• Ocean and Polar Research
• /
• v.39 no.3
• /
• pp.169-179
• /
• 2017

The "GeoDrifter" is a newly-developed surface drifter with high temporal resolution. It is the first time that high-frequency drifters have been deployed in the East/Japan Sea. The purpose of this study is to introduce the phenomena experienced by these drifters flowing along with the Tsushima Current across the East/Japan Sea, focusing on high-frequency variability, and to discuss them in comparison with previous observations. The observed basin-scale circulation of the Tsushima Current generally coincides well with the known schematic circulation. The GeoDrifter trajectories also show inertial oscillations almost everywhere in the oceanic regions of the East/Japan Sea, strong semi-diurnal tidal currents in the western part of Korea Strait, diurnal currents much stronger than semi-diurnal currents in the upstream region of the Nearshore Branch off the Japanese coast, and many warm eddies in the Yamato Basin, all comparable to the observational results reported in the previous studies. An interesting point is that the semi-diurnal tidal currents undergo a great spatial variation in the western part of the Korea Strait. The observed features that cannot be explained are, among others, strong counter-clockwise motions with oscillating period about 51 hours appearing in the upstream region of the Nearshore Branch off the Japanese coast and the different tidal behaviors between upstream and downstream regions of the latter.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
• /
• v.9 no.2
• /
• pp.65-72
• /
• 2003

Oceanic conditions of the Tsushima Warm Current (TWC) region in the southern area of the East Sea (Japan Sea) are examined using data obtained from a CREAMS (Circulation Research if the East Asian Marginal Seas) cruise in June 1996. In 1990s, a lower temperature appears in 1996 and in this period, two branches of the TWC exist and the first branch of the TWC flows inshore of the Japanese coastal region compared to that in the other years, especially in the shallower water layer at depth less than about 200 m. The TWC cored with the higher salinity (>34.6 psu) is clearly observed over the continental shelf in the Japanese coastal region and offshore and identified by geostrophic calculation. Intrusion of the TWC into the East Sea through the Korea Strait (the Tsushima Strait) makes the density structure in the water column change and the water mass in the TWC region is unstable based on Brunt­Vaisala frequency.

• Ocean and Polar Research
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.351-359
• /
• 2008

In an effort to develop high-resolution sea surface temperature (SST) proxies for mid-latitude regions, two massive reef-building coral species, Alveopora and Favia, were collected from Jeju and Tsushima Islands, respectively. Their skeletons were subsequently analyzed for annual growth banding, Sr/Ca and Mg/Ca ratios. Hermatypic corals are thinly distributed in the waters of Jeju Island, where Alveopora japonica was the only dominant coral species. A higher diversity of hermatypic corals were observed in the waters of Tsushima Island, where Favia sp. was the most common coral species and even forming an about 6-m-high reef structure. Both Alveopora and Favia showed annual growth layers consisting of couplets of high- and low-density bands. Sr/Ca ratio of both species and Mg/Ca ratio of Alveopora also showed seasonal variation, likely reflecting SST variation. These results suggest the possibility that Alveopora and Favia species can be used as potential SST proxies. However, this study also highlights the potential growth disturbance of middle latitude corals due to high rainfall during monsoon and low SST during winter. This possibility should be taken into account in the investigation of Sr/Ca(Mg/Ca)-SST relationships.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.9
• /
• pp.3685-3690
• /
• 2015

