A Three-Dimensional Numerical Study of Effects of Typhoons on Oceanographic Conditions in the Korea Strait

When typhoons passed around the Korea Strait, some observation in this strait carried out by Mizuno et al. (1986) gives us the following oceanographic features; 1) the direction of the observed current was opposite to the northeasterly wind, 2) temperature rapidly increased having a time lag as the depth deepens, after then decreased with oscillation. A primitive equation ocean model that makes use of a sigma-coordinate system and incorporates a typhoon model was used to examine the mechanism to generate these phenomena. The model region covers the East China Sea, the Yellow Sea, and a portion of the East Sea (Japan Sea). The model well reproduces the observed features, especially in temperature field, and clearly manifests how the above observed features happened. From early time when the typhoon was located in low latitude, an alongshore northward current in the west of Kyushu (hereafter the West Kyushu Current) is generated by an alongshore wind in the typhoon. This current flows into the eastern channel, as a coastal jet, regardless to the wind field within the Korea Strait during this period. The above observed phenomena are generated by this current. The model results indicate that when typhoons pass around the Korea Strait, the West Kyushu Current is generated, and oceanographic condition in the strait should be greatly influenced by this current.