• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.327-339
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• 2003

During the winter in February 1998, January and April 1999, interdisciplinary research was conducted in a large area including the South Sea of Korea and northern East China Sea to examine distribution and structure. Water masses identified from the observed data are Warm Water originated from Tsushima Warm Current, Yellow Sea Cold Water (Northern or Central Cold Water) and Korean Southern Sea Cold Water. In the southern Yellow Sea, Warm Water originated from Tsushima Warm Current, flowing into the Cheju Strait after turning around the western Cheju Island, makes a front of '┍' shape, which is bounded by the Yellow Sea Central Cold Water in the southern part of Daeheuksan Island and by the Yellow Sea Northern Cold Water in the eastern part of the Yangtze Bank. This front changes its corner shape and position with strength of the warm water extension toward northwestern Yellow Sea. The position and structure of the fronts off the southwestern tip of the Korean peninsular and near the Yangtze Bank varies with observation period. In the front in the South Sea of Korea, cold coastal water which if formed independently due to local cooling, ,sinks along the sloping bottom. We explained the processes of variations in the distribution and structure of these winter fronts in terms of up-wind and down-wind flow by the seasonal monsoon, heat budget through the sea surface and density difference across the fronts.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.15-28
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• 1992

Temporal variations of the path of the East Korea Warm Current(EKWC) which flows northward along the east coast of Korea were analysed to investigate whether the EKWC directly influences the existence of the so-called Warm Core in the Ulreung basin. From the 13 years(1975-1987) data of the Fisheries Research and Development Agency(FRDA), the $10^{\circ}C$ isotherm at the 100m depth and the depth of $2^{\circ}C$ isotherm and the temperature field at the 200m depth were used for identification of the path and the central position of the Warm Core. Sea surface winds computed from the surface pressure charts gave the monthly-averaged wind stress curl over the East Sea which was used for determination of the Sverdrup transport. And the mass transport stream functions were computed by use of the Sverdrup balance. The variations of the path show that the EKWC does not always have a fixed path and fluctuates with time. And the existence of the Warm Core is independent upon the presence of the EKWC even when the EKWC doesn't flow northward along the east coast of Korea. In view of the mass transport stream functions, the influences of the sea surface winds on the branching of the Tsushima Warm Currents and the presence of the EKWC were investigated. The presence of the EKWC may be hindered by the southward flow driven by the sea surface winds when the Tsushima currents are rather weak. A very weak correlation exists between the north-south component of the Sverdrup transport and the position of the Warm Core. However, a small but significant part of the southward transport across the latitudinal line of $38^{\circ}N$ indicates that cold water from the northern part of the East Sea may be driven and be forced to flow beneath the permanent thermocline in such a way that the thermal structure of the Warm Core and its position might be changed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.259-268
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• 2010

Data on squid catches by the Korean jig fishery in sea blocks ($30'{\times}30'$), water temperatures at depth(30m, 50m and 100m) and zooplankton biomass in the East Sea from 1980 to 1999 were analyzed to examine the mechanism of formation of the high density stock area. Japanese common squid (Todarodes pacificus) catch in the East Sea was low in 1980s, while the catch was high in 1990s. The five sea blocks (No. 76, 82, 83, 87, 88) of the southern part in the eastern coastal waters of Korea showed high levels of percentage of total catch (35.1%), whereas the four sea blocks (No. 65, 71, 72, 78) of the coastal waters of Uleung Island showed high levels of percentage of CPUE (61.2%) for 20 years. Squid catches showed monthly fluctuations according to the vertical distribution of optimum water temperature for fishing ($14^{\circ}C{\sim}19^{\circ}C$). High total catch and high CPUE area matched well with $10^{\circ}C$ isothermal lines at 100m depth indicating northern limiting of Tsushima Warm Current, and temporal and spatial change in $10^{\circ}C$ isothermal line caused the change in total catch and CPUE. Horizontal distribution of zooplankton biomass by sea block was not matched well with those of total catch and CPUE, however pattern of time-series change in total zooplankton biomass was similar to that in total squid catch.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.159-168
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• 2014