Background: Low-dose oral contraceptives (OC) were approved by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in 1999, yet despite their contraceptive and non-contraceptive health benefits, only 5% of the target population use them. Fear of increased cancer risk, particularly breast cancer, is one reason for this. Due to low OC uptake and low screening participation, a paucity of data is available on the risk of OC use and breast cancer in Japanese women. The present study investigated OC use and breast cancer risk, as well as menstrual, reproductive and family factors. Materials and Methods: This was a clinic-based case-control study of women aged 20-69yrs who had undergone breast screening between January 2007 and December 2013 in central Tokyo. In all, 28.8% of the participants had experience with OC use. Cases were 155 women with a pathologically confirmed diagnosis of breast cancer. Controls were the remaining 12,333 women. Results: Increased age was a significant risk factor for breast cancer (p<0.001). A lower risk was found in premenopausal women presently taking OC compared to never users (OR 0.45; 95% CI 0.22-0.90) after adjusting for age, parity and breast feeding, and a family history of breast cancer. Conclusions: Increased age rather than OC use had a greater effect on breast cancer risk. This risk may be decreased in premenopausal women with OC use, but further long-term prospective studies are necessary.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.38 no.1
• /
• pp.29-38
• /
• 2005

The distributions of fish larvae and juveniles from the East China Sea, Yellow Sea and near Tsushima Island were investigated in Spring using the Maruchi (1994-1995) and Unagi (1996-1997) nets. A total of 94 species of fish larvae and juveniles belonging to 49 families under 17 orders were identified, of which Engraulis japonicus was dominant in every year except 1995 where Trachurus japonicus was dominant. Cluster analysis based on abundance and species composition by sampling stations (St.) revealed that the similar stations formed an arcuate group from Tsushima Island to southern Jeju Island in 1994, and from the Yellow Sea to southern Jeju Island in 1996. We concluded that these patterns resulted from the influence of the Tsushima Current prevailing in the east, and the Chinese Continental Waters and/or Hwanghae Cold Waters prevailing in the west, with Jeju Island exerting an influence in the centre. The diversity and composition of St. 97-3 and St. 97-5, both located where the Tsushima Current splits from the Kuroshio Current, was greatly different despite their close proximity. However, the former is located on the continental shelf, with the latter on the continental slope. This suggested that both topography and the Kuroshio Current have the most influence on the distribution of fish larvae and juveniles in this region. Furthermore, the weak Hwanghae Cold Waters of 1997 may have also limited the mixing of fish larvae and juveniles between the two stations.

• The Korean Journal of Petroleum Geology
• /
• v.2 no.2 s.3
• /
• pp.59-70
• /
• 1994

The Cenozoic geological structures and the tectonic evolution of the southern Ulleung Basin were studied with seismic profiles and exploration well data. Basement structure of the Korea Strait is distinctly characterized by normal faults trending northeast to southwest. The normal faults of the basement are most likely related to the initial liking and extensional tectonics of Ulleung Basin. Tsushima fault along the west coast of Tsushima islands runs northeastward to the central Ulleung Basin. The Middle Miocene and older sequences in the Tsushima Strait show folds and faults mostly trending northeast to southwest. These folds and faults may be interpreted as a result of compressional tectonics. The Late Miocene to Qauternary sequences are not much deformed, but numerous faults mostly N-S trending are dominated in the Tsushima Strait. The Ulleung Basin was in intial rifting during Oligocene, and then active extension and subsidence from Early to early Middle Miocene. Therefore SW Japan separated from Korea Peninsula and drifted toward southeast, and Ulleung Basin was formed as a pull-apart basin under dextral transtensional tectonic regime. During rifting and extensional stage, Tsushima fault as a main tectonic line separating SW Japan block from the Korean Peninsula acted as a normal faulting with right-lateral strike-slip motion as SW Japan drifted southeastward. During middle Middle Miocene to early Late Miocene, the opening of Ulleung basin stopped and uplifted due to compressional tectonics. The southwest Japan block converging on the Korean Peninsula caused compressional stress to the southern margin of Ulleung Basin, resulting in strong deformation under sinistral transpressional tectonic regime. Tsushima fault acted as thrust fault with left-lateral strike-slip motion. From middle Late Miocene to Quaternary, the southern margin of Ulleung Basin has been controlled by compressional motion. Thus the Tsushima fault still appears to be an active thrust fault by compressional tectonic regime.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.37 no.2
• /
• pp.148-158
• /
• 2004

