Volume Transport through the Tsushima Straits Estimated from Sea Level Difference

The relations between the volume transport and the sea level difference across the Tsushima Straits have been investigated using current data provided by ADCP mounted on the ferry Camellia, plying between Hakata and Pusan. Empirical formulas to deduce the volume transports using the sea level differences across the eastern and western channels are proposed, considering the seasonal variation of the vertical current structure. The interannual variation of volume transport through the Tsushima Straits for 37 years from 1965 to 2001 is estimated using the empirical formulas. The total volume transport through the Tsushima Straits, averaged for 37 years, is 2.60 Sv and those of the eastern and western channels are 1.13 Sv and 1.47 Sv, respectively. The total volume transport through the Tsushima Straits tends to decrease with a roughly 15 year variation until 1992, then begins to increase.     

Seasonal volume transport variation in the Tsushima Warm Current through the Tsushima Straits from 10 years of ADCP observations

The seasonal variation in the structure and volume transport of the Tsushima Warm Current through the Tsushima Straits is studied using the acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) data obtained by the ferryboat Camellia between Hakata, Japan and Pusan, Korea from February 1997 to February 2007. A robust estimation method to eliminate the effects of aliasing and tidal signals more accurately leads to a significant increase in the volume transport in winter time compared to the previously reported one by Takikawa et al. (2005) who analyzed this ADCP dataset for the first 5.5 years. The 10 years average of volume transport through the Tsushima Straits is 2.65 Sv, and those through the channels east (CE) and west (CW) of the Tsushima Islands are 1.20 Sv and 1.45 Sv, respectively, which represent a 13% increase and an 8% decrease from those of Takikawa et al. (2005). The transport through the CE increases rapidly from winter to spring and then decreases gradually as winter approaches. On the other hand, the transport through the CW increases gradually from winter to autumn and then decreases rapidly as winter approaches. The transport through the CE is larger than that of through the CW from February to April. The contribution of the Ekman transport near the sea surface, which is not measured with the ADCP, to the seasonal volume transport variation across our ADCP section is not significant.     

Seasonal variation of the vertically averaged flow caused by the Jebar effect in the Tsushima Strait

The seasonal variation in the barotropic mode of motion caused by joint effect of the baroclinicity and bottom relief (Jebar effect) in the Tsushima Strait is investigated with the use of the diagnostic numerical model in this study. The Jebar effect in the Tsushima Strait is mainly caused by the intrusion of the Bottom Cold Water along the Korean coast in summer. This Jebar effect along the Korean coast locally supplies the negative vorticity in situ, and it forces the coastal current to be intensified. In summer, the volume transport of the Tsushima Warm Current entering the Tsushima Strait is biassed to the western part of the strait comparing with the flow pattern calculated in winter.     

Effect of the along-strait wind on the volume transport through the Tsushima/Korea Strait in September

Recent investigation suggests that volume transport through the Tsushima/Korea Strait often has double peaks during the summer to autumn period with decreasing transport in September. The satellite-observed wind changes from weak northwestward (across-strait) in summer to strong southwestward (along-strait) in early autumn (September) in the strait. Such a strong along-strait wind is related to tropical cyclones, which frequently pass through the East China Sea in September. The effect of the along-strait wind component on the transport variation is examined using a three-dimensional numerical model. The simulated volume transport through the Tsushima/Korea Strait shows realistic seasonal and intra-seasonal variations. According to sensitivity experiments on local winds, the transport variations in September are mainly generated by strong along-strait (southwestward) wind rather than weak across-strait wind. The strait transport responds to the along-strait wind (southeastward), which produces a sea level increase along the Korean coast, resulting in the geostrophic balance across the strait. The transport minimum through the Tsushima/Korea Strait in September can be determined by the combination of the across-strait geostrophic and along-strait ageostrophic balances. The Editor-in-Chief does not recommend the usage of the term “Japan/East Sea” in place of “Sea of Japan”.     

