Cooling-Induced Current in the Upper Ocean of the Japan Sea

The most plausible scenarios for seasonal to interannual variabilities and their possible causes are investigated for the Tsushima Current system passing through the Japan Sea. The study is based on the north and south two-box model across the polar front in an idealized upper ocean of the Japan Sea. The boxes are connected by lateral diffusive heat transport and cooled by atmospheric forcing at the annual mean state. The south box, i.e. the Tsushima Current region, only interacts with the outside warmer box in the East China Sea and has an eastward thermal-driven current originating in the outside box. The magnitude of this current depends on the strength of the thermal gradient between the north and south boxes; the inflow of warm waters can therefore be maintained by net heat loss through the sea-surface. I call such a thermal-driven inflow process a "Cooling-Induced Current" system in the present study. Under periodical heat forcing, the perturbation response of the model to water temperature fields and inflow transport were examined. It is shown that the lateral diffusion time across the polar front (over a period of 10 years) is crucial to the interannual modeled response. An analysis of the seasonal heat budget suggests that the heat transported into the Japan Sea from the East China Sea in summer is stored mainly within the Tsushima Current region and contributes to heat loss by the sea-surface cooling in winter.     

Wind-driven circulation in the Japan Sea and its influence on the branching of the Tsushima Current

Seasonal variation in the wind-driven circulation in the Japan Sea is studied with reference to the branching of the Tsushima Current using a two-layer model with simplified bottom and coastal topography. The system is driven by wind stress, an inflow corresponding to the Tsushima Current and by the two outflows corresponding to the Tsugaru and Soya Currents.In the first phase, an annual mean wind stress is imposed and a quasi-stationary state is obtained. In the next phase, a seasonally varying wind stress is imposed. Seasonal variation in the wind stress plays an important role in the branching system of the Tsushima Current. In winter, an intensified western boundary current with a prominent inner circulation is formed as a result of a strong wind stress of winter monsoon with negative wind stress curl. In spring to summer, the western boundary current is weak, but the topographic branch along the Japanese coast is intensified. The weak western boundary current is caused by weak wind stress with positive wind stress curl, which induces cyclonic Sverdrup flow in the Japan Sea and causes its western boundary current to flow in the opposite direction to the prescribed northward boundary inflow current. The topographic branch is strongest in late spring and moves offshore in summer, in agreement with the central branch denoted by Kawabe (1982b). Some of the observational features of the Tsushima Current are successfully simulated.     

Behavior of warm water flowing into a cold ocean

Behavior of warm water flowing into a model ocean with flat bottom filled with cold water is investigated numerically with a three-dimensional level model in a rotating system.The warm water which flows through the southern opening into the ocean is found to progress in two directions. The east front of the warm water progresses along the east coast and reaches the northern opening. And an eastern boundary current associated with this density structure is formed. The west front progresses along the west coast with the speed much less than that of the eastside front. However, the progression of the west front slows down remarkably half way between the southern and northern boundaries due to-effect, and a baroclinic western boundary current system is formed. Unstable waves whose scales are 200–400 km are found in the region of the eastern boundary current and propagate toward the west. These waves seem to be caused by the baroclinic instability.The boundary currents obtained in the present model are considered to represent some characteristics of the Tsushima Current system in the Japan Sea.     

Surface circulation in the southwestern Japan/East Sea as observed from drifters and sea surface height

The mean circulation of the surface layer of the southwestern Japan/East Sea (JES) was examined using current measurements collected at 15 m by satellite-tracked drifters and merged sea level anomalies from satellite altimeters. The study of circulation patterns in this paper focused on the inflow passing through the western channel of the Korea Strait from the East China Sea. Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis of non-seasonal sea level anomalies revealed that significant energy in the circulation pattern of Ulleung Basin was controlled by the inflow conditions through the Korea Strait. Three circulation patterns were identified that depended on the initial relative vorticity of the inflow. When inflow had initially large negative vorticity, the flow gained more negative vorticity due to deepening of the bottom (stretching) and then turned right after entering the JES. The inflow then followed the path of the Tsushima Warm Current along the coast of Japan. When the inflow was strong, with a speed in excess of 55 cm/s and with a large positive vorticity, potential vorticity appeared to be conserved. In this case, the EKWC followed isobaths along the coast and then left the coast, following topographic features north of Ulleung-Do. The northward flowing jet developed inertial meandering after leaving the coast, which is a characteristic of many western boundary currents. The regular, bimonthly deployments of drifters in the western portion of the Korea Strait revealed that splitting or branching of the flow through the western channel of the Korea Strait occurred only 15% of the time. And splitting or branching rarely occurred during the fall and winter seasons, when the inflow splitting was previously reported in hydrographic surveys. The time-averaged circulation map of the EKWC and its seaward extension were considerably enhanced by using regularly sampled geostrophic velocities calculated from sea level anomalies to remove biases in the mean velocity that were caused by irregular spatial and temporal drifter observations. The East Korean Warm Current, a mean coastal current along the Korean coast, behaved like the simple model by Arruda et al. (2004) in which the generation of the Ulleung Warm Eddy and the meandering circulation pattern were well reproduced.     

