A Geostrophic Adjustment Model of the Seasonal Variation of the Ulleung Warm Eddy

In an attempt to demonstrate the seasonal variation of the Ulleung Warm Eddy (UWE), in which the UWE changes its shape from a warm core ring in early spring to a warm lens in late summer under the effect of surrounding East Korean Warm Current (EKWC) Water, a simple geostrophic adjustment model is considered. Model results indicate that the buoyancy increase of the EKWC Water and the strengthening of the EKWC towards summer, both of which are typical of this region, are the major factors governing the seasonal variation of the UWE.