• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.185-192
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• 1991

The vertical distribution and chemical characteristics of water masses were measured along two south-north transects in the polar front region of the central Korean East Sea. In February, a thermocline was present at depth between 50m and loom at the southern sites of a landward A-transect, and its depth was gradually deepened northward. At an outside B-transect, a thermocline was observed at significantly deep depth of 300m to 400m at two northern stations(Stn. 10 and 11), though the depth of the southward stations was nearly identical to that at the northward stations on a A-transect. In September, there were vertically more various water masses, i.e. the Tsushima Warm surface water(TWSW) or more than $20^{\circ}C$, the Tsushima Middle water(TMW) with a range of $12{\~}17^{\circ}C$, the North Korea Cold Water(NKCW) with $1{\~}7^{\circ}C$ temperature, the Japan Sea Proper Water(JSPW) of less than $1^{\circ}C$, and the mixed water. The North Korea Cold Water could be distinguishable from the other waters, especially from the mixed water of the Tsushima Middle Water and the Japan Sea Proper Water by the pattern of $T-O_2$ diagram. For instance, the North Korea Cold Water had higher oxygen by $1{\~}2ml/l$ than those in the mixed water, although both the two water masses ranged $1{\~}7^{\circ}C$ in water temperature. AOU value was the highest in the JSPW and the lowest in the TWSW. Also, AOU indicated a nearly linear and negative correlation with water temperature. However, AOU data for two masses, the NKCW and the TMW, in September departed remarkably from a regression line. Moreover, the ratio of $$\Delta P/\Delta AOU)$ in September was about $0.45{\mu}g-at/ml$ and higher than the value observed in the open sea. This high value could be elucidated by two factors; intrusion of the NKCW with high oxygen and molecular diffusion of dissolved oxygen from the surface into the lower layer. AOU would be a useful tracer for water masses in the polar front area of the Korean East Sea.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.15-28
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• 1992

Temporal variations of the path of the East Korea Warm Current(EKWC) which flows northward along the east coast of Korea were analysed to investigate whether the EKWC directly influences the existence of the so-called Warm Core in the Ulreung basin. From the 13 years(1975-1987) data of the Fisheries Research and Development Agency(FRDA), the $10^{\circ}C$ isotherm at the 100m depth and the depth of $2^{\circ}C$ isotherm and the temperature field at the 200m depth were used for identification of the path and the central position of the Warm Core. Sea surface winds computed from the surface pressure charts gave the monthly-averaged wind stress curl over the East Sea which was used for determination of the Sverdrup transport. And the mass transport stream functions were computed by use of the Sverdrup balance. The variations of the path show that the EKWC does not always have a fixed path and fluctuates with time. And the existence of the Warm Core is independent upon the presence of the EKWC even when the EKWC doesn't flow northward along the east coast of Korea. In view of the mass transport stream functions, the influences of the sea surface winds on the branching of the Tsushima Warm Currents and the presence of the EKWC were investigated. The presence of the EKWC may be hindered by the southward flow driven by the sea surface winds when the Tsushima currents are rather weak. A very weak correlation exists between the north-south component of the Sverdrup transport and the position of the Warm Core. However, a small but significant part of the southward transport across the latitudinal line of $38^{\circ}N$ indicates that cold water from the northern part of the East Sea may be driven and be forced to flow beneath the permanent thermocline in such a way that the thermal structure of the Warm Core and its position might be changed.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.186-194
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• 2000

In this study, the oceanic responses to given atmospheric boundary conditions are investigated using a mesoscale ocean circulation model. The numerical experiments are divided into two parts: One is, so called, spin-up experiment and the other is reproduction experiment. The spin-up experiment simulates climatic state of ocean by integrating the ocean model with upper boundary conditions of the monthly mean atmospheric climate data. In the reproduction experiment, for the reproduction of major oceanic changes around Korean Peninsula during the period of 1980-1998 (19 years), the model has been integrated under the boundary condition of the 19year monthly mean atmosphere data. The spined-up state of ocean generated from the spin-up experiment is assigned to the initial boundary condition of the reproduction experiment. In the spin-up experiment, the model properly simulates the major features of circulation structure around Korean Peninsula; such as separation of East Korean Warm Current (EKWC), formation of the polar front, cold water band associated with the small scale eddies in the East Sea, the formation of front along west coast, and the seasonal variation of circulation pattern caused by changing upwind current in the West Sea. In the reproduction experiment, the model has shown the interannual sea surface temperature variations and a warming trend of about 0.5$^{\circ}$C during the period around Korean Peninsula, as in the case of the observation. Therefore, it is concluded that the model is capable of simulating not only the mean states but also the variabilities of ocean under the given atmosphere boundary conditions.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.52-58
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• 1974

