• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.437-449
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• 1991

Time series of barometrically adjusted sea level at Pusan, Izuhara and Hakada are analyzed to study the fluctuations of the Tsushima Current through the Korea Strait. Variability of sea levels and their differences is divided into two parts with respect to the frequency of 0.01 or 0.02 cycles per day(cpd) At lower frequency, both of sea levels and sea level difference(SLD) are coherent and in phase to each other. Pusan has smaller seasonal variations in sea level than other two stations because the effects of geostrophic current and prevailing wind have a negative influence on the seasonal thermosteric contribution to sea level change. Low frequency variability of SLD thus of the Tsushima Current is much greater in the western channel. For higher frequency parts, SLD in the eastern channel has larger variability and is not coherent with that of the western channel. Sea levels at Pusan and Izuhara are $180^{\circ}$ out of phase with SLD in the western and eastern channel respectively, whereas the Hakada level is in phase. This result indicates that eastern channel has a normal response to the along-channel winds and cross-channel geostrophy because Izuhara faces the eastern channel.