Ra in the Japan Sea and the residence time of the Japan Sea water

The surface water of the Japan Sea contained²²⁶Ra of70 ± 4dpm m⁻³ which was nearly equal to that of the surface water in the North Pacific. The concentration of²²⁶Ra in the Japan Sea deep water below 500 m was151 ± 8dpm m⁻³, showing a vertically and regionally small variation. This concentration of²²⁶Ra in the deep water is unexpectedly high, because the Japan Sea deep water has a higher Δ¹⁴ C value by about 50‰ than the Atlantic deep water containing the same²²⁶Ra. One of the causes to be considered is larger contribution of²²⁶Ra from biogenic particles dissolving in the Japan Sea deep water, but the Japan Sea is not so fertile in comparison to the Bering Sea. The other more plausible cause is the internal ventilation of the Japan Sea water, which means that the residence time of the Japan Sea Proper water is considerably long although the water is vertically mixed fairly well especially in winter. The ventilation may supply some amounts of radiocarbon and oxygen but does not change the inventory of²²⁶Ra. The residence times of the Japan Sea deep water and of water within the Japan Sea are calculated by solving simultaneous equations for²²⁶Ra and¹⁴C with a three-box model to be 300–400 years and 700–1000 years, respectively.     

Submesoscale eddies in Peter the Great Bay of the Japan/East Sea in winter

Ocean Dynamics - Cold-core (T < 0 °C) domes of dense water σθ > 27.24 kg/m3 were observed in the near-bottom layer at the...     

Crude oil bioremediation field experiment in the Sea of Japan

Experimental bioremediation of crude oil was conducted for approximately 3 months in the intertidal zone of the Sea of Japan, Hyogo Prefecture. Artificial mixtures of weathered Arabian light crude oil and sand taken from the experimental site were wrapped in polyester net envelopes. The envelopes were placed in drum-shaped acrylic vessels with perforated sides to facilitate seawater exchange. The vessels were laid in the intertidal area. Slow release nitrogen and phosphorus synthetic fertilizer granules were added to the oil-sand mixtures in three different amounts. Some oil-sand mixtures were unfertilized controls. The oil-sand mixtures were periodically sampled and changes in the composition of the residual oils were monitored. Oil samples were subjected to gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry for analysis of some representative semi-volatile aliphatic and aromatic compounds. All values for each analyte were normalized against that of hopane to evaluate the extent of oil biodegradation. Significant increases in the concentrations of both nitrogen and phosphorus were found in the fertilized sections in accordance with the amounts of added fertilizers. Although significant natural attenuation of oil was observed in the unfertilized sections, fertilization stimulated the degradation rate of the oil in the early stage of the experimental term. The extent of the oil biodegradation increased as the amount of added fertilizer increased. However, the final degradation efficiencies for each oil component in the fertilized sections were not significantly different from those in the unfertilized sections, and the degradation of each oil component had almost ceased after 6 weeks. We conclude that excessive amounts of macronutrients are required to accelerate oil biodegradation and that fertilization is only effective in the early stages.     

Observations of internal undular bores on the Japan/East Sea shelf-coastal region

Observations are presented of internal undular bores (IUBs) on the Japan/East Sea coast. We found three types of IUB amplitude modulation functions. The first type (IUB₁) has a leading edge, which is formed by the soliton with maximal amplitude. The second type (IUB₂) has a soliton with maximal amplitude (SMA) located between the leading and trailing edges. The third type (IUB₃) consists of 2–3 solitons, which have identical amplitudes. The evolution of the IUB₂ from the moment of generation to the moment of maximal development was analyzed. The speed of the IUB₂ approached to the phase speed of linear internal waves with a period of 12.4 h. The amplitude modulation function of the IUB₂ is believed to be unique in ocean observations. Observations are discussed in the context of recently raised hypotheses concerning the evolution of IUBs in the coastal environment.     

