• Ocean and Polar Research
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.193-205
• /
• 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.

• Proceedings of the Korea Committee for Ocean Resources and Engineering Conference
• /
• 2001.10a
• /
• pp.103-107
• /
• 2001

The major studies of an ocean circulation of the East/Japan Sea related to evaluate the feasibility and utilization of deep ocean water are reviewed. The major feature of surface current system of the East/Japan Sea is an inflow of the Tsushima Warm Current through the Korea/Tsushima Strait and the outflow through the Tsugaru and Soya Straits. The Tsushima Warm Current has been known to split into two or three branches in the southern region of the East/Japan Sea. In the cold water region of the East/Japan Sea, the North Korean Cold Current turns to the east near 39$^{\circ}$N after meeting the East Korean Warm Current, then flows eastward. The degree of penetration depends on the strength of the positive wind stress curl, according to the ventilation theory. Various current meter moorings indicate strong and oscillatory deep currents in various parts of the basin. According to some numerical experiments, these currents may be induced by pressure-topography or eddy-topography interaction. However, more investigations are needed to explain clearly the presence of these strong bottom currents. This study concludes the importance of topographical coupling, isopycnal outcropping, different wind forcing and the branching of the Tsushima Warm Current on the circulation of the East/Japan Sea.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.36 no.3
• /
• pp.306-316
• /
• 2003

We conducted a time-series analysis of temperature and salinity of sea water around Jeju Island, Korea. Monthly mean temperature and salinity was influenced by precipitation and weather conditions on Jeju as well as by oceanographic conditions of the open sea such as the Tsushima Warm Current and sea water in coastal areas. Salinity of Jeju coastal waters was the highest in April, and it was always over 34.00 psu with tiny fluctuation between December and June. Due to the effects of the Tsushima Warm Current, Jeju coastal waters maintained high salinity and stability. Low salinity and its large fluctuations during summer were closely associated with the China Coastal Water and precipitation in Jeju. The place of the lowest water temperature was the northeast coasts of Jeju (Gimneong, Hado, Jongdalri). In winter, as warmer water of the Tsushima Warm Current appeared in western area of Jeju dwindled flowing along the northern coasts of Jeju area and becoming cool, the lowest water temperature often appeared locally in Gimnyeong and its vicinitly in summer. The Tsushima Warm Current flows into the east entrance of Jeju Strait, but its influence is weak because of geometry and strong vertical mixing due to fast tidal currents.

• Journal of the korean society of oceanography
• /
• v.32 no.1
• /
• pp.8-16
• /
• 1997

The ventilation theory developed by Luyten, Pedlosky and Stommel (1983) is applied to the East Sea to understand the general circulation pattern of the Intermediate Water, especially the ventilated circulation beneath the Tsushima Warm Current. The original model is slightly modified such that it takes the inflow-outflow of the Tsushima Current into consideration. Results of the model indicate that for sufficiently strong Ekman pumping, the Intermediate Water circulates cyclonically by ventilation. The Intermediate Water subducts beneath the Tsushima Warm Water through the western boundary layer. Off the western boundary layer, it turns northward, outcrops to the north by passing the polar front and continues to flow northward until it finally is absorbed by the northern boundary layer. This result seems to be compatible with some recent observations. Over the ventilated area, the transport of the Tsushima Current is negligible and most transport occurs in the shadow area where the Intermediate layer is motionless indicating that, over the deep motionless layer, the two-layered vertical structure under consideration becomes substantially single-layered.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.226-244
• /
• 1998

The relationship between the transport of eggs and larvae of Anchovy (Engraulis japonica) and the oceanic condition in the southern sea of Korea was examined on August and November 1996. In summer (August), when the Tsushima Warm Current is strong near to the coast, the warm waters such as warm streamers from the Tsushima Warm Current intrude into the coastal area, and cyclonic circulations are formed. The warm water intrusions also generate wakes around Komun Island, Sori Island and Koje Island. In the coastal area where the warm water intrusions occur, the nutrients, dissolved oxygen, suspended solid and chlorophyll are concentrated in probably relation to the upwelling concerned with this warm streamer and/or the wakes. Anchovy eggs and larvae are transported to the coastal area by the cyclonic circulations. The hatching and growth of anchovy larvae are increased because of high primary production in the cyclonic circulations. However, as the amount of Copepods which are a main food for anchovy larvae decrease in the coastal area, anchovy larvae seem to move to the Isushima Warm Water area for seeking a prey. In autumn (November), the Tsushima Warm Current is far away from the coast. In this season the warm water intrusions almost disappear, and the small scaled frontal eddies are formed between the coastal water and the Tsushima Warm Water. As the surface water moves towards offshore, few anchovy eggs and larvae were sampled in the survey area. Chemical and biological substances are concentrated in the leftdown sides of the small scaled frontal eddies because of eddy formation.