A 3-dimensional baroclinic circulation model of the South China Sea

1 INTRODUCTIONThe SoUth China Sea (SCS) is the largest coastal sea of China. It is of great interestto researchers because of its abundant resources and geographical location. The SCS is inthe tropicaI and sub-tropical monsoon wind zone of the north-western Pacific and isSurrounded by China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. lt has a complicatedRecclved 2 l March 200ltoPograPhy and is cormected with the Peeific through thc Bashi Channel which has a dePthof over 3…     

Last glacial sea-level changes and paleogeography of the Korea (Tsushima) Strait

The Korea (Tsushima) Strait is an important seaway through which the warm Tsushima Current flows into the East Sea (Japan Sea). A paleogeographic map constrained by a regional sea-level curve developed on the basis of a number of recent ¹⁴C radiocarbon dates suggests that the Korea Strait was not closed during the last glacial period. Rather, it was open as a channel-like seaway linking the western North Pacific and the East Sea. Some fraction of the paleo-Tsushima Current inflow presumably continued at that time through the Korea Strait. The activity of the paleo-Tsushima Current is evidenced by the distribution pattern of river-derived lowstand deposits, consisting of a beach/shoreface complex and lowstand deltaic wedges. Received: 16 April 1999 / Revision accepted: 25 February 2000     

Mean flow and variability in the southwestern East Sea

The Ulleung Basin is one of three deep basins that are contained within the East/Japan Sea. Current meter moorings have been maintained in this basin beginning in 1996. The data from these moorings are used to investigate the mean circulation pattern, variability of deep flows, and volume transports of major water masses in the Ulleung Basin with supporting hydrographic data and help from a high-resolution numerical model. The bottom water within the Ulleung Basin, which must enter through a constricted passage from the north, is found to circulate cyclonically—a pattern that seems prevalent throughout the East Sea. A strong current of about 6 cms⁻¹ on average flows southward over the continental slope off the Korean coast underlying the northward East Korean Warm Current as part of the mean abyssal cyclonic circulation. Volume transports of the northward East Korean Warm Current, and southward flowing East Sea Intermediate Water and East Sea Proper Water are estimated to be 1.4 Sv (1 Sv=10⁻⁶ m³ s⁻¹), 0.8 Sv, and 3.0–4.0 Sv, respectively. Deep flow variability involves a wide range of time scales with no apparent seasonal variations, whereas the deep currents in the northern East Sea are known to be strongly seasonal.     

Numerical experiment on the circulation in the Japan Sea

By using a two-dimensional barotropic model on a-plane, the effect of the bottom topography on the path of the Tsushima Current is investigated. The rectangular model ocean with continental slopes has two openings: one is located at the southern boundary and the other at the eastern boundary. In a steady state, most of the water supplied into the model ocean through the inflow opening, flows along the continental slope with the coast to the right. Continental shelf waves play an important role in the process of adjustment to a steady state. It is suggested that the nearshore branch of the Tsushima Current might be largely topographically controlled.     