Seasonal variations of the surface currents in the Tsushima Strait

Seasonal variations of the surface currents in the Tsushima Strait were investigated by analyzing the monthly mean surface currents measured with HF radar. Several new features of the surface currents have been found. One notable feature is the large, complicated seasonal variation in the current structure in the eastern channel of the strait. For example, in the southeastern and northwestern regions of the channel, southwestward countercurrents are found in summer while southeastward acrossshore currents are found in autumn and winter. The wind-driven flow (Ekman flow) as well as surface geostrophic currents are responsible for these complicated variations of the surface currents. To quantify each variation of the flow and current, the wind-driven flow was calculated from the monthly wind (more precisely, the friction velocity) using the monthly speed factor and deflection angle estimated in our previous study, and the surface geostrophic currents were then estimated by subtracting the wind-driven flow from the measured surface currents. It was found that the acrossshore currents are the wind-driven flow, and that the surface geostrophic currents flow almost in the along-shore direction, indicating the validity of the decomposition of the surface velocity into the wind-driven flow and the geostrophic currents using the speed factor and deflection angle. A real-vector empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis of the surface geostrophic currents shows a pair of eddies in the lee of Tsushima and Iki Islands as the first mode, which indicates that the southwestward countercurrents in the eastern channel are formed primarily by the incoming Tsushima Warm Current.     

Current and temperature observations in the east Tsushima channel and the Sea of Genkai

Data on the Tsushima Current and its neighboring coastal current are analyzed to examine short-term variability of the currents and storm events due to typhoons. A three current-meter array was deployed in a strong current region of the east Tsushima channel during summer in 1983 and 1984, and other two current-meter arrays in the eastern coastal area of the channel (the Sea of Genkai) in the summer and autumn in 1983. The observations of coastal current show that the kinetic energy of the subtidal current component was larger in summer than in autumn by a factor of about 2. A comparison of the wind stresses and the estimated values of mixed layer depth in the summer and autumn season suggest that this seasonal change is closely associated with that of the mixed layer depth rather than with that of the wind stress. The Tsushima Current was greatly influenced by two storm events: its speed increased by a factor of 2 in one event and decreased to nearly zero in the other. Such a large variation of mean current during the storm was observed only for the Tsushima Current and not for the coastal current, suggesting that the Tsushima Current may temporarily change its regular course as a result of a storm.     

Trajectories of drift bottles released in the Tsushima Strait

Kyungsang-Namdo Fisheries Experimental Station released 620 drift bottles in the west strait of the Tsushima Strait from 1932 to 1939. Among them 183 were recovered. Fukuoka Prefectural Fisheries Experimental Station also released 1930 bottles in the east strait between 1954 and 1969. Recovered bottles were 442.The bottles drifted to the south in winter owing to a northwesterly wind, and drifted to the northeast in spring and summer with the Tsushima warm current. Bottles released at the west strait drifted to the north along the east shore of Korea, went around the Ullung Island, and then to the northeast. Drift bottles released at the east strait drifted to the north along the shore of Japan and washed ashore on the coast.     

Volume transport of the Soya Warm Current revealed by bottom-mounted ADCP and ocean-radar measurement

The vertical structure of the Soya Warm Current (SWC) was observed by a bottom-mounted acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) in the region of the SWC axis near the Soya Strait during a 1-year period from May 2004. The ADCP data revealed a marked seasonal variability in the vertical structure, with positive (negative) vertical shear in summer and fall (winter and spring). The volume transport of the SWC is estimated on the basis of both the vertical structure observed by the ADCP and horizontal structure observed by the ocean radars near the strait. The transport estimates have a minimum in winter and a maximum in fall, with the yearly-averaged values in the range of 0.94–1.04 Sv (1 Sv = 10⁶ m³ s⁻¹). These lie within a reasonable range in comparison to those through other straits in the Japan Sea.     

Variations in turbulent energy dissipation and water column stratification at the entrance of a tidally energetic strait

We observed tidal currents, turbulent energy dissipation and water column stratification at the entrance of a narrow strait (Neko Seto) in the Seto Inland Sea, Japan, using a free-falling turbulent microstructure profiler (TurboMAP) and acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP). The variation in turbulent energy dissipation at the entrance of the strait was not at quarter-diurnal frequency but at semi-diurnal frequency; turbulent energy dissipation was enhanced during the ebb tide, although it was moderate during the flood tide. This result is consistent with the results of Takasugi (1993), which showed the asymmetry of tidal energy loss during a semidiurnal tidal cycle using control volume analysis. It is suggested that significant turbulent energy dissipation is generated in the strait, which influences the properties of water outside the strait when tidal currents flow out from the strait.     