Holocene plaeoenvironmental changes were interpreted by grain size and mineral analyses of a piston core (HB 13-2), obtained along the western slope of the Hupo Basin, Korea. The core sediments are characterized by two discrete, sedimentary facies: upper unit (0-0.4 mbsf) dominated by bioturbation structures with weak lamination, and lower unit (0.4-3.3 mbsf) characterized by intensified bioturbation toward bottom. Analysis of sensitive grain size and sortable silt demonstrated that the inflow of the Tsushima Warm Current (TWC) into the Hupo Basin strengthen from the period of sediment deposition over 0.82 mbsf. The minerals of the core sediments are composed mainly of quartz, microcline, orthoclase, albite and clay minerals including chlorite, kaolinite and illite. No noticeable changes of the mineral percentage was observed according to the grain size and depth of the samples. The integral breadth (${\Delta}^{\circ}2{\theta}$) of clay minerals from 1.4 mbsf to top layer shows an increasing trend, which clearly means climate warming from the period of sediment deposition above 1.4 mbsf. This interval correlates with the Holocene climate optimum at Mid Holocene.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.328-338
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• 2012

We investigated seasonal changes in the marine environments and phytoplankton communities in the western part of south coastal waters of Korea during May 2009 and February 2010. In multidimensional scaling analysis of in situ data obtained by shipboard observations, the coastal waters comprised four different water masses: Yellow Sea water mass (YW) of low temperature and salinity, and high suspended solids and nutrient concentrations; south-western coastal water mass (SW) of high salinity and nutrient concentrations; Tsushima Current water mass (TW) of low nutrient concentrations, and high temperature and salinity; and closed bay water mass (CW). The spatial extent of these water masses varied according to seasonal environmental characteristics. In particular, at most study sites, TW expanded during autumn toward coastal waters. Phytoplankton abundances peaked during autumn in CW and spring in YW, which coincided with periods of high nutrient concentrations. In particular, diatoms predominated, and attained an abundance of more than 90% in most water masses. However, dinoflagellates in TW comprised a proportion of approximately 20% abundance.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.47-58
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• 2000

Geographical distribution of salps was elucidated in the South Sea of Korea with focusing on the April and June, 1997 when swarm of salps occurred. We also discussed on its distributional pattern in relation to environment conditions and its impact on marine ecosystem with emphasizing on trophodynamics. Salps were abundantly distributed in the south-eastern area of Cheju Island where is closely associated with the Tsushima Warm Current. In April and June, 1997, surface water temperature was $2{\sim}5^{\circ}C$ higher than the average over 1961-1998, while surface water salinity was lower. Chlorophyll-a concentration, density of copepods and catches of mackerel sharply decreased in April and June, 1997. These results suggest that the swarm of salps was due to not only transportation by strong Tsushima Warm Current but also supply of abundant foods. Low densities of copepods may be related to the presence of swarm of salps because of food competition between them. The fact that the catches of mackerel were very low in April and May, 1997 suggests that the trophodynamics between salps and copepods also influence the fish resources.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.355-370
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• 2020

We conducted a field survey to analyze the ecological structure and spatial distribution of microplankton (phytoplankton and ciliates) in relation to water masses at 21 stations on the surface and chlorophyll-a maximum layers (CML) in the Northern East China Sea (nECS; 32°-33°N; 124°00'-127°30'E) from August 3 to August 6, 2019. The results showed that the water masses were divided into Chinese Coastal Waters (CCW) and the Tsushima Warm Current (TWC). The CCW showed the environmental characteristics of high temperature and low salinity, and the TWC showed high temperature and high salinity. The characteristics of the phytoplankton community in the CCW showed various community structures related to the nutrients supplied from the large rivers of the Chinese continent. However, the TWC had simple community structures because it originated near the equator and moved northward. The standing crops of phytoplankton and ciliates were very high in the CCW but showed low at the TWC. In particular, from the higher standing crops of protozoa than plant plankton at the TWC, the energy flow at the lower tropic levels caused by the microbial loop that fed on heterotrophic bacteria played an important role in the production of resource organisms. In other words, the marine ecological structure of the nECS in summer could be estimated as a bottom-up system at the CCW and a top-down system at the TWC.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.13 no.2 s.29
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• pp.119-125
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• 2007

