• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.287-302
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• 2003

The seasonal variations in the circulation of the water mass in the East Sea/Japan Sea have been simulated using a free surface primitive ocean model, RIAMOM (RIAM Ocean Model), comparing the results from GFDL-MOM1 (Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory Modular Ocean Model, version 1.1, hereafter MOM) with the GDEM (Generalized Digital Environmental Model) data. Both models appear to successfully reproduce the distinct features of circulation in the East Sea/Japan Sea, such as the NB (Nearshore Branch) flowing along the Japanese coast, the EKWC (East Korean Warm Current) flowing northward along the Korean coast, and the NKCC/LCC (North Korean Cold Current/Liman Cold Current) flowing southwestward along Korean/Russian coast. RIAMOM has shown better performance, compared to MOM, in terms of the realistic simulation of the flow field in the East Sea/Japan Sea; RIAMOM has produced more rectified flows on the coastal region, for example, the narrower and stronger NKCC/LCC than MOM has. There is however obvious differences between the model results and the GDEM data in terms of the calculation of the water mass; both models have shown a tendency to overpredict temperature and underpredict salinity below 50m; more diffusive forms of thermocline and halocline have been simulated than noted in GDEM data.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.97-110
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• 2000

To investigate characteristics of water masses and current structures around Noto Peninsula located in south-east coastal region of the East Sea, observation results of CREAMS (Circulations Research of the East Asian Marginal Seas) cruise and data report of oceanographic observation (Japan Meteorological Agency) in June, 1995 and 1996 were used. Water mass showing characteristics of Tsushima Warm Current (TWC) exists over the continental shelf. The depth is shallower than 200m and its width and thickness are 190km and 200m, respectively. Minimum level of dissolved oxygen occurred at the layers of maximum salinity. In the current structure, a noteworthy phenomenon is that the positions of the high-salinity water (more than 34.6 psu) match well with the distributions of the southwestward flow. In June of 1995 and June of 1996, a southwestward flow were separated into two parts along line C and line G. Current directions derived from the temperature and salinity match well with the distributions of the geostrophic currents in the vertical sections. The isothermal lines and the isohaline, which exist horizontally along the coastal area of the Japan, change abruptly at the frontal area of the Noto Peninsula, then turn toward the center of the East Sea. The dynamic depth anomalies centering around the region far northwest of the Noto Peninsula were relatively high, compared to those of other regions. The isopycnic surface (sigma-t, 25.8) existed near the surface in the central part of the East Sea, but, at the depth of 100m, the isopycnic surface was found in the coastal waters.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers Conference
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• 1996.10a
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• pp.14-14
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• 1996

In order to understand the tidal hydrodynamics of the Yellow Sea and Parts of the East China Sea, we have developed a three-dimensional, fine resolution, nonlinear, harmonic finite element model. Major four tidal constituents, M$_2$, S$_2$, K$_1$ and O$_1$ are used as forcing along the open boundary. Due to the shallowness of the region, tidal results are strongly affected by the bottom roughness coefficients, especially for the quadratic form. (omitted)

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.72-80
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• 2007

The tsunami that resulted from the Central East sea Earthquake, which registered 7.7 on the Richter scale, that occurred over the entire water region in Akita on May. 26, 1983 and the tsunami that was triggered by the Southwest off Hokkaido Earthquake (7.8 on the Richter scale) that occurred in Southwest off Hokkaido on July 12, 1993 are representative cases that led to considerable damage in life and property, not only in Japan but also in Korea. In this study, multi-grid method was used in order to reproduce sufficiently the shoaling effect that occurs as water depth becomes shallow in the shallow water region and moving boundary condition was introduced to consider the runup in the coastal region. For the tsunamis that exerted considerable effect on the East Sea coast of Korea that were caused by the Central East Sea Earthquake in 1983 and the Southwest off Hokkaido Earthquake in 1993, characteristics like water level rise and propagation in the East Sea coast will be examined using numerical simulations. At the same time, these values will be compared with observed values. In addition, maximum water level rise and change in the water level with respect to time that were caused by the tsunamis were examined at each location along the East sea coast. Usefulness of numerical analysis was verified by comparing with observed values.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Sciences Society Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.177-184
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• 2003

Numerical simulation on marine wind and sea surface elevation was carried out using both three-dimensional hydrostatic and non-hydrostatic models and a simple oceanic model from 0900 LST, August 13 to 0900 LST, August 15, 1995. As daytime easterly meso-scale sea-breeze from the eastern sea penetrates Kangnung city in the center part as basin and goes up along the slope of Mt. Taegullyang in the west, it confronts synoptic-scale westerly wind blowing over the top of the mountain at the mid of the eastern slope and then the resultant wind produces an upper level westerly return flow toward the East Sea. In a narrow band of weak surface wind within 10km of the coastal sea, wind stress is generally small, less than l${\times}$10E-2 Pa and it reaches 2 ${\times}$ 10E-2 Pa to the 35 km. Positive wind stress curl of 15 $\times$ 10E-5Pa $m^{-1}$ still exists in the same band and corresponds to the ascent of 70 em from the sea level. This is due to the generation of northerly wind driven current with a speed of 11 m $S^{-1}$ along the coast under the influence of south-easterly wind and makes an intrusion of warm waters from the southern sea into the northern coast, such as the East Korea Warm Current. On the other hand, even if nighttime downslope windstorm of 14m/s associated with both mountain wind and land-breeze produces the development of internal gravity waves with a hydraulic jump motion of air near the coastal inland surface, the surface wind in the coastal sea is relatively moderate south-westerly wind, resulting in moderate wind stress. Negative wind stress curl in the coast causes the subsidence of the sea surface of 15 em along the coast and south-westerly coastal surface wind drives alongshore south-easterly wind driven current, opposite to the daytime one. Then, it causes the intrusion of cold waters like the North Korea Cold Current in the northern coastal sea into the narrow band of the southern coastal sea. However, the band of positive wind stress curl at the distance of 30km away from the coast toward further offshore area can also cause the uprising of sea waters and the intrusion of warm waters from the southern sea toward the northern sea (northerly wind driven current), resulting in a counter-clockwise wind driven current. These clockwise and counter-clockwise currents much induce the formation of low clouds containing fog and drizzle in the coastal region.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.170-177
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• 2003

