• 한국해양학회지
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.22-27
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• 1985

To examine the summertime coastal current along the cast coast of Korea, we carried out hydrographic and current measurements in the coastal area of Chumunjin during July-August, 1982. Hydrographic results showed that isotherms, isohalines and isopycnals had a downward slope toward the coast in a layer of 0∼100m and that there existed relatively large horizontal gradients across shelf of salinity and density, mainly due to heavy precipitation in summer. It was found that there existed a strong southward flow along the coast reaching its maximal speed of about 70cm/sec in the nearshore area and that shear and speed of the observed current were coincident with orders of geostrophic current.

• Journal of the korean society of oceanography
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.20-26
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• 2002

The offshore extension of the East Korean Warm Current (EKWC) mostly turns anti-cyclonically around the Ulleung Warm Eddy (UWE). This fact needs to be dynamically explained because a rectilinear stream past a circular cylinder is normally expected to have a flow pattern symmetric about the stream axis. For this purpose, a simple analytical model is presented in this paper. This model shows that the EKWC's tendency to be anti-cyclonic around the UWE is due to the anti cyclonic circulation generated around the UWE. This tendency results from the geostrophic adjustment between the UWE and the ambient EKWC water. As the strength of the UWE decreases, relative to the EKWC, this model shows that the flow pattern gradually changes from circular to rectilinear.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• v.2
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• pp.926-929
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• 2006

Some features of vertical structure of the frontal interaction zone of the warm Kuroshio Current and cold Oyashio Current are known from 1930 from analysis of ship data. Ship data however do not allow carrying out the area detailed survey opposite to satellite infrared (IR) observations which possess by high spatial and temporal resolution. Analysis of NOAA AVHRR IR images demonstrated that process of formation and development of the Kuroshio warm core rings is highly complex. They are formed as a result of development of anticyclonic meanders of the warm Kuroshio waters and spin off them from the current. Joint analysis of thermal infrared images and altimetry data has also indicated that interaction of eddies to the frontal zone plays a crucial role in formation of large eddies moving to the Southern Kuril region.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.133-139
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• 2001

Ocean currents estimated from sea height anomalies derived from inter-calibrated TP/ERS are compared with daily mean currents measured with satellite-tracked drifters. The correlation coefficient between the geostrophic current from TP/ERS and surface current at 15 m depth from drifter tracks was found to be about 0.5. Due to the limitation of satellite ground tracks, small scale eddies less than 80 km are poorly resolved from TP/ERS. One of the interesting results of this study is that coastal currents along the eastern coast of Korea were well reproduced from sea height anomalies when the coastal currents were developed in association with eddies near the South Korean coast. The eddy kinetic energy (EKE) estimated from drifters, TP/ERS, and a numerical model are also compared. The EKE estimated from drifters was about 22 % higher than EKE calculated from TP/ERS. The pattern of low EKE level in the northern basin and high EKE level in the southern East Sea is shown in the EKE estimates derived from both the drifters and TP/ERS.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.11 no.1 s.22
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• pp.77-82
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• 2005

In order to investigate the initial stage of deep water formation between Vladivostok and the subpolar front in the East Sea, the factors, temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, measured by multi-ship surveys in ]969 have been used. Deep water formation in the .cast Sea occurs in essentially two different forms: near continent and open ocean formation. The position of eddy derived from potential vorticity matches well with that of deep water formation. The vertical and horizontal distributions of potential vorticity, geostrophic current, temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen give clues for the preconditioning phase qf open ocean formation like a doming of isotherm, associated with a cyclonic circulation.

• Journal of the korean society of oceanography
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.183-195
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• 1996

A barotropic non-linear numerical model is used to study the response of the Yellow Sea to winter cyclone passage. Cyclones normally come from the outside of the western boundary, China, and pass the region eastward. The cyclone parameters used for the present study are the following: the intensity, i.e., the maximum wind speed of the cyclone; the effective radius corresponding to this maximum; and the translation speed. The equations of motion are integrated over the depth which is supposed to be a constant. The Gaussian function is used to define the stream function of the wind. The following results have been found. A northward current is generated by the frontal part of the cyclone near the western boundary. After the cyclone leaves the sea area, a southward current is generated by the rear part of the cyclone. After that, a northward current is generated once again due to the westward propagating Rossby waves. The response of the sea to the cyclone passage is strongly influenced by a steady current when the steady current and the current due to the cyclone wind are of the same order. The steady current diminishes the sea response and reduces the speed of the southward current, and enhances the northward current speed. The intensity and the translation speed of a cyclone also influence the flow pattern significantly.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• v.2
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• pp.816-819
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• 2006