In order to illustrate the variation cf stratification and to know the effects of the temperature and the salinity on the stratification in the South Sea of Korea, the stratification parameter defined as potential energy anomaly (PEA, $V(J/m^3)$) introduced by Simpson and Hunter (1974) was used. The oceanographic data were obtained in August 1999 and February 2000 by National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI). V in August is generally high in offshore and low in near shore. However, in February, V in the near shore is higher than that cf the offshore due to the vertical temperature gradient between surface and bottom layer caused by the expansion of South Korean Coastal Waters (SKCW). In summer, the increase of the atmospheric heating acts on the stratification as the buoyancy forcing. In most cases, the effect cf the temperature on the stratification is stronger than that of the salinity. The temperature effect is predominantly due to the extent of the intrusion of Tsushima Warm Current into the study area. However, at stations where V is high the effect of the salinity is also significant. In winter, V is very low due to the decrease cf the buoyancy forcing, but some stations show the relatively high V due to the expansion of SKCW and salinity in winter unlike that in summer makes the stratification weak.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.335-344
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• 2014

To understand the drift-diffusion of HAB(Harmful Algal Bloom) in this paper, we used three-dimensional hydrodynamic model POM(Pringceton Ocean Model) and Lagrangian particle track module. First, the results of residual flow that considered tide, wind, temperature, salinity, and TWC(Tsushima Warm Current) effect was tend to northeast in the coastal area and the flow in the offshore region showed results similar to TWC. To understand of HAB's movement, released each area that southern Kamak bay(Case 1), Mijo coast(Case 2), and southern Mireukdo coast(Case 3) assumption that red tide occurred. The areas where the HAB occurs frequently. As a result of HAB occurred in southern Kamak Bay(Case 1), mainly drifts to Narodo coast and Yeoja bay that located on the west side. Case 2 was mainly drifts to Yokjido coast and Saryangdo coast Especially, HAB occurred in Mireukdo coast(Case 3) relatively many particles drift to eastward as the influence of the TWC.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.111-128
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• 1994

The distributions of sea surface temperature across the Cheju Strait and the Korea Strait have been measured by using a thermometer installed on board No.1 Cheju, a ferry that operates regularly between Pusan and Seogwipo. The data from 14 October 1991 to 15 August 1992 were analyzed in this paper. A clear temperature front is wormed at the adjacent sea of Geomundo, and its position is not fixed and moves north and south. The slow northward movement of the front can easily be traced, but the southward movement from March to October is obscure. The temperature contrast in the Cheju Soait and the Korea Strait is very we in this period. Some periodical fluctuations with a period of several tens of days are observed in the region of the temperature front from November to February. This fluctuation seems to be caused by winter heat flux exchange and the strong southeastward wind force. The result shows that continous observation of the sea surface temperature distribution across the Cheju Strait and the Korea Strait yields a good method for monitoring the presence of Tsushima Warm Current and the fluctuations of South Korea Coastal Water. The formation and structure of shelf front in the Cheju Strait and the Korea Strait was analysed based on the detailed oceanographic data observed during the period of 1990-1992. The analysis shows that well-defined fronts were formed through yearly around the Chuja Island, particularly, in summer. In nature, its structure and formation position can be changed easily from year % year and by season. But, in region of the Korea Strait this front is relatively weak.