Year-to-year variation of cold waters around the korea strait

Year-to-year variation of bottom cold waters around the Korea Strait was investigated based on bottom temperatures measured by submarine telephone cable between Pusan, Korea and Hamada, Japan from 1982 to 1992. The characteristics of bottom temperatures could be divided into three different groups: the Korean side, the middle, and the Japanese side. Temperature drops in summer appeared in all the three regions implying the intrusion of cold waters into the Korea Strait. Significant decreases in the Korean side were observed in 1983, 1986, 1990, 1991, and 1992 when bottom temperatures were high in the middle. In contrast, bottom temperatures significantly decreased in the middle in 1985, 1988, and 1989 when the temperature drops in the Korean side were relatively small. This tendency for a negative relationship was also shown in the second mode of an EOF analysis. In the years when bottom temperatures significantly decreased in the Korean side, the cold water along the east coast of Korea expanded offshore and its temperature was low. On the contrary, cold water in the southern region of the Ulleung Basin developed in the years when bottom temperatures decreased considerably in the middle.     

Spatial and temporal variability of the North Korean Cold Water leading to the near-bottom cold water intrusion in Korea Strait

In the deepest region of Korea Strait, the surface temperature is highest in August (lowest in March), while the near-bottom temperature is lowest in September (highest in May). Cross-spectral analysis of the monthly temperature data between the two layers shows high coherence at the annual frequency with phase of 154°. Why and how does such a nearly opposite phasing occur between the surface and the near-bottom temperatures there? This study aims at answering these questions using historical and recently observed data.Cold and relatively fresh subsurface water flowing southward along the east coast of Korea and, known as the North Korean Cold Water (NKCW), becomes noticeable in April near the Sokcho coast. The zonal temperature gradient there is largest around June. The width of the NKCW becomes larger from April to August. After October, the NKCW retreats back toward the coast. The southward movement of the NKCW is thus strong over a period of six to seven months and weak in winter, especially in February. The NKCW flows southward relatively quickly along the coast in April to October and arrives at the Ulleung Basin within one to two months. Because of the sill between the Ulleung Basin and Korea Strait, this water cannot continue to flow to south, but piles up for about two to three months before it moves over the sill. The convergence of the subsurface cold water in the Ulleung Basin displaces the isopycnals upward and this water then intrudes over the sill along the isopycnals. This explains why in April or May, when this water appears noticeably at the Sokcho coast, the near-bottom water in Korea Strait is warmest and in August or September when the NKCW, which is piled up enough at the southern end of the Ulleung Basin, intrudes to Korea Strait, the near-bottom temperatures there are at their lowest.The origin of the NKCW seems to be the water of salinity less han 34.1 psu and surface density of 27σ_θ or higher, which sinks in the northwestern East Sea in January-March. The sinking of the water results from surface cooling in winter and is intensified due to the strong negative windstress curl. The cold and relatively fresh water, formed in the northwestern East Sea, is hypothesized to flow to the Ulleung Basin along three major paths, along the east coast of Korea, through the channel north of Ulleung-do Island, and through the channel between Ulleung-do and Dok-do Islands.     

Least-Squares Estimation of Bottom Topography Using Horizontal Velocity Measurements in the Tsushima/Korea Straits

Several bathymetric data sets are compared and assessed with constraints of an ocean current model and velocity observations. The root-mean-square (rms) differences among the data sets reach 20 m in the shallow Tsushima/Korea Straits. The numerical experiments to simulate the Tsushima Warm Current are performed using four different topography data sets. The JTOPO1 data (MIRC, 2003) give the smallest rms difference to long-term horizontal velocity observations. Several least-squares combinations of the topography data sets are then sought to minimize the rms difference between the observed and modeled barotropic velocities. Most of the data sets reveal a large bias of 30–60 m at the Western Channel compared to independent sounding depths     