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

• Journal of the korean society of oceanography
• /
• v.35 no.4
• /
• pp.161-169
• /
• 2000

A seasonal circulation in the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea and its possible cause have been studied with CSK data during 1965-1989. Water mass distributions are clear in winter, but not in summer because the upper layer waters are quite influenced by atmosphere. To solve the problem, a water mass analysis by mixing ratio is used for the lower layer waters. The results show that the distribution of Tsushima Warm Current Water expands to the Yellow Sea in winter and retreats to the East China Sea in summer. It means that there is a very slow seasonal circulation between the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea: Tsushima Warm Current Water flows into the Yellow Sea in winter and coastal water flows out of the Yellow Sea in summer. By the circulation, the front between Tsushima Warm Current Water and coastal water moves toward the shelf break in summer so that the flow is faster in the deeper region. The process eventually makes the transport in the Korea Strait increase. The Kuroshio does not seem to influence the process. A possible mechanism of the process is the seasonal change of sea surface slope due to different local effects of surface heating and diluting between the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
• /
• v.12 no.4
• /
• pp.235-247
• /
• 2009

In order to elucidate the cause of Cochlodinium polykrikoides blooms in the Korea southern coastal water, we investigated observational data of water temperatures and salinities in summer and winter, obtained from the stoppage of ship by NFRDI (National Fisheries Research and Development Institute) as well as composite images by NOAA from 1995 to 2008. Cochlodinium polykrikoides blooms occurred when water temperature was approximately $25.0{\sim}26.0^{\circ}C$ and salinity was 31.00 psu on average in Narodo neighboring seas. Different thermohaline fronts were observed between the Korea southern coastal water and the open sea water in summer and winter, respectively. That is, in winter four fronts were observed between the Korea southern coastal water with low temperature and low salinity, intermediate water originated from Tsushima Warm Current, Tsushima Warm Current with high temperature and high salinity, and the China coastal water with low temperature and low salinity. In contrast, in summer two fronts were observed between the Korea southern coastal water with low temperature and high salinity, Tsushima Warm Current with high temperature and low salinity, and the China coastal water with high temperature and high salinity. These thermohaline fronts also proved to be formed by two water masses with a different physical property, in terms of T-S diagrams. Consequently, we noticed that C. polykrikoides blooms occurring in Narodo neighboring seas in summer had a close relationship with thermohaline fronts observed between the Korea southern coastal water and Tsushima Warm Current.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.16 no.4
• /
• pp.299-304
• /
• 1983

A tongue-like warm water which is a part of the Tsushima Warm Current appears whole year around in the east entrance of the Jeju Strait. Because of this warm water, the current direction flowing into the Jeju Strait from its west area seems to be changed in the Jeju Strait. Therefore the intermediate and bottom water of the Jeju Strait may greatly influence the formation of the coastal water in the South Coast of Korea. Since this tongue-like warm water is stronger in winter than in summer in its formation, Tsushima Warm Current comes closer to the South Coast of Korea in winter and its north boundary frequently approaches close to the coast of Geomun Island and Sori Island.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.37 no.2
• /
• pp.148-158
• /
• 2004

In the adjacent seas of Cheju Island, the oceanographic conditions show low salinity surface waters starting in May. This water flows from the southeast part of the China Coastal Water, which flows southeastward along the Great Yangtze Sand Bank until April, with the help of southeasterly winds and flows from the adjacent sea off Cheju Island. In May, the Tsushima Warm Current and the low salinity surface water fluctuate in short and long-term periods as influenced by Yellow Sea Cold Water, which flows to the bottom layer at the western entrance of Cheju Strait. Temperature and salinity fronts in the northeastern sea area of U Island are formed in the boundary area between the Tsushima Warm Current, which expands towards Cheju Island from the southeastern sea area of Cheju Island and Hows out from the eastern entrance of the strait. Seasonally, additional oceanographic conditions, such as coastal counter-currents, which flow southward, appears within limited areas in the adjacent eastern and western seas of Cheju Island.