Circulation and currents in the southwestern East/Japan Sea: Overview and review

A review is made of circulation and currents in the southwestern East/Japan Sea (the Ulleung Basin), and the Korea/Tsushima Strait which is a unique conduit for surface inflow into the Ulleung Basin. The review particularly concentrates on describing some preliminary results from recent extensive measurements made after 1996. Mean flow patterns are different in the upstream and downstream regions of the Korea/Tsushima Strait. A high velocity core occurs in the mid-section in the upstream region, and splits into two cores hugging the coasts of Korea and Japan, the downstream region, after passing around Tsushima Island located in the middle of the strait. Four-year mean transport into the East/Japan Sea through the Korea/Tsushima Strait based on submarine cable data calibrated by direct observations is 2.4 Sv (1 Sv = 10⁶ m³ s⁻¹). A wide range of variability occurs for the subtidal transport variation from subinertial (2–10 days) to interannual scales. While the subinertial variability is shown to arise from the atmospheric pressure disturbances, the longer period variation has been poorly understood.Mean upper circulation of the Ulleung Basin is characterized by the northward flowing East Korean Warm Current along the east coast of Korea and its meander eastward after the separation from the coast, the Offshore Branch along the coast of Japan, and the anticyclonic Ulleung Warm Eddy that forms from a meander of the East Korean Warm Current. Continuous acoustic travel-time measurements between June 1999 and June 2001 suggest five quasi-stable upper circulation patterns that persist for about 3–5 months with transitions between successive patterns occurring in a few months or days. Disappearance of the East Korean Warm Current is triggered by merging the Dok Cold Eddy, originating from the pinching-off of the meander trough, with the coastal cold water carried Southward by the North Korean Cold Current. The Ulleung Warm Eddy persisted for about 20 months in the middle of the Ulleung Basin with changes in its position and spatial scale associated with strengthening and weakening of the transport through the Korea/Tsushima Strait. The variability of upper circulation is partly related to the transport variation through the Korea/Tsushima Strait. Movements of the coastal cold water and the instability of the polar front also appear to be important factors affecting the variability.Deep circulation in the Ulleung Basin is primarily cyclonic and commonly consists of one or more cyclonic cells, and an anticyclonic cell centered near Ulleung Island. The cyclonic circulation is conjectured to be driven by a net inflow through the Ulleung Interplain Gap, which serves as a conduit for the exchange of deep waters between the Japan Basin in the northern East Sea and the Ulleung Basin. Deep currents are characterized by a short correlation scale and the predominance of mesoscale variability with periods of 20–40 days. Seasonality of deep currents is indistinct, and the coupling of upper and deep circulation has not been clarified yet.     

Wind relaxation as possible cause of the South China Sea Warm Current

Winter appearance of a northeastward warm current off the southern coast of China against gale force winds is well documented but lacks a plausible explanation. Relaxation of northeasterly winds is envisaged here as a possible cause of the South China Sea Warm Current in winter. A three-dimensional circulation model for the South China Sea is first driven to equilibrium by climatological forcings. Thereafter, wind forcing is relaxed from the 15th day of each month for 9 days. In winterlike months from December to April, the wind relaxation invariably triggers a northeastward current of which the location and alongshore span are comparable to that of the observed warm current. This current is driven by the pressure gradient along the northwestern boundary of the South China Sea, sea level being high to the southwest and low to the northeast. The sea level gradient is built up by the monsoon-driven southwestward coastal current along the northwestern boundary and, after wind relaxes, triggers a return current and a sea level drop that expand southwestward from the southern coast of China to the east coast of Vietnam. The current is initially barotropic, becoming increasingly baroclinic in time as warm waters from the south are advected northeastward. The model also suggests that the sea level gradient is present in most of the months of the year, but is not as dramatic as in winter to trigger fundamental changes in the circulation of the South China Sea.     

Spatial/temporal variations in zooplankton biomass and ecological characteristics of major species in the southern part of the Japan Sea: a review

During the 1990s many studies on zooplankton in the Japan Sea have been carried out. In this review, I have synthesized the study of horizontal distribution, seasonal and annual variations of zooplankton biomass, and ecological characteristics of major component species in the southern Japan Sea, which area is influenced by the warm Tsushima Current. The zooplankton biomass (annual mean) in the southern Japan Sea was lower than in the subarctic Pacific, including the northern Japan Sea, and similar to biomass levels in Kuroshio waters. Temporal variations in zooplankton biomass showed both seasonal and year-to-year components. Seasonal biomass increases to a maximum in spring with a weak secondary peak in autumn. As for long-term changes, 3–6 year cycles were identified, with the dynamics of the surface warm Tsushima Current and the subsurface cold water playing important roles in determining the yearly zooplankton community structure and biomass. Cold water species in the southern Japan Sea had extensive diel vertical migrations whose range is restricted in summer by the development of a thermocline. Among these species, the herbivores Euphausia pacifica and Metridia pacifica encounter a lower food supply, resulting in lower growth rates. The vertical dispersal of epipelagic carnivorous zooplankton such as Sagitta elegans and Themisto japonica to the deep-sea is probably facilitated by reduced interspecific competition. Their interaction with Japan Sea Proper Water, characterized by near-zero temperatures in the meso- and bathypelagic zones suppresses growth rates of the mesopelagic zooplankton. The lack of micronektonic predators in the mesopelagic zone may allow the persistence of slow growing populations.     