Possible source of the antarctic bottom water in the Prydz Bay Region

It has been inferred that the Prydz Bay region is one of the source regions of Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) based on rather indirect evidence. In order to examine this inference, we investigate the hydrographic condition of the bay based mainly on XCTD data obtained during the Japanese Whale Research Program in the Antarctic (JARPA). The JARPA hydrographic data reveal Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW), which is a salty, warm water mass approaching the shelf break, and capture Modified CDW (MCDW) intruding into the shelf water. AABW production requires mixing of CDW and cold shelf water saltier than 34.6 psu, which is a saltier type of Low Salinity Shelf Water (LSSW). Saltier LSSW is observed near the bottom over the shelf, being mixed with MCDW. We further identify saltier LSSW near the shelf break. This saltier LSSW appears close enough to unmodified CDW to be mixed with it over the continental slope, indicating a possible source of AABW in Prydz Bay.     

Increase of carbon dioxide in the bottom water of the Weddell Sea, Antarctica

High precision total CO₂ (TCO₂) data are presented from the NW Weddell Sea obtained during two cruises which were 3 years apart. A TCO₂ increase from 1993 to 1996 was observed in the newly formed bottom water, whereas no TCO₂ increase was found in the surrounding water masses. Accompanying this TCO₂ increase in the bottom water was an oxygen decrease. Obviously, bottom water with variable characteristics is produced along the margins of the Weddell Sea. Examination of possible causes leads to the conclusion that the bottom water variability is largely due to varying amounts of Warm Deep Water intruding onto the shelves of the Weddell Sea, thus changing the shelf water end-member of bottom water formation. Analysis of the data, using the observed differences of oxygen to perform a correction, suggested that some part of the TCO₂ increase of the bottom water is due to the increased level of anthropogenic CO₂. The TCO₂ increase of the bottom water is commensurate to a tentative annual increase of about 1 μmol kg⁻¹ in the surface water source of this bottom water. This would agree fairly well with the increase of the partial pressure of CO₂ in the atmosphere.     

The circulation, water masses and sea-ice of Baffin Bay

The oceanographic, meteorological and sea-ice conditions in Baffin Bay are studied using historical hydrographic, satellite and meteorological data, and a set of current meter data from a mooring program of the Bedford Institute of Oceanography. Baffin Bay is partially covered by sea-ice all year except August and September. The interannual variation of the ice extent is shown to be correlated with winter air temperature. Available hydrographic data were used to study the water masses and the horizontal and vertical distribution of temperature/salinity. Three water masses can be identified – Arctic Water in the upper 100–300 m of all regions except the southeast, West Greenland Intermediate Water at 300–800 m in most of the interior of Baffin Bay, and Deep Baffin Bay Water in all regions below 1200 m. The temperature and salinity in Baffin Bay have limited seasonal variability except in the upper 300 m of eastern Davis Strait, northern Baffin Bay and the mouth of Lancaster Sound. Summer data have a temperature minimum at 100 m, which suggests winter convection does not penetrate deeper than this depth. Current meter data and results of a circulation model indicate that the mean circulation is cyclonic. The seasonal variation of the currents is complex. Overall, summer and fall tend to have stronger currents than winter and spring at all depths. Among the different regions, the largest seasonal variation occurs at the mouth of Lancaster Sound and the Baffin Island slope. Model generated velocity fields show a basic agreement with the observed currents, and indicate strong topographic control in the vicinity of Davis Strait and on the Greenland shelves. The model also produces a southward counter current on the Greenland slope, which may explain the observed high horizontal shears over the Greenland slope. Estimates of the volume and fresh water transports through Lancaster, Jones and Smith Sounds are reviewed. Transports through Davis Strait are computed from the current meter data. The balance of freshwater budget and sensitivity of the thermohaline circulation to freshwater transport are discussed.     