The water temperature distribution and the water movement closely related with it, in the east side of Korea, was condidered. Special emphasis was paid on the low temperature phenomenon near Ulgi. It was known from the temperature distribution in the east side of Korea that the Tsushima current continues to flow northward at the surface near Sokcho. Also the influence of the cold water extends from the North to the South with increasing depth. The formation of the cold core near Ulgi was explained as due mainly to the existence of the boundary layer near the surface, and partly to the effect of the wind. This inclination of the boundary layer has the value of about 3.0m/Km, and the lower cold current velocity computed using this value lies in the range of those observed by Nishida(1926, 1927). The upwelling velocity was computed approximately as 1.4 10$\^$-3/ cm/sec, and the maximum distance to which the boundarylayer can rise or fall from it's equilibrium position was considered as below 10m.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.57-63
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• 1995

Two-layered fluid with sloping bottom and top(${\beta}$-effect) in rigid cylinder is put on the rotating table. To drive the lower-layer motion in "the Sverdrup type" flow external fluid is pumped into the lower-layer. By introducing inlet-outlet system in the upper-layer, an analogy to the Tsushima Tsugaru, Soya of the East Sea has been tested. The position of the inlet-outlet system and the difference between the strength of inlet or outlet flow are changed to see the effects of the wind stress on the upper-layer. The northern part of inflow toward the outlet may be interpreted roughly as the position of the polar front in the East Sea. Experimental observations have revealed that the inflow flows along the western boundary before it separates into the interior and flows straight toward the outlet position. However, the wind effect is imposed upon the upper-layer, the western boundary flow branches into two parts of which one flows along the boundary and the other flows into the interior under the influence of negative wind stress curl, while southward western boundary flow seems to block the flow and deflect it to the interior. The changes in the position of inlet-outlet system produce more significant changes in flow pattern in that cyclonic flow in the north controls the northern extent of the polar front by deflecting the northward interior motion toward the west(outlet). Interface displacement which depends strongly on the velocity difference between two layers seems to play crucial role in terms of the path of upper-layer flow, particularity, the inflow.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.32 no.7
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• pp.832-859
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• 2011

The importance of scientific education on accurate oceanic currents and circulation has been increasingly addressed because the currents have played a significant role in climate change and global energy balance. The objectives of this study are to analyze errors of the oceanic current maps in the textbooks, to discuss a variety of error sources, to suggest how to produce a unified oceanic current map of the East Sea for the students. Twenty-seven textbooks based on the 7th National Curriculum were analyzed and quantitatively investigated on the characteristics of the current maps by comparing with both the previous literature and up-to-date scientific knowledge. All the maps in the textbooks with different mappings were converted to digitalized image data with Mercator mapping using geolocation information. Detailed analysis were performed to investigate the patterns of the Tsushima Warm Current (TWC) in the Korea Strait, to examine how closely the nearshore branch of the TWC flows along the Japanese coast, to scrutinize the features of the offshore branch of the TWC south of the subpolar front in the East Sea, to quantitatively investigate the northern range of the northward-propagating East Korea Warm Current and its latitude turning to the east, and lastly to examine the outflow of the TWC near the Tsugaru Strait and the Soya Strait. In addition, the origins, southern limits, and distances from the coast of the Liman Current and the North Korea Cold Current were analyzed. Other erroneous expressions of the currents in the textbooks were presented. These analyses revealed the problems in the present current maps of the textbooks, which might lead the students to misconception. This study also addressed a necessity in a bridge between scientists with up-to-date scientific results and educators who needed educational materials.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.259-266
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• 1998