Variability of Sea Surface Circulation in the Japan Sea

Composite sea surface dynamic heights (CSSDH) are calculated from both sea surface dynamic heights that are derived from altimetric data of ERS-2 and mean sea surface that is calculated by a numerical model. The CSSDH are consistent with sea surface temperature obtained by satellite and observed water temperature. Assuming the geostrophic balance, sea surface current velocities are calculated. It is found that temporal and spatial variations of sea surface circulation are considerably strong. In order to examine the characteristics of temporal and spatial variation of current pattern, EOF analysis is carried out with use of the CSSDH for 3.5 years. The spatial and temporal variations of mode 1 indicate the strength or weakness of sea surface circulation over the entire Japan Sea associated with seasonal variation of volume transport through the Tsushima Strait. The spatial and temporal variations of mode 2 mostly indicate the temporal variation of the second branch of the Tsushima Warm Current and the East Korean Warm Current. It is suggested that this variation is possibly associated with the seasonal variation of volume transport through the west channel of the Tsushima Strait. Variations of mode 3 indicate the interannual variability in the Yamato Basin.     

Downstream transition of the Tsushima Current west of Kyushu in summer

In order to clarify detailed current structures west of Kyushu, ADCP measurements were carried out in July and September 1990 by the quadrireciprocal method (Katoh, 1988) for removing diurnal and semidiurnal tidal flows from observed flows. On the basis of these results, together with data of routine oceanographic observations, we study the downstream transition of the Tsushima Current west of Kyushu in summer. In the southwest of the Goto Islands, a northward current identified as the Tsushima Current was clearly found. In the south of Cheju, a westward current bifurcated from the Tsushima Current. In the northwest of the Goto Islands, the Tsushima Current narrowed and its velocity became strengthened. Salinity of the Tsushima Current water was much diluted by a current from the Cheju Strait. Near the west coast of the Goto Islands, a countercurrent bifurcating from the Tsushima Current often occurred. The volume transport of the Tsushima Current was 2.3 Sv (1 Sv=10⁶ m³s^–1) on the northern side of latitude 31°N. The substantial bifurcation of the Tsushima Current toward the Eastern and Western Channels of the Tsushima Strait occurred in the vicinity of Tsushima. The volume transport through the Western Channel was two to three times larger than that through the Eastern Channel. The baroclinic component in volume transport of the Tsushima Current west of Kyushu was much smaller than that in the Japan Sea.     

Connectivity between the interannual salinity variation in the western channel of the Tsushima Strait and hydrographic conditions in the Cheju Strait

The connectivity between the interannual salinity variations in the Tsushima and Cheju Straits has been investigated on the basis of historical hydrographic data. Salinity in the Cheju Strait correlates positively with that in the western channel of the Tsushima Strait, but does not show a significant correlation with that in the eastern channel. Empirical orthogonal function (EOF) and singular value decomposition (SVD) analyses of temperature and salinity in the Cheju Strait revealed that salinity in the strait is associated with the cold bottom water in summer. Drastic freshening in the Cheju Strait occurs in a period when the Cheju Current intensifies. The results allow us to hypothesize that the mechanism of interannual salinity variations in the Cheju Strait and western channel of the Tsushima Strait is as follows. The intrusion of cold bottom water into the Cheju Strait in summer intensifies the Cheju Current by increasing the baroclinicity. Since colder bottom water develops a stronger eastward surface current, the larger volume of the Changjiang diluted water is drawn into the strait, which results in a lower salinity condition in the Cheju Strait. As the water in the Cheju Strait flows into the western channel of the Tsushima Strait, salinity in the western channel varies synchronously. This hypothesis is supported by SVD analysis of temperature in the Cheju Strait and salinity in the Tsushima Strait. The salinity condition in the East China Sea is suggested to be another important influence on salinity in the western channel of the Tsushima Strait.     

Modeling of the branches of the Tsushima Warm Current in the Eastern Japan Sea

The branches of the Tsushima Warm Current (TWC) are realistically reproduced using a three-dimensional ocean general circulation model (OGCM). Simulated structures of the First Branch and the Second Branch of the TWC (FBTWC and SBTWC) in the eastern Japan Sea are mainly addressed in this study, being compared with measurement in the period September–October 2000. This is the first numerical experiment so far in which the OGCM is laterally exerted by real volume transports measured by acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) through the Tsushima Straits and the Tsugaru Strait. In addition, sea level variation measured by tide-stations along the Japanese coast as well as satellite altimeters is assimilated into the OGCM through a sequential data assimilation method. It is demonstrated that the assimilation of sea level variation at the coastal tide-stations is useful in reproducing oceanic conditions in the nearshore region. We also examine the seasonal variation of the branches of the TWC in the eastern Japan Sea in 2000. It is suggested as a consequence that the FBTWC is continuous along northwestern Honshu Island in summertime, while it degenerates along the coast between the Sado Strait and the Oga Peninsula in other seasons. On the other hand, a mainstream of the SBTWC exists with meanders and eddies in the offshore region deeper than 1000 m to the north of the Sado Island throughout the year.     