长江口及其邻近海区环流和温、盐结构动力学研究Ⅱ.环流的基本特征

利用POM模型，以研究海区的海面风应力、温度和盐度资料作为海面边界条件，以与外海界面处的温度和盐度资料作为侧向液边界条件，并考虑长江径流、台湾暖流和东海沿岸流的影响，对长江口及其邻近海区各季节的三维斜压环流和温、盐结构进行了数值模拟。环流的数值结果表明，冬季和秋季研究海区的水平环流主要由长江径流、东海沿岸流、台湾暖流、杭州湾环流和沿岸流与台湾暖流之间的气旋和反气旋涡构成；东海沿岸流与长江径流顺岸南下，随着自北往南岸界地形坡度的增大，其流幅变窄，流速增强；台湾暖流沿陡坡及其外缘蜿蜒北上，随着自南往北水深的变浅，其流幅由宽变窄继而又由窄变宽，流速却一直由强变弱。冬季和秋季海区纬度断面垂直环流的总趋势由近岸向外海流动，海底地形变化缓慢区离岸流产生波动，海底地形变化显著的陡坡区离岸流产生剧烈振荡而生成强升降流。春季和夏季研究海区的水平环流主要由长江径流与东海沿岸流汇合流、台湾暖流、杭州湾环流、舟山群岛附近及长江径流和东海沿岸流汇合流与台湾暖流之间的气旋和反气旋涡构成；长江径流和台湾暖流平行北上并在长江口以北产生顺时针偏转。由海区水平环流特征和变化趋势证实，春季长江冲淡水已开始向东北偏转，夏季冲淡水的偏转程度、伸展距离和扩展范围都更甚于春季；春季在长江口近岸存在弱上升流，夏季长江口外的陡坡区出现下降流，而长江口以北和以南的陡坡区出现上升流。     

Characteristics of the Sôya Warm Current in the Okhotsk Sea

Characteristics of the Sôya Warm Current from Abashiri Bay to the area off the coast of the southern Kuril Islands are clarified by water mass analysis. The water flowing into the Okhotsk Sea as the Sôya Warm Current is divided into two: the Forerunner of the Sôya Warm Water (March to May) and the Sôya Warm Water (June to November). It is shown that in May the Sôya Warm Current flows in the subsurface layer (about 200–400m deep) in Abashiri Bay, and flows northeastward just off the coast of the Kuril Islands as a subsurface current reaching a region northwest of Etorofu Island by the end of May. The dissolved oxygen content is fairly effective in identifying the Forerunner of the Sôya Warm Water in the subsurface layer. The Sôya Warm Current shifts upwards to the surface layer in Abashiri Bay by early July, because the Sôya Warm Water with large thermosteric anomaly _t begins to flow into the Okhotsk Sea in June. It is shown that, in general, the major portion of the Sôya Warm Current flows northeastward just off the coast of the Kuril Islands during the summer season, although a minor branch of the current flows northward in the area off the Shiretoko Peninsula, and another minor branch flows out to the Pacific Ocean through the Nemuro Straits.     

区域性海洋环流数值模式研究及对南海环流与海峡流量的模拟

基于MOM模式的物理框架,妥善考虑了开边界的物理过程,改造和发展了一个区域海洋数值模式。本模式不仅可以方便地调整开边界条件,使之满足边界的特定物理条件,而且可以方便地做针对性修改,使模式更加可靠。改进后的模式具有MOM模式物理概念明确、公式便于理解、结果便于表达的全部特点,同时克服了MOM模式边界条件不完整、程序不易调整、参数难以改变的缺点。区域性模式比全球模式的计算速度快很多倍,可以成为区域性研究的有效工具。将此模式应用于南海,利用Hellerman＆Rosenstein气候态风应力驱动模式10a,得到与全球模式效果相当的结果。模式模拟结果展现了南海流场的季节特征,在模式分辨率下表现出了多涡结构。根据模拟的流场计算了南海与其它海域的水交换通量。在年平均意义下,外海水通过吕宋海峡进入南海,南海水通过台湾海峡、民都洛海峡和卡里马塔海峡流出南海。各海峡水通量具有明显的季节变化。     

Modeling the effects of atmospheric nitrogen input on biological production in the Japan Sea

The effects of atmospheric nitrogen input on biological production in the Japan Sea have been investigated using a coupled physical-ecosystem model. Comparison between the cases with and without nitrogen deposition shows a relatively large effect on primary production in the southern Japan Sea during summer to autumn, when nitrogen deposition is high and nutrient is depleted in the surface layer. The atmospheric nitrogen deposition supports > 10% of the annual export production in the nearshore region along the Japanese coast. The importance of atmospheric input as a new nutrient will grow steadily with increasing deposition into the Japan Sea.     

