• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.65-75
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• 2004

In order to understand the water masses and their distribution in the eastern Yellow Sea from winter to spring, a cluster analysis was applied to the temperature and salinity data of Korea Oceanographic Data Center from 1970 to 1990. From December to April, Yellow Sea Cold Water (YSCW) dominates the eastern Yellow Sea, whereas Eastern Yellow Sea Mixed Water (MW) and Yellow Sea Warm Water (YSWW) are found in the southern part of the eastern Yellow Sea. MW appears at the frontal region around $34^{\circ}N$ between YSCW in the north and YSWW in the south. On the other hand, Tshushima Warm Water (TWW) is found around Jeju Island and the South Sea of Korea. These water masses are relatively well-mixed throughout the water column due to the winter monsoon. However, the water column begins to be stratified in spring due to increased solar heating, the diminishing winds and fresh water discharge, and the water masses in June may be separated into surface, intermediate and bottom layers of the water column. YSWW advances northwestward from December to February and retreats southeastward from February to April. This suggests a periodic movement of water masses in the southern part of the eastern Yellow Sea from winter to spring. YSWW may continue to move eastward with the prevailing eastward current to the South Sea from April to June. Also, the front relaxes in June, but the mixed water advances to the north, increasing salinity. The salinity is also higher in the nearshore region than offshore. This indicates an influx of oceanic water to the north in the nearshore region of the eastern Yellow Sea in spring in the form of mixed water.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.259-267
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• 1992

A survey of CTD casting was taken in April 1991 in the eastern Yellow Sea. The vertical structure of water column consists of the upper mixed warm, the mid cold and the lower warm layers devised clearly by a seasonal thermocline and the temperature inversion. A strongest temperature inversion is found in the southern part of the survey area. Where the low-layer water is $3^{\circ}C$ higher than the mid-layer water. The area of the temperature inversion covers about $100{\;}km{\;}{\times}{\;}100{\;}km$ and it is observed 1.5 month later. The temperature and salinity of the low-layer water shows a core structure in vertical sections and the tongue-like distribution extending from the south to the north, implying that the warm and saline water found in the oceanic front south of the survey area in early spring is advocated to the north over 150 km underneath the Yellow Sea cold water.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.111-123
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• 2012

To understand the phytoplankton community in the eastern part of the Yellow Sea (EYS), in the summer, field survey was conducted at 25 stations in June 2009, and water samples were analyzed using a epifluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry and HPLC method. The EYS could be divided into four areas by a cluster analysis, using phytoplankton group abundances: coastal mixing area, Anma-do area, transition water, and the central Yellow Sea. In the coastal mixing area, water column was well mixed vertically, and phytoplankton was dominated by diatoms, chrysophytes, dinoflagellates and nanoflagellates, showing high abundance ($>10^5\;cells\;l^{-1}$). In Anma-do coastal waters characterized by high dominance of dinoflagellates, high phytoplankton abundance and biomass separated from other coastal mixing area. The southeastern upwelling area was expanded from Jin-do to Heuksan-do, by a tidal mixing and coastal upwelling in the southern area of Manjae-do, and phytoplankton was dominated by benthic diatoms, nanoflagellates and Synechococcus group in this area. Phytoplankton abundance and biomass dominated by pico- and nanophytoplankton were low values in the transition waters and the central Yellow Sea. In the surface of the central Yellow Sea, high dominance of photosynthetic pigments, 19'-hexanoyloxyfucoxanthin and zeaxanthin implies that haptophytes and cyanobacteria could be the dominant group during the summer. These results indicate that the phytoplankton communities in the EYS were significantly affected by the formation of tidal front, thermal stratification, and coastal upwelling showing the differences of physical and chemical characteristics during the summer.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.21 no.12
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• pp.1425-1433
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• 2012