A study on the biological and chemical characteristics in the middle last Sea of Korea was carried out at 31 stations in October $11\~18$, 1995 on board the R/V Tam-Yang. The chlorophyll a concentration, new and regenerated production, and the vertical diffusion of nitrate from the thermocline structure were investigated. From the vertical distribution of chlorophyll a, subsurface maxima were observed near the thermorline at most stations including the frontal zone, except at the southern stations where the maximum chloropyll a concentration occurred at the surface, The nanophytoplankton was the most dominant fraction comprising $83.5\%$ of total phytoplankton cell numbers, but netphytoplankton were common at the southern stations where the dominant species were Rhizosolenia sp. Nitrogenous new production and regenerated productions were measured using the stable isotope $^{15}N$ nitrate and ammonia uptake method. The vertically integrated nitrogen production varied between 8.470 and $72.945\;mg\;N\;m^{-2}\;d^{-1}$. The f-ratio, which is the traction of new production from primary production, waried between 0.03 and 0.72, indicating that $3\%$ to $72\%$ of primary production was supported by the input of nutrients from below the euphotic zone and the rest are supported by ammonia recycled within the euphotic layer. This range of f-ratio encompasses from extremely oligotrophic to eutrophic area characteristics. The differences in productivity and f-ratio among stations were related to frontal structure and the bottom topography. The values were high near the frontal zone and low outside of it, and the station near Ulleng Island showed the highest f-ratio. Vertical diffusion coefficients were calculated from both the water column stability (Kz-1) of King and Devol's equation (1979) and new nitrogen requirement (Kz-2). The values of Kz-2 ($0.11\~0.55\;cm^2/s$) were relatively low compared to the values reported previously.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.442-450
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• 1997

The chemical properties of water masses were investigated at 33 stations of the southeastern last Sea in February, 1995 on board R/V Tam-Yang. The water masses were not clearly distinguished due to the vortical mixing in winter. However, on the basis of the T-S and $T-O_2$ diagrams, water masses in the study area were divided into five groups (Type I, Type II, Type III, Type IV, Type V). (1) $>9.0^{\circ}C,\;>34.35\;psu,\;5.08\~5.60m\ell/\ell$ at Type I, (2) $6.0\~9.0^{\circ}C,\;34.15\~34.35\;psu,\;5.60\~5.90\;m\ell/\ell$ at Type II, (3) $4.0\~6.0^{\circ}C,\;34.00\~34.15\;psu,\;>5.90m\ell/\ell$ at Type III, (4) $1.5\~4.0^{\circ}C,\;34.00\~34.05\;psu,\;5.40\~5.90\;m\ell/\ell$ at Type IV, (5) $<1.5^{\circ}C,\;34.05\~34.07\;psu,\;4.80\~5.40\;m\ell/\ell$ at Type V. In the vertical profiles of nutrients, the concentrations were very low in the surface layer and increased rapidly with depth. The highest concentrations occurred in Type IV, while the concentrations in Type I were the lowest. The N/P ratios were less than Redfield ratio, indicating that nitrogenous nutrients were the limiting factor tor phytoplankton growth. The concentrations of POC and PON were in the range of $0.49\~20.03\;{\mu}g-at/\ell\;and\;0.09\~5.34\;{\mu}g-at/\ell$, respectively. The relatively high concentration occured in the surface layer of inner shore, showing that the concentration at each water mass followed the order Type I > Type II > Type III > Type IV > Type V, respectively. The C:N ratio in particulate organic matter was lower than the values reported in other region due to relatively high concentrations of PON in the study area. Relatively high ratios of POC to chlorophyll $\alpha$ during the study periods indicate that non-living detritus comparised most of the POC in the study area.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.393-407
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• 1997

A survey of biological and chemical characteristics in the middle-northern East Sea of Korea was carried out at 28 stations in October, 1995 on board R/V Tam-Yang. On the basis of the vertical profiles of temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen, water masses in the study area were divided into 5 major groups; (1) Low Saline Surface Water (LSSW), (2) Tsushima Surface Water (TSW), (3) Tsushima Middle Water (TMW), (4) North Korean Cold Water (NKCW), (5) last Sea Porper Water (ESPW). Other 4 mixed water masses were also observed. It is highly possible that the LSSW which occured at depths of $0\~30m$ in the most southern part of the study area is originated from the Yangtze River (Kiang) of China due to very low salinity $(<32.0\%_{\circ})$ relatively high concentration of dissolved silicate and no sources of freshwater input into that area. Oxygen maximum layer in the vertical profile was located near surface at northern cold waters and became deeper at the warm southern area. Oxygen minimum layer af depths $50\~100m$, which is TMW, were found in only southern area. In the vortical profiles of nutrients, the concentrations were very low in the surface layer and increased drammatically near the thermocline. The highest concentration occurred in the ESPW. The relatively low value of Si/P ratio in the ESPW (13.63) compared to other reports in the East Sea was due to continuous increase of P with depth as well as Si. The N : P ratio was about 6.92, showing that nitrogenous nutrient is the limiting factor for phytoplankton growth. The exponential relationship between Si and P, compared to the linear relationship between N and P, indicates that nitrate and phosphate have approximately the same regenerative pattern, but silicate has delayed regenerative pattern.