On the circulation in the East Frisian Wadden Sea: numerical modeling and data analysis

 In this paper we use a combination of numerical modeling and data analysis to gain a better understanding of the major characteristics of the circulation in the East Frisian Wadden Sea. In particular, we concentrate on the asymmetry of the tidal wave and its modulation in the coastal area, which results in a complex pattern of responses to the sea-level forcing from the North Sea. The numerical simulations are based on the 3-D primitive equation General Estuarine Transport Model (GETM) with a horizontal resolution of 200 m and terrain-following vertical coordinates. The model is forced at its open boundaries with sea-level data from an operational model for the German Bight (German Hydrographic Office). The validation data for our model simulations include time series of tidal gauge data and surface currents measured at a pile in the back-barrier basin of the Island Langeoog, as well as several ADCP transects in the Accumer Ee tidal inlet. Circulation and turbulence characteristics are investigated for typical situations driven by spring and neap tides, and the analysis is focused on dominating temporal and spatial patterns. By investigating the response of five back-barrier basins with rather different morphologies to external forcing, an attempt is made to elucidate the dominating physical balances controlling the circulation in the individual sub-basins. It is demonstrated that the friction at the seabed tends to slow down the tidal signal in the shallow water. This leads to the establishment of flood dominance in the shallow sea north of the barrier islands. South of the islands, where the water volume of the channels at low tide is smaller than the tidal prism, the asymmetry of the tidal signal is shifted towards ebb dominance, a feature which is particularly pronounced at spring tide. At the northern open boundary, the tidal wave propagating from west to east generates a sea-level difference of ∼1 m along the boundary, and thereby triggers vigorous alongshore currents. The frictional control in the model is located in the inlets, as well as along the northern boundary. The correlation between velocity and turbulent kinetic energy tends to the establishment of a net southward transport, giving theoretical support to the observed accumulation of sediments on the intertidal flats. Weak turbulence along the northern shores of the barrier islands and the small magnitude of the residual currents there promote accumulation of suspended matter in these areas, although wave action will generally counteract this effect. Received: 29 May 2002 / Accepted: 26 September 2002 Responsible Editor: Jean-Marie Beckers Acknowledgements We are indebted to S. Dick for providing the data from the operational model of BSH and to B. Flemming for the useful discussions. The topography data and Fig. 1 have been prepared in cooperation with F. Meyer. Figure 2 has been prepared by G. Brink-Spalink. We also thank for the comments from an anonymous reviewer which helped to improve our paper.     

Seasonal variation of upper layer circulation in the northern part of the East/Japan Sea

Seasonal variation of upper layer circulation in the northern part of the East/Japan Sea and its mechanism were investigated using empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis with satellite sea surface heights over the northern East/Japan Sea and a three-dimensional circulation model. The spatial structure and temporal variation of first EOF mode, which explains about 64% of the total variance, indicate that a large cyclonic circulation in the northern East/Japan Sea shows a semi-annual variation with maximum strength in summer and winter. According to numerical model result, the Liman Cold Current, accepted as a major current in the northern East/Japan Sea, is well mixed vertically by the winter monsoon and the current in the upper layer has a relatively deep structure, with a maximum westward speed of about 20 cm/s in winter. On the other hand, in summer the current has a stronger baroclinic structure of velocity than in winter. Numerical experiments showed that in summer the temporal variation of upper layer circulation is controlled by thermal forcing, such as sea surface heat flux and inflow of heat transport into the East/Japan Sea through the Korea/Tsushima Strait. Moreover, the cyclonic circulation in the upper layer of the northern East/Japan Sea is also generated and strengthened by the positive wind stress curl occupying most of the East/Japan Sea during the winter. The seasonal variation of each forcing that drives the circulation is responsible for the strength or weakness of the upper layer circulation in the northern East/Japan Sea. The contribution of each forcing to the seasonal variation of the upper layer circulation is examined through sensitivity experiments. According to these numerical experiments, the upper layer circulation in the northern East/Japan Sea is strengthened twice a year, in winter and summer, and this semi-annual variation is determined by a combination of wind (winter) and thermal (summer) forcing.     

Modeling fast ice formation and destruction in the Sea of Japan

The problems of parametric representation of the initial formation and the subsequent evolution of fast ice in freezing seas are discussed within the framework of the model of marine ice cover evolution. The mathematical form of this representation takes into account the processes of transformation of sea ice formations in open water areas in coastal regions into fast ice during its formation and inverse processes at the stage of its destruction. The parametric identification of the model was based on samples of long-term distributions of ice cover characteristics in the Sea of Japan, as well as the distributions of air temperature and wind speeds over sea water area. The model can be used to predict the state of fast ice in the ice cover of the Sea of Japan.     