东海陆架环流季节变化的模拟与分析

在改进POM模式基础上,建立1个中国东部海域斜压准预报模式,利用全球海洋模式结果并结合实测资料以及高精度卫星遥感SST资料,进行了东海陆架海域温盐及环流年循环的数值模拟,并系统分析了东海陆架环流系统及其季节变化、各暖流的路径等广为关注的问题。模式结果表明：黑潮主轴主体沿陆架坡折走向,中段黑潮流幅由南至北增宽,流速变大,流核所达深度变浅。浙闽沿岸流是一典型的季风环流,台湾暖流终年表现出东、北两分支结构,其分支表现出明显的季节性变化特征。在东海东北部陆架海域,冬季黑潮以其分支形式向北入侵,夏季则主要以大陆边缘流的形式向北进入陆架。论文对各暖流的水源也进行了相应的分析。     

Density currents in the two-layer flow: an example of Dardanelles outflow

Observations from hydrographic surveys are used to describe the density current flowing through the Dardanelles strait into the Marmara Sea. Aegean water plunges below the surface and flows into the Marmara Sea. This flow joins into the Marmara Sea as a negatively buoyant plume and sinks through the deeper parts. Seasonal variation in the incoming water density results in the observing mainly two different forms of the density current in this area. These two forms are boundary currents and intrusion. Boundary currents were observed as a dense bottom current during the winter when the inflowing water density attains to annual maxima and as an overflow during the autumn when the inflowing water density drops to annual minimum. Intrusion form of the density current was observed during the summer.     

东中国海拉格朗日环流数值模拟Ⅱ.环流模拟

依据自适应数值模型，模拟了东中国海冬、夏季三维斜压Lagrange环流。模拟发现：台湾暖流的上层水来自台湾海峡入流和台湾东北黑潮的表层水；50m以下的深底层水主要由台湾东北黑潮的次表层水入侵陆架生成。冬季对马暖流外海一侧主要由黑潮水构成，而其近陆一侧由台湾暖流和陆架混合水构成，西朝鲜沿岸流在济州海峡汇入对马暖流；夏季它还包含转向后的长江冲淡水。冬季黄海暖流并非对马暖流的直接分支，黄海暖流水是对马暖流水和陆架水混合而成，这与传统观点相悖，而与中韩黄海水循环动力学合作调查结果一致。黄海暖流东西两侧分别为2支向南流动的滑岸流。夏季黄海环流构成基本封闭的逆时针环流。冬季渤海环流主要有一逆时针大环流，但辽东湾的环流是顺时针向的。渤海环流冬强夏弱，水流在渤海海峡北进南出。     

Water properties and flow over the deep Bering Sea basin, summer 1991

Observational data from a joint U.S.-Russian cruise over the deep Bering Sea basin in August 1991 are analysed and discussed. The low-salinity surface water and warm subsurface water associated with the Alaskan Stream were not present in the Bering Sea. The surface geostrophic flow indicated a weak northward flow of mixed (relatively cold) water through western Near Strait. Some of this water eventually flowed into the Kamchatka Current, and the rest flowed southward through Amchitka Pass. Thus there was lack of a strong Alaskan tream inflow through Near Strait, plus a weak Kamchatka Current.     

The Formation and Circulation of the Intermediate Water in the Japan Sea

In order to clarify the formation and circulation of the Japan/East Sea Intermediate Water (JESIW) and the Upper portion of the Japan Sea Proper Water (UJSPW), numerical experiments have been carried out using a 3-D ocean circulation model. The UJSPW is formed in the region southeast off Vladivostok between 41°N and 42°N west of 136°E. Taking the coastal orography near Vladivostok into account, the formation of the UJSPW results from the deep water convection in winter which is generated by the orchestration of fresh water supplied from the Amur River and saline water from the Tsushima Warm Current under very cold conditions. The UJSPW formed is advected by the current at depth near the bottom of the convection and penetrates into the layer below the JESIW. The origin of the JESIW is the low salinity coastal water along the Russian coast originated by the fresh water from the Amur River. The coastal low salinity water is advected by the current system in the northwestern Japan Sea and penetrates into the subsurface below the Tsushima Warm Current region forming a subsurface salinity minimum layer. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.