The hydrographic features of the ocean region around the Ryukyu Islands during summer of 1997

Study of CTD data collected by the R/V DONG FANG HONG 2 in a 1997 summercruise in the ocean region around the Ryukyu Islands showed: 1) the existence, in the upper layer, of ahigh salinity water (HSW) core at about 200 dbar, and a low salinity water (LSW) core, centered atabout 700 dbar on the Pacific Ocean side of the Ryukyu Ridge, and located shallower on the East Chinafor (ECS) side; 2) the existence, in the upper layer, of warm water regions (WWR) west of Amami Is-land and Ishigaki Island, and a cold water region (CWR) east of Okinawa Ieland; in the lower layer, ofa CWR (WWR) southwest (southeast) of Okinawa Island; 3) the intrusion of North Pacific IntermediateWater into the ECS through the Kerama Trench located south of Okinawa Island and the strait east of Tai-wan Island.