Multi-stage volcanism in the Ulleung Back-arc Basin, East Sea (Sea of Japan)

Abstract Multichannel seismic reflection profiling in the Ulleung back-arc Basin reveals that the acoustic basement largely comprises volcanic materials. The volcanics are interlayered with sediment sequences, forming an anomalously thick layer. The volcanic activities resulted in a zonation of the acoustic basement, trending northeast-southwest. In the southeastern part, the acoustic basement is deep and obscure, whereas in the northwestern part it is shallow and forms mounds and seamounts. The volcanic activities were probably initiated in the Early Miocene ( ca 20Ma). The volcanism was time-transgressive northward, associated with the possible southward drift of the Japanese islands.     

Distribution of Cs and Pu in the surface waters of the East Sea (Sea of Japan)

Surface and subsurface water samples for ¹³⁷Cs and ^239,240Pu analysis were collected in the East Sea (Sea of Japan) during August 1993. The ¹³⁷Cs levels of the surface waters are quite homogeneous in the East Sea (average = 3.1±0.2 mBq kg⁻¹). The ^239,240Pu levels vary from 6 to 10 μBq kg⁻¹ in the surface. ^239,240Pu to ¹³⁷Cs ratios in the surface water are within 0.002 to 0.003. The East Sea may be regarded as a part of the North Pacific Ocean in terms of ¹³⁷Cs dispersal in the surface, where the ¹³⁷Cs contents of the surface seawater seem to be controlled primarily by the atmospheric input. However, since our sampling was made just two months prior to the widely publicized Russian dumping incident on the 17th October 1993, our measurements may provide background data to assess the immediate impact of the Russian dumping on the levels of ¹³⁷Cs and ^239,240Pu in the East Sea.     

Preliminary numerical simulation of potential earthquake-induced tsunami in East China Sea

In this paper,we present a numerical simulation of the propagation of a tsunami in the East China Sea,which might be induced by a hypothetical M8.5 earthquake in Okinawa Trough. Our results show that the initial maxi-mum wave height of tsunami could reach as high as 4.3 m for the hypothetical earthquake. It would take 3.5～4 hours for the tsunami to propagate to the coast of Zhejiang Province,and 7～8 hours to the near-shore of Shanghai. The peak tsunami height could be up to about 2 m in the coast of Zhejiang Province. Based on the numerical ex-periments,we plot the arrival time contours of tsunami in East China Sea and time history curves on the three ob-servational stations,and discussed the significance of the pre-analysis.     

Variability of dense water formation in the Ross Sea

This paper presents results from a model study of the interannual variability of high salinity shelf water (HSSW) properties in the Ross Sea. Salinity and potential temperature of HSSW formed in the western Ross Sea show oscillatory behaviour at periods of 5–6 and 9 years superimposed on long-term fluctuations. While the shorter oscillations are induced by wind variability, variability on the scale of decades appears to be related to air temperature fluctuations. At least part of the strong decrease of HSSW salinities deduced from observations for the period 1963–2000 is shown to be an aliasing artefact due to an undersampling of the periodic signal. While sea ice formation is responsible for the yearly salinity increase that triggers the formation of HSSW, interannual variability of net freezing rates hardly affects changes in the properties of the resulting water mass. Instead, results from model experiments indicate that the interannual variability of dense water characteristics is predominantly controlled by variations in the shelf inflow through a sub-surface salinity and a deep temperature signal. The origin of the variability of inflow characteristics to the Ross Sea continental shelf can be traced into the Amundsen and Bellingshausen Seas. The temperature anomalies are induced at the continental shelf break in the western Bellingshausen Sea by fluctuations of the meridional transport of circumpolar deep water with the eastern cell of the Ross Gyre. In the Amundsen Sea, upwelling due to a persistently cyclonic wind field carries the signal into the surface mixed layer, leading to fluctuations of the vertical heat flux, anomalies of brine release near the sea ice edge, and consequently to a sub-surface salinity anomaly. With the westward flowing coastal current, both the sub-surface salinity and deep temperature signals are advected onto the Ross Sea continental shelf. Convection carries the signal of salinity variability into the deep ocean, where it interacts with modified circumpolar deep water upwelled onto the continental shelf as the second source water mass of HSSW. Sea ice formation on the Ross Sea continental shelf thus drives the vertical propagation of the signal rather than determining the signal itself.     