Changes in the abundance and composition of picophytoplankton in relation to the occurrence of a Kyucho and a bottom intrusion in the Bungo Channel,Japan

The Bungo Channel in southwestern Japan receives both warm, called Kyucho, and cold deep-water intrusions (bottom intrusion) from the Pacific Ocean. Abundances of Prochlorococcus, Synechococcus, and eukaryotic picophytoplankton were monitored from 18 July to 17 August 2001 to clarify whether advected picophytoplankton from the Pacific Ocean can grow in the channel or not. Synechococcus cells were further discriminated into low- and high-PUB types according to their fluorescence property in flow cytometry. From 18 to 25 July, the water temperature decreased by 3 °C at a 5-m depth at all stations, indicating the occurrence of a bottom intrusion. From 25 July to 4 August, a Kyucho occurred and the water temperature rapidly increased. From 4 to 17 August, a bottom intrusion and a Kyucho both occurred twice, although the intensities were smaller than those occurring until 4 August. From 18 to 30 July, the abundance of both Prochlorococcus and a high-PUB type of Synechococcus drastically decreased because of a bottom intrusion; however, the abundances rapidly increased due to the advection by a Kyucho. These advected cells increased from 4 to 17 August in the channel and Kitanada Bay. Changes in the abundance of low-PUB type of Synechococcus and eukaryotic picophytoplankton were less noticeable than those in the abundance of Prochlorococcus and high-PUB type. The present study demonstrated that oceanic picophytoplankton advected by the Kyucho could grow in the channel. However, abundances of low-PUB type and eukaryotic picophytoplankton increased higher than those of Prochlorococcus and high-PUB type did. Thus, these oceanic phytoplankters will be excluded when Kyucho does not occur for a long time. The co-occurrence of various types of picophytoplankton found in the channel is probably achieved by both Kyucho event and their growth capability in the channel.     

Short-term temperature and salinity variations in the Tsushima Strait in 2004: Behavior of the surface low-salinity water in the strait

Temporal variations in temperature and salinity observed in 2004 were investigated on a short time scale in the Tsushima Strait. The data were obtained by long-term in situ measurements at Mitsushima and Futaoi Island using an instrument equipped with a piston-type wiper to avoid biofouling. In addition, the temperature and salinity values of the surface layer obtained by a commercial ferryboat between Hakata and Busan were used to investigate their spatiotemporal variations. Temperature and salinity variations with a time scale of several days had a negative correlation in the summer. This evidence suggests that a warm and less saline water mass, which is considered to be mainly the Changjiang Diluted Water (CDW), flowed intermittently through the Tsushima Strait in summer. In late July 2004, a large low-salinity water mass was detected in the Tsushima Strait. At that time, the freshwater transport through the Tsushima Strait transiently reached about 12 × 10⁴ m³s⁻¹, which is estimated from observed acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) data along a ferryboat line and inferred salinity profiles. This estimated value is more than double the maximum of the climatological monthly mean of the Changjiang discharge. Furthermore, salinity and surface current data obtained by high frequency ocean radar (HF radar) indicate that water properties at Mitsushima may occasionally represent part of the water flowing through the western channel via a countercurrent, although Mitsushima is geographically located in the eastern channel.     

A Numerical Modeling of the Upper and the Intermediate Layer Circulation in the East Sea

Circulation in the upper and the intermediate layer of the East Sea is investigated by using a fine resolution, ocean general circulation model. Proper separation of the East Korean Warm Current from the coast is achieved by adopting the isopycnal mixing, and using the observed heat flux (Hirose et al., 1996) and the realistic wind stress (Na et al., 1992). The simulated surface circulation exhibits a remarkable seasonal variation in the flow patterns of the Nearshore Branch, the East Korean Warm Current and the Cold Currents. East of the Oki Bank, the Nearshore Branch follows the isobath of shelf topography from late winter to spring, while in summer and autumn it meanders offshore. The Nearshore Branch is accompanied by cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies in a fully developed meandering phase. The meandering and the eddy formation of the Nearshore Branch control the interior circulation in the Tsushima Current area. A recirculation gyre is developed in the region of the East Korean Warm Current in spring and grown up to an Ulleung Basin scale in summer. A subsurface water is mixed with the fresh surface water by winter convection in the northeastern coastal region of Korea. The well-mixed low salinity water is transported to the south by the Cold Currents, forming the salinity minimum layer (Intermediate Water) beneath the East Korean Warm Current water. The recirculation gyre redistributes the core water of the salinity minimum layer in the Ulleung Basin. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effects of cold eddy on phytoplankton production and assemblages in Luzon strait bordering the South China Sea

The biochemical effects of a cold-core eddy that was shed from the Kuroshio Current at the Luzon Strait bordering the South China Sea (SCS) were studied in late spring, a relatively unproductive season in the SCS. The extent of the eddy was determined by time-series images of SeaWiFS ocean color, AVHRR sea surface temperature, and TOPEX/Jason-1 sea surface height anomaly. Nutrient budgets, nitrate-based new production, primary production, and phytoplankton assemblages were compared between the eddy and its surrounding Kuroshio and SCS waters. The enhanced productivity in the eddy was comparable to wintertime productivity in the SCS basin, which is supported by upwelled subsurface nitrate under the prevailing Northeastern Monsoon. There were more Synechococcus, pico-eucaryotes, and diatoms, but less Trichodesmium in the surface water inside the eddy than outside. Prochlorococcus and Richelia intracellularis showed no spatial differences. Water column-integrated primary production (IPP) inside the eddy was 2–3 times that outside the eddy in the SCS (1.09 vs. 0.59 g C m⁻²d⁻¹), as was nitrate-based new production (INP) (0.67 vs. 0.25 g C m⁻²d⁻¹). INP in the eddy was 6 times that in the Kuroshio (0.12 g C m⁻²d⁻¹). IPP and INP in the eddy were higher than the maximum production values ever measured in the SCS basin. Surface chlorophyll a concentration (0.40 mg m⁻³) in the eddy equaled the maximum concentration registered for the SCS basin and was higher than the wintertime average (0.29 ± 0.04 mg m⁻³). INP was 3.5 times as great and IPP was doubled in the eddy compared to the wintertime SCS basin. As cold core eddies form intermittently all year round as the Kuroshio invades the SCS, their effects on phytoplankton productivity and assemblages are likely to have important influences on the biogeochemical cycle of the region.     

Temporal and spatial variations of radiocarbon in Japan Sea bottom water

In 1995 and 2000, the radiocarbon ratio (Δ¹⁴C) of total dissolved inorganic carbon was measured in the Japan Sea where deep and bottom waters are formed within the sea itself. We found that (1) since 1979, the Δ¹⁴C in bottom water below about 2000-m depth in the western Japan Basin (WJB) had increased by about 30‰ by 1995, and (2) the bottom Δ¹⁴C in the WJB did not change between 1995 and 2000. The former finding was due to penetration of surface bomb-produced radiocarbon into the bottom water owing to bottom ventilation, whereas the latter was caused by stagnation of the bottom ventilation there. In the eastern Japan Basin (EJB), the bottom Δ¹⁴C also increased by about 30‰ between 1979 and 2002. Recent stagnation of the bottom ventilation in the EJB is also suggested from analyses of constant bomb-produced tritium between 1984 and 1999. The temporal variations of Δ¹⁴C, tritium, and dissolved oxygen in the bottom waters indicate that: (1) new bottom water is formed south of Vladivostok in the WJB only in severe winters; and (2) the new bottom water then follows the path of a cyclonic abyssal circulation of the Japan Sea, which results in the increases in dissolved oxygen and the transient tracers in the bottom waters in the EJB and Yamato Basin with an approximate 3-to 6-year time lag. This process is consistent with the spatial variations of Δ¹⁴C, bomb-produced ¹³⁷Cs, and chlorofluorocarbon-11 in the bottom waters of the Japan Sea.     

台湾海峡OBS地震记录中二次Ps震相的特征及应用

在海底地震仪(ocean bottom seismometer,OBS)广角地震记录剖面上,经常可以见到震相清晰且连续的多次波信号,多次波和初至波是由相同的震源信号产生的,也是地壳真实结构的反映。但是在通常的OBS数据处理过程中,经常将多次波作为无效信号剔除掉,对其属性及应用的研究比较少。文章通过对台湾海峡南部OBS探测测线HXN01数据的处理,对多个台站记录到的二次震相进行了识别与拾取,并以OBS0106台站为例,对识别出的二次Ps震相进行了系统的研究分析,发现二次Ps震相的波形特征和质点运动轨迹与初至震相相似,但波形最大振幅值明显大于初至震相。通过Rayinvr射线追踪方法模拟,确定了二次Ps震相的主要反射层,并发现加入二次震相后,台站下方浅部沉积层射线覆盖密度有显著提升,射线覆盖的区域也明显增加,为沉积层精细结构的反演提供了更为丰富的数据基础。另外,对理论模型的地壳结构进行加入二次Ps震相前后的反演测试,结果显示加入二次Ps震相数据后,沉积层的界面深度误差得到明显的改善。     

Measurement and evaluation of the hydrodynamics and secondary currents in and near a strait connecting large water bodies—A field study

The straits connect two large water bodies show highly strong and stratified currents related to meteorological, morphological and hydrodynamic conditions. In some cases, spatial and temporal changes of the stratified currents and their thickness, direction and magnitude are so complex. This complexity directly affects the circulation pattern in the region, water exchange between both ends of the straits and migration of fish species. In order to understand general characteristics of this kind of straits and identifying the complexity of the hydrodynamics of the region and evaluate the secondary currents and recirculation need long term, intensive, field work and measurement studies. As an example of this kind of hydrodynamically complex straits, Bosphorus strait is selected for a field study. The Bosphorus strait has a strongly stratified two-layer system and a unique case of the maximal exchange regime typical of strait flows, which is largely determined by conditions at the Black Sea. Although the Bosphorus strait has distinct two-layer stratification with an associated two-layer system exchange, no continuous current measurements have been made so far, previous measurements all having been random sampling.In this paper, a detailed measurement program has been applied to Bosphorus strait. In the measurement program, a short-term current profile measurement at selected locations at southern part of the strait has been conveyed. Additionally a long-term measurement of current profile has been performed at a selected critical location (in front of the Dolmabahçe Palace) where a recirculation flow exists in the strait. The scope of this paper is to present the techniques and the results of analysis of measurement data. In the measurements the current profile (magnitude and direction) has been determined at every 1 m depth intervals from the surface to the sea bottom at 3 min duration at every hour. Measurements provide that lower-layer flows in northward direction from the Sea of Marmara towards the Black Sea, whereas the upper-layer flow comes from the Black Sea and flows towards the Sea of Marmara in the opposite direction of lower layer. The Bosphorus strait exhibits distinctive features associated with variations in its width and depth. The meandering features of Bosphorus also cause recirculation flows. These results of measurements are presented, discussed and compared with previous studies.     

夏季长江冲淡水扩展的数值模拟

建立一个σ坐标系下三维非线性斜压陆架模式,研究夏季径流量、台湾暖流、黄海冷水团、风场对长江冲淡水扩展的影响。数值试验基本再现了夏季长江冲淡水低盐水舌伸向东北的现象和渤、黄、东海的环流结构。长江径流量只影响近口门附近冲淡木朝东南方向扩展势力和整个冲淡水扩展范围的大小。台湾暖流深受底形的影响,流动路径稳定,且不受自身强度的影响,又主流远离长江口,对长江冲淡水扩展的影响不大。黄海冷水团产生的余流在长江口海区阻碍着冲淡水沿岸向南扩展,在远离长江口海区诱导冲淡水向东南运动。总的黄海冷水团的作用是使长江冲淡水低盐水舌伸向东北。黄海冷水团越强,这种作用就越明显。夏季风场在冲淡水转向东北的过程中作用显着。     

Detecting temporal trends and environmentally-driven changes in the spatial distribution of bottom fishes and crabs on the eastern Bering Sea shelf

This study uses a 30-year time series of standardized bottom trawl survey data (1982–2011) from the eastern Bering Sea shelf to model patterns of summer spatial distribution for various bottom fishes and crabs in response to changes in the areal extent of the cold pool, time lag between surveys, and fluctuations in population abundance. This investigation is the first to include data for the 2006–2010 cold period and to use between-year comparisons of local and shelf-wide spatial indices to test specific responses to three different isothermal boundaries within the cold pool. Distributional shifts in population varied considerably among species and directional vectors for some species were greater in magnitude to the east or west than to the north or south; however, in general, eastern Bering Sea shelf populations shifted southward in response to the increasing cold pool size, and after accounting for differences in temperature and population abundance, there was still a temporal northward shift in populations over the last three decades despite the recent cooling trend. Model results for local and shelf-wide indices showed that survey time lag and cold pool extent had a greater effect on spatial distribution than population abundance, suggesting that density-independent mechanisms play a major role in shaping distribution patterns on the eastern Bering Sea shelf. The area enclosed by the 1 °C isotherm most commonly affects both local and shelf-wide spatial indices suggesting that 1 °C is a more important boundary for describing temperature preferences of eastern Bering Sea bottom fishes and crabs than is the 2 °C isotherm used for designating the physical boundary for the cold pool.     

北部湾南部海域近底悬沙输运及地貌演变

利用1个海洋沉积动力过程原位监测系统在北部湾南部浅海陆架海域采集了18个潮周期的波浪、潮流、悬浮沉积物浓度、底床变化数据,分析了悬沙浓度变化特征,计算了近底悬沙通量并分析了潮流和波浪对底床演变的影响,结果表明:观测期间近底悬沙浓度的变化主要受水位波动、潮流的共同影响,波浪作用较弱;悬沙浓度的异常高值可能是上游沙波表面的泥沙滑落沉降所致;观测期间悬沙通量的波动规律与近底潮流速度变化一致,潮周期和涨落潮之间的悬沙通量有显著差别;在潮流作用下观测期间悬沙向西的净输运量约为15 158 kg/m,向北净悬沙通量为2 934 kg/m,东西向净通量远大于南北向净通量;近东西向波谷地形对南北向悬沙输运的限制作用可能导致了输运通量的显著差异;底床高程的变化在潮周期之间有差异,变化值在0.8~16.7 cm之间波动,厘米级底床高程的快速变化主要是由潮流流速的大小及往复潮流的不对称性造成的。这种变化可能与沙纹的运移有关,沉积物向下游方向的运移以及沙纹剖面形态的改变可以较合理地解释底床高程的变化特点。     

北部湾南部海域近底悬沙输运及地貌演变

利用1个海洋沉积动力过程原位监测系统在北部湾南部浅海陆架海域采集了18个潮周期的波浪、潮流、悬浮沉积物浓度、底床变化数据,分析了悬沙浓度变化特征,计算了近底悬沙通量并分析了潮流和波浪对底床演变的影响,结果表明:观测期间近底悬沙浓度的变化主要受水位波动、潮流的共同影响,波浪作用较弱;悬沙浓度的异常高值可能是上游沙波表面的泥沙滑落沉降所致;观测期间悬沙通量的波动规律与近底潮流速度变化一致,潮周期和涨落潮之间的悬沙通量有显著差别;在潮流作用下观测期间悬沙向西的净输运量约为15 158 kg/m,向北净悬沙通量为2 934 kg/m,东西向净通量远大于南北向净通量;近东西向波谷地形对南北向悬沙输运的限制作用可能导致了输运通量的显著差异;底床高程的变化在潮周期之间有差异,变化值在0.8~16.7 cm之间波动,厘米级底床高程的快速变化主要是由潮流流速的大小及往复潮流的不对称性造成的。这种变化可能与沙纹的运移有关,沉积物向下游方向的运移以及沙纹剖面形态的改变可以较合理地解释底床高程的变化特点。     

Sectional distribution of salinity and its indication of Kuroshio's intrusion in the southern Taiwan Strait and northeastern South China Sea late summer, 1994

INTRODUCTIONIn the late summer Of 1994 (from the end of August to the beginning of September), R/VsOcean Research l, Yanping 2, Ocean Research 3 and XiangWnghong 14 conducted a quasi-simultaneous comprehensive investigation in the southern Taiwan Strait (STS), the northeasternSouth China Sea (SCS) and their adjacent areas, and got CTD data from more than 330 stations.Based on sectional salinity distribution of 10 selected sections, this paper analyses the sectionaldistribution of…     

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.