temporarily influenced by the transitional characteristic of the surface salinity. It has the minimum value in winter when the SST is the highest and the sea surface salinity is the lowest. In fall, it decreases as the SST decreases. Specifically, the value of $\delta_T$ is 779 cl/t in August in the region of Korea Strait and 667 cl/t in September in the East Coast of Korea. These values are larger than that of the Kuroshio where is 622 cl/t in August. This phenomenon is due to the inflow of low saline water into these area during summer. In loom depth, the seasonal variation of the $\delta_T$ is not so significant as the surface and is mainly dependent on the annual temperature variation. In general, $\delta_T$ decreases as the Tsushima Current flows to the north.

• Ocean Science Journal
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.67-78
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• 2005

Complex physical, chemical and biological interactions off the Korean coast created several striking patterns in the phytoplankton blooms, which became conspicuous during the measurements of ocean color from space. This study concentrated on analyzing the spatial and temporal aspects of phytoplankton chlorophyll variability in these areas using an integrated dataset from a Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS), Advanced Very High Resolution (AVHRR) sensor, and Conductivity Temperature Depth (CTD) sensor. The results showed that chlorophyll concentrations were elevated in coastal and open ocean regions, with strong summer and fall blooms, which appeared to spread out in most of the enclosed bays and neighboring waters due to certain oceanographic processes. The chlorophyll concentration was observed to range between 3 and $54\;mg\;m^{-3}$ inside Jin-hae Bay and adjacent coastal bays and 0.5 and $8\;mg\;m^{-3}$ in the southeast sea offshore waters, this gradual decrease towards oceanic waters suggested physical transports of phytoplankton blooms from the shallow shelves to slope waters through the influence of the Tsushima Warm Current (TWC) along the Tsushima Strait. Horizontal distribution of potential temperature $(\theta)$ and salinity (S) of water off the southeastern coast exhibited cold and low saline surface water $(\theta and warm and high saline subsurface water $({\theta}>12^{\circ}C; S>34.4)$ at 75dBar, corroborating TWC intrusion along the Tsushima Strait. An eastward branch of this current was called the East Korean Warm Current (EKWC), tracked with the help of CTD data and satellite-derived sea surface temperature, which often influenced the dynamics of mesoscale anticyclonic eddy fields off the Korean east coast during the summer season. The process of such mesoscale anticyclonic eddy features might have produced interior upwelling that could have shoaled and steepened the nutricline, enhancing phytoplankton population by advection or diffusion of nutrients in the vicinity of Ulleungdo in the East Sea.

• Journal of the korean society of oceanography
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• v.37 no.3
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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.