Large-scale oil-in-ice experiment in the Barents Sea: monitoring of oil in water and MetOcean interactions

A large-scale field experiment took place in the marginal ice zone in the Barents Sea in May 2009. Fresh oil (7000 L) was released uncontained between the ice floes to study oil weathering and spreading in ice and surface water. A detailed monitoring of oil-in-water and ice interactions was performed throughout the six-day experiment. In addition, meteorological and oceanographic data were recorded for monitoring of the wind speed and direction, air temperature, currents and ice floe movements. The monitoring showed low concentrations of dissolved hydrocarbons and the predicted acute toxicity indicated that the acute toxicity was low. The ice field drifted nearly 80 km during the experimental period, and although the oil drifted with the ice, it remained contained between the ice floes.     

A cold pool formation in the Lakshadweep Sea during Indian summer monsoon

In Lakshadweep Sea, the distribution of observed sea surface temperature (SST) during summer monsoon season (June–September) shows the presence of a distinct cold pool (SST?<?27°C). Available satellite measurements and assimilated datasets are utilized to investigate the characteristics and mechanisms that govern the genesis and evolution of this cold pool. It is located in the grid 8° N–10° N/74° E–76° E, with a diameter of about 200?km, centered approximately at 9° N/75° E off the southwest coast of India. This cold pool, which we call as the Lakshadweep cold pool (LCP), forms invariably during the fifth pentad of June as a small cooling within the cold surface waters advected northward along the southwest coast of India from the Arabian Sea Mini Cold Pool. With the progress of the season, LCP intensifies, spread radially outwards and shows a westward spread during late July. Maximum intensity and radial spread are attained during July. By the end of August, LCP extends northward along the coast up to 13° N, and by September, it gets completely dissipated. Within the LCP, the thermocline exhibits pronounced shoaling compared to the adjacent regions. The intensity, duration, and spread of LCP showed annual variations in each summer monsoon during 1998–2005 and owes its origin to upwelling produced by uplift of poleward undercurrent induced by an elevated bathymetry in the presence of a seamount. The mechanism for the intensification is thought to be due to the combined action of Ekman pumping due to positive wind stress curl, eddy-induced upwelling due to the Lakshadweep low, and the intensification of the poleward undercurrent during the season. West- and northward spreads of LCP are attributed to the westward movement of Lakshadweep Low and the northerly spreading and intensification of positive wind stress curl, respectively. The mechanisms that govern this phenomenon are thoroughly examined.     

Geochemical characterization of the organic matter, pore water constituents and shallow methane gas in the eastern part of the Ulleung Basin, East Sea (Japan Sea)

Abstract Geochemical analyses of sediments, pore water and headspace gas of the piston cores taken from the eastern part of Ulleung Basin of the East Sea (Japan Sea) were carried out to assess the origin of the sedimentary organic matter and interstitial fluid. Several tephra layers within the core are identified as the Ulleung‐Oki (10.1 ka), the Aira‐Tanzawa (23 ka) and the Ulleung‐Yamato (30.9 ka) tephras. With the exception of these volcanic layers, the cores consist predominantly of muddy sediments that contain >0.5% total organic carbon. Atomic C/N ratios and δ¹³C_org values suggest that the organic matter originated from marine algae rather than from land vascular plants, whereas Rock‐Eval pyrolysis suggests that the organic matter is thermally immature and comes from a land vascular plant (Type III). These conflicting results seem to be caused by the heavy oxidization of the marine organic matter. Sulphate concentration profiles of pore waters show strongly linear depletion (r² > 0.97) with sediment depth. The estimated sulphate–methane interface (SMI) depth using the sulphate concentration gradient was nearly 3.5 m below seafloor (mbsf) in the southern part of the study area, and deeper than 6 mbsf in the northern part of the area. The difference in SMI depths is likely associated with the amount of the methane flux. The methane concentration below the SMI in the two southern cores increases rapidly, implying the occurrence of methanogenesis and anaerobic methane oxidation (AMO). In contrast, the two northern cores have a low methane concentration below the SMI. values measured from all cores were in the range of −83.5 to −69.5‰, which suggests that the methane derives from a methanogenic microbe. values become decreased toward SMI, but increased below SMI; therefore, has eventually the minimum value near the SMI. The values are also decreased when the methane concentration is increased. These phenomena support the typical occurrence of AMO in the study area.     