Water temperature in the eastern part of the Yellow Sea (EYS) during winter (JFM) and summer (JJA) from 1964 to 2009 and Siberian High Pressure Index (SHI) and Arctic Oscillation index (AOI) during winter (JFM) from 1950 to 2011 were used to analyze long-term variation in oceanic and atmospheric conditions and relationship between winter and summer bottom water temperature. Winter water temperature at 0, 30 and 50 m had fluctuated highly till the late of 1980s, but after this it was relatively stable. The long-term trends in winter water temperature at both depths were separated with cold regime and warm regime on the basis of the late 1980s. Winter water temperature at 0m and 50m during warm regime increased about $0.9^{\circ}C$ and $1.1^{\circ}C$ respectively compared to that during cold regime. Fluctuation pattern in winter water temperature matched well with SHI and AOI The SHI had negative correlation with water temperature at 0 m (r=-0.51) and 50 m (r=-0.58). On the other hand, the AO had positive correlation with Winter water temperature at 0 m (r=0.34) and 50 m (r=0.45). Cyclic fluctuation pattern of winter water temperature had a relation with SHI and AO, in particular two to six-year periodicity were dominant from the early of the 1970s to the early of the 1980s. Before the late of 1980s, change pattern in winter water temperature at 0 and 50 m was similar with that in the bottom water temperature during summer, but after this, relationship between two variables was low.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.63-70
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• 1987

Existing oceanographic data indicate that tidal mixing fronts generally prevail in the Eastern Yellow Sea along the Korean coast. In the Western part, these fronts seem to be much weaker. These fronts are believed to be generated mostly by spatially different tidal mixing. The geostrophic adjustment model applied to the observed density structure gives the mixed coastal water flowing northward and the offshore waters(both surface warm and bottom cold waters) flowing southward along the Korean coast. The transport of each water amounts to O(10$\^$4/)m$\^$3//sec.

• Ocean Science Journal
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.11-29
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• 2006

We investigated species composition and spatial distribution of the euphausiid community in the Yellow Sea and identified the relationship with environmental factors (temperature, salinity, chlorophyll $\alpha$, nitrate, phosphate, and silicate) using bimonthly data from June, 1997 to April, 1998. The environment varied during the sampling period. In warm seasons, thermocline was well developed rendering lower temperature and higher salinity and nutrient concentrations in the bottom layer. During cold seasons the water column was well mixed and no such vertical stratification was noted. Horizontal distribution of temperature, however, differed slightly between near-coast and offshore areas because of the shallow depth of the Yellow Sea, and between southern and northern areas because of the intrusion of water masses such as Yellow Sea Warm Current and Changjiang River Diluted Water. Four euphausiid species were identified: Euphausia pacifica, E. sanzoi, Pseudeuphausia sp. and Stylocheron affine. E. sanzoi and S. affine were collected, just one juvenile each, from the southern area in June and December, respectively. Pseudeuphausia sp. were collected in the eastern area all the year round except June. E. pacifica occurred at the whole study area and were the predominant species, representing at least 97.6% of the euphausiid abundance. Further, the distribution pattern of the species was varied in regards to developmental stages (adult, furcilia, calyptopis, egg). From spring to fall, E. pacifica adults were abundant in the central area where the Yellow Sea Bottom Cold Water prevailed. Furcilia and calyptopis extended their distribution into nearly all the study area during the same period. From late fall to winter, adults were found at the near-coastal are a with similar pattern for furcilia and calyptopis. The distribution pattern of E. pacifica was consistent regarding temperature, salinity, and three nutrients during the sampling period, whereas chlorophyll $\alpha$ showed a different pattern according to the developmental stages. The nutrients should indirectly affect via chlorophyll $\alpha$ and phytoplankton concentration. With respect to these results, we presented a scenario about how the environmental factors along with the water current affect the distribution of E. pacifica in the Yellow Sea.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.83-91
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• 1984

The formation and structure of tidal front in the eastern part of the Yellow Sea were studied based on the oceanographic data compiled during the periods of $1982{\sim}1983$ and $1966{\sim}1970$. Well-defined fronts occurring in the Yellow Sea in summer mark the boundary between the stratified and vertically mixed regimes. The occurrence of vertically mixed regimes may be interpreted in terms of available turbulent kinematic energy of tidal currents. The tidal frontal regions were determined by horizontal gradients of temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen, and were verified by water colour and transparency. In summer the tidal fronts were found at depths of $15{\sim}25m$ at about 20 miles from the shore. Potential energy of vortical stratification in the tidal frontal region was 10 $Joule/m^3$. The stratification parameter in the frontal region computed from the numerical tidal model was $S_p=1.0.$ Tidal front is formed in regions with $S_p=1-1.5,$ if surface heat flux are constant. Waters in the stratified region have the layer structures of wind-mixed surface layer, thermocline and tidal-mixed bottom layer. In the vertically mixed region, however, sea water is nearly homogeneous. in winter no distinctive tidal front was seen.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.11 no.7
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• pp.627-636
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• 2002