Variability of the volume transport through the Korea/Tsushima Strait as inferred from the shipborne acoustic Doppler current profiler observations in 1997–2007

The 10-year series of observations of currents directed along the Korea/Tsushima Strait, which were measured with an acoustic Doppler current profiler aboard a ferry boat that cruised several times a week between the Hakata (Japan) and Pusan (South Korea) ports, is analyzed. Robust estimation methods are used to separate the tidal signal from the inhomogeneous series of the current data in the problem of the harmonic analysis. The MU2, NO1, PHI1, and J1 constituents have been estimated in addition to the MSF, MF, Q1, O1, P1, K1, N2, M2, S2, and K2 tidal harmonics detected previously. The annual variations in the amplitude of the M2 fundamental harmonic have also been taken into account. The current series cleared from the tidal signal has been processed in order to analyze the spatio-temporal variability of the volume transport through the Korea Strait. The normal annual velocity of the water inflow into the Japan Sea through the Korea Strait was 2.77 × 10⁶ m³ s^?1. The ratio of the flow rates in the eastern and western zones of the strait separated by the Tsushima Islands was 2/3. Considerable seasonal variations in the discharge are observed in the western strait zone: the flow rate annual maximum in October is 1.75 times as high as the minimum in February. An insignificant (not more than 0.1 × 10⁶ m³ s^?1 on average) southward flow can cross the eastern channel. Mesoscale vortices are generated in the lee of the Tsushima Islands when the northeastern current flows around them. The energy spectrum of the total nonseasonal flow rate through the Korea Strait has been constructed in the frequency range of 8–500 days. The spectrum has three significant maximums near periods of 10, 19, and 64 days. It has been indicated that this spectrum flattens at low frequencies (<0.1 day^?1) in the vicinity of the formation of mesoscale vortices behind the Tsushima Islands.     

Subinertial and seasonal variations in the Soya Warm Current revealed by HF ocean radars,coastal tide gauges,and bottom-mounted ADCP

Subinertial and seasonal variations in the Soya Warm Current (SWC) are investigated using data obtained by high frequency (HF) ocean radars, coastal tide gauges, and a bottom-mounted acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP). The HF radars clearly captured the seasonal variations in the surface current fields of the SWC. Almost the same seasonal cycle was repeated in the period from August 2003 to March 2007, although interannual variations were also discernible. In addition to the annual and interannual variations, the SWC exhibited subinertial variations with a period of 5–20 days. The surface transport by the SWC was significantly correlated with the sea level difference between the Sea of Japan and Sea of Okhotsk for both the seasonal and subinertial variations, indicating that the SWC is driven by the sea level difference between the two seas. The generation mechanism of the subinertial variation is discussed using wind data from the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) analyses. The subinertial variations in the SWC were significantly correlated with the meridional wind stress component over the region. The subinertial variations in the sea level difference and surface current delay from the meridional wind stress variations by one or two days. Sea level difference through the strait caused by wind-generated coastally trapped waves (CTWs) along the east coast of Sakhalin and west coast of Hokkaido is considered to be a possible mechanism causing the subinertial variations in the SWC.     

Hydrographic conditions in the Tsushima Strait revisited

Long-term averaged temperature and salinity distributions in the Tsushima Strait are investigated on the basis of a concurrent dataset of the eastern and western channels during 1971–2000. Both temperature and salinity show a clear seasonal variation with weak and strong stratifications in December–April and June–October, respectively. The largest standard deviations occur in summer around the thermocline for temperature and in the surface layer for salinity. This indicates large interannual variability in the development of a thermocline and low salinity water advection from the East China Sea. The water masses in both channels are distinctly different from each other; the water in the western channel is generally colder and fresher than that in the eastern channel throughout the year. Baroclinic transport based on the density distributions shows a seasonal variation with a single peak in August for the eastern channel and double peaks in April and August for the western channel. However, this cannot explain the seasonal variation in the total volume transport estimated from the sea level differences across the channels. The spatial distribution of baroclinic transport shows a year-round negative transport towards the East China Sea behind the Iki Island in the eastern part of the eastern channel. This negative transport reflects the baroclinic structure between the offshore Tsushima Current Water and cold coastal water. The corresponding southwestward currents are found in both Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) and high frequency (HF) radars observations.     