One of the most difficult parameters to measure in the sea is current speed and direction. Recently, efforts are being made to estimate the ocean current vectors by utilizing sequential satellite imageries. In this study, we attempted to estimated sea surface current vector (sscv) by using satellite ocean color imageries of SeaWifs around the Korean Peninsula. This ocean color image data has 1-day sampling interval and spatial resolution of 1x1 km. Maximum cross-correlation method is employed which is aimed to detect similar patterns between sequential images. The estimated current vectors are compared to the surface geostrophic current vectors obtained from altimeter of sea level height data. In utilizing the color imagery data, some limitations and drawbacks exist so that in warm water region where phytoplankton concentration is relatively lower than in cold water region, estimation of sscv is poor and unreliable. On the other hand, two current vector fields agree reasonably well in the Korean South Sea region where high concentration of chlorophyll-a and weak tide is observed. In the future, with ocean color images of shorter sampling interval by COMS satellite, the algorithm and methodology developed in the study would be useful in providing the information for the ocean current around Korean Peninsula.

• Ocean Science Journal
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.101-107
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• 2005

A simple analytical model is considered in an attempt to demonstrate a formation mechanism of the abyssal current in the East Sea. In this model, the abyssal currents are driven by wind through an outcrop region and flow along closed geostrophic contours. A rough estimate of the abyssal currents, arrived at by applying this model to the region of deep mixing in the East Sea, gives currents comparable to those observed, although there is an uncertainty in the surface area of the outcrop region. It seems that the spin-up of deep water by wind forcing through the region of deep winter mixing is, at least partly, an important contribution to the formation of the abyssal currents in the East Sea.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.759-770
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• 1997

The general flow patterns in the Cheju Strait have been investicated by analyzing the current observations measured in $1986\~1989$ by current meter mooring in 3 north-south sections in the Cheju Strait and at 4 observation points around Cheju Harbour, and measured in $1981\~1987$ by drogue tracking. 1. In the Cheju Strait, there are eastward or northeastward residual currents, which implies that sea waters flow into through the whole western section and flow out through the whole eastern section in the Cheju Strait. The velocity of residual currents are $5.2\~30\;cm/sec$ in 10 m layer and $1.3\~24cm/sec$ in mid-bottom layer. Generally, the flow is strong along the deepest through and the northern part, and weak in the shallow areas near Chuja Islands and Bogil Island. 2. In the western entrance of the Cheju Strait, the observed mean residual velocity is 6.93 cm/sec and the volume transport is 0.384 Sv. There are a big discrepancy between the observed residual currents and the geostrophic currents. 3. Near the frontal areas northwest to Chuja Islands, warm and saline offshore waters, flow northward about 5 miles into the southern coastal areas of the Korean Peninsula in flood, and flow back rather eastward or southeastward than southward in ebb. So, warm and saline waters flow along coastal areas, being mixed with coastal waters. As a result, the northwestern area of Chuja Islands plays a role of the entrance of influx of warm and saline offshore water to the southwestern coastal areas of the Korean Peninsula. It should be stressed that this flow pattern is not due to the residual flows, but to the temporal (tidal) flows.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.41-49
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• 2008

Internal waves and internal tides occur frequently along the eastern coast of Korea. During the spring-tide period in April 2003, the East Korean Warm Current (EKWC) flowed near the Korean East Coast Farming Forecast System (KECFFS; a moored oceanographic measurement system), creating a strong thermocline at the intermediate layer. Weakened stratification and well-mixed water appeared frequently around the KECFFS, with duration of approximately 1 day. The results suggest the following scenario. Baroclinic motion related to the internal tide generated high frequency internal waves around the thermocline. The breaking of those waves then created turbulence around the thermocline. After well-mixed water appeared, a current component with perpendicular direction to the EKWC appeared within the inertial period. The change in stratification around the KECFFS locally broke the geostrophic balance as a transient state. This local vertical mixing formed an ageostrophic current within the inertial period.