Origin of the springtime South China Sea Warm Current in the southwestern Taiwan Strait: Evidence from seawater oxygen isotope

Oxygen isotope(δ~(18)O) of seawater is an excellent proxy for tracing the origins of water masses and their mixing processes. Combining with hydrographic observation, hybrid coordinate ocean model(HYCOM) analysis data, and seawater oxygen isotope, we investigated the source of the South China Sea Warm Current(SCSWC) in the southwestern Taiwan Strait and its underlying mechanism. Results show that the Kuroshio subsurface water(KSSW) can intrude the continental slope in the southwestern Taiwan Strait, and thereby climb up the continental slope coupled with upwelling. The δ~(18)O-salinity relationship further indicates that in spring, the SCSWC in the southwestern Taiwan Strait originates from the upslope deflection of the slope current formed by the KSSW intrusion into the South China Sea, rather than from the west segment of the SCSWC formed to the east of Hainan Island. In addition, the southward flowing Zhe-Min Coastal Current(ZMCC) can reach as far as the Taiwan Bank(TB) and deflects offshore over the western TB at approximately 23.5°N, to some extent affecting the SCSWC. Moreover, this study reveals that seawater δ~(18)O is exquisitely sensitive to the determination of the origin and transport of water masses as compared with traditional potential temperature-salinity plot(θ-S) and HYCOM analysis data. In addition, their coupling can more reliably interpret the mixing processes of shelf water masses.     

Mean and eddy motion in the Skagerrak/northern North Sea: insight from a numerical model

Insight regarding the mean and eddy motion in the Skagerrak/northern North Sea area is gained through an analysis of model-simulated currents, hydrography, kinetic energy and relative vorticity for the 2 years 2000 and 2001. In this a -coordinate ocean model is used. Since the tidal currents are generally strong in the area, care is exercised to distinguish the mesoscale (eddy) motion from higher-frequency motion such as tides, before computing the mean and eddy kinetic energy. The model-simulated response is first compared with available knowledge of the circulation in the area, and when available, also with sea-surface temperature obtained from satellite imagery. It is concluded that the model appears to faithfully reproduce most of what is known, in particularly the upper mixed layer circulation. An analysis of the mean and eddy kinetic energy reveals that many of the mesoscale structures found in the area are recurrent. This is particularly true for the structures off the southern tip of Norway. Also in general, areas of strong mean and eddy kinetic energy are co-located. The exception is the area off the southern tip of Norway, where the eddy kinetic energy is much larger than its mean counterpart. An analysis of the relative vorticity reveals that the variability found is due to the occurrence of recurrent anticyclonic eddies. It is hypothesized that these eddies are generated due to an offshore veering of the Norwegian coastal current (NCC) as it reaches the eastern end of the Norwegian Trench plateau. Here it becomes a free jet, which is then vulnerable to either barotropic instability caused by the horizontal shear in the jet-like structure of the NCC at this point, or a baroclinic (frontal) instability. The latter may come into play when the NCC veers offshore and its relatively fresh water meets the inflowing saline water of Atlantic origin, a frontogenesis that may become strong enough for cyclogenesis to take place. Due to the depth-independent nature of the model-generated eddies, the barotropic instability is the most likely candidate. It remains to resolve the reason for the offshore veering of the NCC. The most likely candidate mechanisms are vortex squeezing or simply that the coastline curvature is large enough for the NCC to separate from the coast in a hydraulic sense.Responsible Editor: Phil Dyke     

Dynamics of the circulation in the Sea of Marmara: numerical modeling experiments and observations from the Turkish straits system experiment

During September 2008 and February 2009, the NR/V Alliance extensively sampled the waters of the Sea of Marmara within the framework of the Turkish Straits System (TSS) experiment coordinated by the NATO Undersea Research Centre. The observational effort provided an opportunity to set up realistic numerical experiments for modeling the observed variability of the Marmara Sea upper layer circulation at mesoscale resolution over the entire basin during the trial period, complementing relevant features and forcing factors revealed by numerical model results with information acquired from in situ and remote sensing datasets. Numerical model solutions from realistic runs using the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) produce a general circulation in the Sea of Marmara that is consistent with previous knowledge of the circulation drawn from past hydrographic measurements, with a westward meandering current associated with a recurrent large anticyclone. Additional idealized numerical experiments illuminate the role various dynamics play in determining the Sea of Marmara circulation and pycnocline structure. Both the wind curl and the strait flows are found to strongly influence the strength and location of the main mesoscale features. Large displacements of the pycnocline depth were observed during the sea trials. These displacements can be interpreted as storm-driven upwelling/downwelling dynamics associated with northeasterly winds; however, lateral advection associated with flow from the Straits also played a role in some displacements.