While typhoons were passing by the coastal and offshore waters around the Korean peninsula, the variations of the sea surface temperature (SST) were studied. To study on the variation, the data related to the 22 typhoons among 346 typhoons which occurred in the western Pacific during 1990∼1999, daily measured field SSTs at coastal and offshore, and imageries from advanced very high resolution radiometer on NOAA satellite during 1990∼1999 were used. The average variations of the SSTs were -0.9℃ at coastal waters and -2℃ at offshore around the Korean peninsula while the typhoons were passing by. In very near coastal waters from the land, the SST was not changed because the bottom depth of the coastal waters was shallower than the depth of thermalcline, while the typhoon was passing. The temporal and spatial variation of SSTs at coastal waters in summer were depended on the various types of the typhoons＇paths which were passing through the Korean peninsula. When a typhoon passed by the western parts including the Yellow Sea of the Korean peninsula upwelling cold water occurred along the eastern coastal waters of the peninsula. The reason was estimated with the typhoon that was as very strong wind which blew from south toward north direction along the eastern shore of the peninsula, led to the Ekman transport from near the eastern coastal area toward the offshore. While cold water was occurring in the eastern coast, a typhoon passed over the coastal area, the cold water disappeared. The reason was estimated that the cold water was mixed up with the surrounding warm water by the effect of the typhoon. While a cold water was occurring in the eastern coast, a typhoon passed by the offshore of the eastern coast, there were the increasing of the SST as well as the disappearing of the cold water. While a typhoon was passing by the offshore of the eastern coast, the cold water which resulted from the strong tidal current in the western coast of the peninsula was horizontally spread from the onshore to the offshore. We think that the typhoon played the role of the very strong wind which was blowing from north toward south. Therefore, the Ekman transport occurred from the onshore toward the offshore of the western coast in the Korean peninsula.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 1998

The hydrographic data collected at three different times July, 1994, May, 1995 and June, 1996 around Taean peninsula in the mid-Yellow Sea off Korea, well known for the well-defined surface thermal fronts in summer, were analyzed. In the vertically well-mixed area where water depths varied from 15 m depth to 60 m depth, the temperature difference in the water column was less than $1^{\circ}C$. The temperature observed in the vertically well-mixed area was reversely related with the water depths and the coldest surface water was always observed over the deep channel with the depth of more than 50m, which developed southwestward off the promontory of Taean peninsula, irrespective of the observation period. The strengths of surface thermal front observed in June were much stronger than those in July, even though the surface temperature of stratified area were nearly the same as in July. These observed features could be explained as follows: A major physical process for the formation of the surface thermal front is the vertical mixing of water column but the detailed thermal structure in the study area depend on the physical parameters such as the water depth in the vertically well-mixed side and the vertical thermal structure in the stratified side.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2013

Acoustic backscatter profiles were measured by Eco-sounder along an east-west section in the mid-eastern Yellow Sea and at an anchoring station in the low salinity region off the Keum River estuary in September 2012, with observing physical water property structure by CTD. Tidal front was established around the sand ridge developed in 50 m depth region. Internal waves measured by Eco-sounder during low tide period in the eastern side of the sand ridge were nonlinear depression waves with wave height of 15 m and mean wavelength of 500 m. These waves were interpreted into tidal internal waves that were produced by tidal current flowing over the sand ridge to the southeast. When weakly non-linear soliton model was applied, propagation speed and period of these internal depression wave were 50 m/s and 16~18 min. Red tides by Dinoflagelates Cochlodinium were observed in the sea surface where strong acoustic scattering layer was raised up to 7 m. Hourly CTD profiles taken at the anchoring station off the Keum River estuary showed the halocline depth change by tidal current and land-sea breeze. When tidal current flowed strongly to the northeast during flood period and land-breeze of 7 m/s blew to the west, the halocline was temporally raised up as much as 2 m and acoustic profile images showed a complex structure in the surface layer within 5-m depth: in tens of seconds the declined acoustic structure of strong and weak scattering signals alternatively appeared with entrainment and intrusion shape. These acoustic profile structures in the surface mixed layer were observed for the first time in the coastal sea of the mid-eastern Yellow Sea. The acoustic profile images and turbidity data suggest that relatively transparent low-layer water be intruded or entrained into the turbid upper-layer water by vertical shear between flood current and land breeze-induced surface current.