The Current Structure of the Tsushima Warm Current along the Japanese Coast

The branching of the Tsushima Warm Current (TWC) along the Japanese coast is studied based upon intensive ADCP and CTD measurements conducted off the Wakasa Bay in every early summer of 1995–1998, the analysis of the temperature distribution at 100 m depth and the tracks of the surface drifters (Ishii and Michida, 1996; Lee et al., 1997). The first branch of TWC (FBTWC) exists throughout the year. It starts from the eastern channel of the Tsushima Straits, flows along the isobath shallower than 200 m along the Japanese coast and flows out through the Tsugaru Strait. The current flowing through the western channel of the Tsushima Straits feeds the second branch of TWC (SBTWC) which develops from spring to fall. The development of SBTWC propagates from the Tsushima Straits to Noto Peninsula at a speed of about 7 cm sec⁻¹ following the continental shelf break with a strong baroclinicity. However, SBTWC cannot be always found around the shelf break because its path is influenced by the development of eddies. It is concluded that SBTWC is a topographically steered current; a current steered by the continental shelf break. Salient features at intermediate depth are the southwestward subsurface counter current (SWSCC) between 150 m and 300 m depths over the shelf region in 1995–1998 with the velocity exceeding about 5 cm sec⁻¹, although discrepancies of the velocity and its location are observed between the ADCP data and the geostrophic currents. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Detailed current structures in the Eastern Channel of the Tsushima Strait in summer

We discussed the detailed current structures in the Eastern Channel of the Tsushima Strait, using four sets of acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) data, which were taken by the quadrireciprocal method (Katoh, 1988), for removing tidal currents, in summers of 1987–1989. In the Eastern Channel, diurnally averaged currents balanced almost geostrophically. In the upper layer of the deepest part of the Eastern Channel, there existed a current core which corresponded to one branch of the Tsushima Current. The current direction in this core was between NE and ENE in all observations but the magnitude of velocity in 1987 differed largely from that in 1988. Another current core with lower velocities was found near the north coast of Kyushu. Near the bottom at the deepest part of the Eastern Channel, the velocity was more or less 0.3 kt (15 cm s^–1). Along the east coast of Tsushima and in waters northeast of it, countercurrents were observed. The continuity of these countercurrents was interpreted as follows: A part of the current flowing from the Western Channel of the Tsushima Strait into the Japan Sea turns clockwise in waters northeast of Tsushima, and flows southwestward along the east coast of Tsushima. The southwestward current along Tsushima was correlated with the northeastward current in the central part of the Eastern Channel. The transport through the Eastern Channel was between 0.59 and 1.30 Sv (1 Sv=10⁶ m³s^–1). The baroclinic component, which was defined as the transport based on calculations of geostrophic current with assuming zero velocity near the bottom, was very small.     

Short-term fluctuations of the Tsushima Current in waters northwest of Yamaguchi Prefecture

We discussed the short-term fluctuations of the Tsushima Current, using ADCP (acoustic Doppler current profiler) data taken by the quadrireciprocal method (Katoh, 1988) for removing tidal currents from observed currents. Transects were set in waters northwest of Yamaguchi Prefecture to capture the first and second branches of the Tsushima Current. Along the transects, ADCP and STD (salinitytemperature-depth recorder) measurements were repeated in May to July 1989. The velocity of the first branch fluctuated considerably in a short period, while the direction and position of its axis were steadly. The stability of its axis position probably results from the topographic effect. The baroclinic transport, which is based on calculations of geostrophic current with assuming zero velocity near the bottom, of the first branch was almost equal to the barotropic one. The range of fluctuation in the barotropic transport was much larger than that in the baroclinic transport. The barotropic fluctuation was correlated with the difference in atmospheric pressure between the east and west sides of the Tsushima Strait. As for the second branch, not only the velocity but also the position of its axis changed noticeably in a short period. There was such a case where the axis was hardly recognized. The changeability of the axis position for the second branch seems to result from that of the cold water front. The baroclinic transport of the second branch was much larger than the barotropic one, but the ranges of their fluctuations were very similar with each other.