This study is to analyze the influence of the Tsushima Warm Current (TWC) on the variation of sound speed in the southern part of the East Sea. Sound speed is calculated by method of Chen and Millero (1977:, based on the CTD data measured in June of 1996. Sound speed in the central part of the TWC is about $45ms^{-1}$ more fast than that in the other regions without the TWC. Sound speed minimum layer (SML) in the TWC region exists between loom and 341 m, while it exists between 260m and 290m in the non-TWC region. SML distributes along the path of TWC over continental shelf in the coastal waters of Japan.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.87-97
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• 1999

To estimate absolute transports by advection in the southwestern East Sea (Japan Sea), an inverse method was applied to CTD data obtained in July 1993. The relative velocities are calculated using the thermal wind equation. The inverse model was formulated to obtain a reference velocity based on the mass conservation in each of four vertical layers within a region enclosed by hydrographic sections and the coastal boundary. The flow patterns in the surface layer are clockwise and anti-clockwise in the regions south and northwest of Ulleung Island, respectively, and a strong northward flow appears in between them. In the second layer, the flow fields are generally weak. The inverse calculation yields the southward flow along the coast, and this suggests that the subsurface low salinity water in the Ulleung Basin is supplied by the southward transport along the east coast of Korea.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.153-161
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• 2006

To investigate inflow path of the East Sea Intermediate Water (ESIW) into the Ulleung Basin, hydrographic data surveyed in July 2005 were analyzed. The ESIW was characterized by the Salinity Minimum Layer (SML) within a depth range of 100 to 360 meters. Averaged potential temperature and salinity of the SML were $1.835^{\circ}C$ and 34.049 psu, respectively. Mean potential density $({\sigma}_{\theta})$ of the SML was 27.221 with a standard deviation of 0.0393. On isopycnal surfaces of 27.14 and 27.18 $({\sigma}_{\theta})$ which correspond to upper layers of the ESIW, the coastal low salinity water was separated from the offshore low salinity water by the relatively warm and saline water which might be affected by the Tsushima Warm Current Water. Relatively cold and fresh water, however, intruded into the Ulleung Basin from the region of Korean coast on isopycnal surfaces of 27.22 and 27.26 which was lower layer of the ESIW. The salinity distribution in the isopycnal layer of $27.14{\sim}27.26$ with acceleration potential on 27.22 up surface also showed clearly that the low salinity water flowed from the coastal area and intruded into the Ulleung Basin. This implies that the ESIW flows ken the north to the south along the east coasts of Korea and spreads into the Ulleung Basin in summer.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Sciences Society Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.89-94
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• 2003

The formation of a severe snow storm occurred in the mountainous coastal region near Mt. Taegualyang and Kangnung city in the eastern part of Korea was investigate from 0900LST, December 7 through 9, 2002, using MM5 model. As synoptic scale easterly wind induced a great amount of moisture from the East Sea into the inland coastal region and sea-breeze further induced more moisture from the basin toward the top of the mountain side. The lifted moisture toward the mountain top was cooled down along the eastern slope of the mountain and near the mid of the mountain the moisture was much cooled down with relative humidity of 100％ under the air temperature below $O^{\circ}C$, resulting in the formation of snow. Relative humidity of 100％ generally occurred at the 5km away from the coast toward the inland mountain and the band of 100％ RH was parallel to the coastal line. The 100％ band coincided with minimum air temperature band and line.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.105-114
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• 1997

Wind is one of the main forcing contributing the circulation of the East Sea. By using 1.5-layer and 2.5-layer reduced gravity models, circulation in the East Sea is simulated. The bifurcation of the Tsushima Warm Current (TWC), the separation of East Korea Warm Current (EKWC) from the east coast of Korea, the Nearshore Branch of TWC, and the cyclonic gyres stretched from the East Korea Bay to the northern half of the East Sea are compared well with the schematic map. The features of the upper and the lower layer are very similar except for those of the central region. The Polar Front is the separating line of two different features. The main feature of northern part of the East Sea, north of the Polar Front is cyclonic gyres, which are composed of three cyclonic gyres in most seasons. North Korean Cold Current (NKCC) and Liman Cold Current (LCC) are the nearshore part of these cyclonic gyres. In the south of the Polar Front the current systems of both layers are anticyclonic in most seasons, except that those of the upper layer in winter and spring are not anticyclonic. Along the coast of Korea and Russia, the velocity structure is barotropic, while that of the central region is baroclinic. The effects due to the seasonal variations of wind stress and local Ekman suction/pumping are studied by imposing the domain with modified wind stress. which is spatial mean with temporal variations and temporal mean with spatial variations. It is found that the local Ekman suction/pumping due to wind stress curl is important to the formation of the cyclonic gyres in the western and the northwestern region of the East Sea.