Interannual variability of water discharge through the Korea (Tsushima) Strait and its influence on the dissolved oxygen content in the Sea of Japan

The interannual variations of the sea level at the coastal stations of the Sea of Japan and of the water discharge through the Korea (Tsushima) Strait are studied. It is demonstrated that the interannual variations of the water discharge through this strait are determined by the water discharge of the Oyashio (in the subarctic Pacific) and the Kuroshio (in the East China Sea) currents and by the zonal wind stress component over the Sea of Japan in winter period. It is revealed that the variations in the East China Sea water transport through the Korea (Tsushima) Strait cause the interannual variations of the dissolved oxygen content in intermediate (500 m) and deep (1000 m and more, σ_θ = 27.35) waters of the Sea of Japan.