In the adjacent seas of Cheju Island, the oceanographic conditions show low salinity surface waters starting in May. This water flows from the southeast part of the China Coastal Water, which flows southeastward along the Great Yangtze Sand Bank until April, with the help of southeasterly winds and flows from the adjacent sea off Cheju Island. In May, the Tsushima Warm Current and the low salinity surface water fluctuate in short and long-term periods as influenced by Yellow Sea Cold Water, which flows to the bottom layer at the western entrance of Cheju Strait. Temperature and salinity fronts in the northeastern sea area of U Island are formed in the boundary area between the Tsushima Warm Current, which expands towards Cheju Island from the southeastern sea area of Cheju Island and Hows out from the eastern entrance of the strait. Seasonally, additional oceanographic conditions, such as coastal counter-currents, which flow southward, appears within limited areas in the adjacent eastern and western seas of Cheju Island.

• Proceedings of KOSOMES biannual meeting
• /
• 2003.11a
• /
• pp.167-174
• /
• 2003

Oceanic conditions of the Tsushirm Wann Current (1WC) region in the southern area if the East Sea (the Japan Sea) are examined using data obtained from a CREAMS (Circulation Research if the East Asian Marginal Seas) cruise in June 1996. In 1990s, a lower temperature appears in $19\%$ and in this period, two branch of the TWC exist and the first branch of the TWC flows inshore if the Japanese coastal region compared to tfr1t in the other years, especially in the sfr1llower water layer at less th:1n about 2mm. The TWC cored with the higher salinity (>34.6 psu) is clearly observed over the continental shelf zone in the Japanese coastal region and offshore and identified by geostrophic calculation Intrusion if the TWC into the East Sea through the Korea Strait (the Tsushima Strait) makes the density structure in the water column change and the water mass in the TWC region is unstable based on Brunt- Vaisala frequency.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.49 no.1
• /
• pp.61-73
• /
• 2016

Water mass distribution and currents were investigated off the east coast of Korea near the Hupo Bank using the CTD and ADCP data from June to August 2010. The typical water masses were: (1) Tsushima Surface Water (TSW) from the East Korean Warm Current (EKWC) in the surface layer, (2) a shallow thermocline at 20-30 m depth, (3) Tsushima Middle Water (TMW) of high salinity (>34.2) below the pycnocline, (4) North Korean Cold Water (NKCW) of low salinity (<34.05) and low temperature (<4°C) in the lower layer. In June, a double eddy was observed in which a cold filament intruded cyclonically from the south around a pre-existing cold-core eddy. A burst of strong southward current was recorded in mid-August due to a warm filament from the meandering EKWC. Current in the N-S direction was predominant due to topographic effects, and the direction of the northward EKWC was frequently reversed in its direction due to the eddy-filament activity, whereas the influence of the wind was not noticeable. The vertical structure of the current was of a two-layer system, with the northward EKWC in the upper layer and weak southward flows corresponding to the North Korean Cold Current (NKCC) in the deeper layer.

• Journal of the korean society of oceanography
• /
• v.35 no.4
• /
• pp.161-169
• /
• 2000

A seasonal circulation in the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea and its possible cause have been studied with CSK data during 1965-1989. Water mass distributions are clear in winter, but not in summer because the upper layer waters are quite influenced by atmosphere. To solve the problem, a water mass analysis by mixing ratio is used for the lower layer waters. The results show that the distribution of Tsushima Warm Current Water expands to the Yellow Sea in winter and retreats to the East China Sea in summer. It means that there is a very slow seasonal circulation between the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea: Tsushima Warm Current Water flows into the Yellow Sea in winter and coastal water flows out of the Yellow Sea in summer. By the circulation, the front between Tsushima Warm Current Water and coastal water moves toward the shelf break in summer so that the flow is faster in the deeper region. The process eventually makes the transport in the Korea Strait increase. The Kuroshio does not seem to influence the process. A possible mechanism of the process is the seasonal change of sea surface slope due to different local effects of surface heating and diluting between the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea.