• Journal of the Korean Institute of Navigation
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.61-76
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• 1990

It was found that three different water masses were vertically situated in the western channel of the Korea Strait in summer. Of these water masses , the origin and inflow path of the middle water were discussed and estimated by comparing with water characteristics of neighbouring sea. As a result, (1) the middle water is formed on the continental shelf in the East China Sea by the mixing of the Kuroshio Water and Chinese Continental Coastal Water, (2) the middle water seems intruded through the sea around 127 E west off Kyushu Island and east off Cheju the Island.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.97-113
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• 2020

In-situ observations were carried out in April 2015 to investigate the occurrence of water temperature inversion in a region west of Jeju Island. Analysis of in-situ in the western part of Jeju island showed that cold water moved to the southeast from the surface to the middle layer and warm water moved from the middle to the lower layer of the northwest direction. The water temperature inversion occurred at 84 stations (63.1%) out of 133 stations. At the boundary of the water temperature inversion layer, it was formed in the middle layer and disappeared. In the strongly appearing, it started from the middle layer to the lower layer. The shape of the water temperature inversion layer was different. As a result of horizontal water temperature slope analysis of the water temperature inversion zone, maximum 0.23℃/km was obtained and the mean was 0.06℃/km. The role of water temperature inversion as an indicator to determine the formation of water front. As a result of the water mass analysis, Jeju Warm Current Water and Tsushima Warm Current Water of high temperature and high salt intruded from the middle to the bottom. In the middle layer occurred as the Yellow Sea Cold Water of low water temperature and low salinity expanded.

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

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.99-108
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• 1999

With sectional data obtained in September of 1987, 1988 and 1989 by quadrireciprocal ADCP measurement and CTD cast, the current structure, volume transport and vorticity in the Western Channel of the Korea Strait were studied. The characteristics of Tsushima Current water persisted throughout the summer especially in the homogeneous water of temperature $14-16^{\circ}C$ located at the depth of 50-100m below seasonal termocline. Thickness and velocity of the homogeneous layer are about 10-170m and 20-60cm/s. and the relative vorticity for this layer is shown to be nearly constant and it is smaller than the planetary vorticity. Potential vorticity of $2.70-7.10{\times}10^{-6}m^{-1}s^{-1}$ is found to be dependent mainly on planetary rather than on the relative vorticities. The Tsushima Current water represented by the homogeneous layer R14-16^{\circ}C$ may keep the potential vorticity at the area of strong current in the Strait. The ADCP current structure is similar to geostrophic current and the core of the current with the speed of 30-50cm/s is situated in the middle layer over the deep trough. With large tidal fluctuation the volume transport has mean value of 1.17sv which was about 40% larger than that of geostrophic calculation.

• Proceedings of the Korea Committee for Ocean Resources and Engineering Conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.285-289
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• 2004

Oceanographic observation and qualitative analysis for deep ocean water in the East Sea were carried out from January 2003 to January 2004, in order to understand the characteristics of deep sea water in the East Sea. Temporal and spatial variation of water masses were discussed from survey of the study area including the coastal sea of Kwangwon province in where the polar front mixing cold and warm water masses were formed. 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 Korea Cold Water (NKCW) and (5) East Sea Proper Water (ESPW). In winter, surface water in coastal sea of Kwangwaan Kosung region were dominated by North Korean Cold Water (NKCW). As Tsushima warm current were enforced in summer, various water masses were vertically emerged in study area, in order of TSW, TMW, NKCW and ESPW. It is highly possible that the LSSW which occurred at surface water of september is originated from influx of fresh water due to the seasonal rainy spell. Nevertheless water masses existed within surface water were seasonally varied, water quality characteristics of East Sea Proper Water (ESPW) under 300 m did not changed all the seasons of the year.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.59-65
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• 2007

Rapid variation of coastal ecosystem in the East Sea of Korea, such as fishery resource variation and subtropical chang of bentic flora, accordong to the global warming are actually noticed. In this study we try to identify the characterics of water mass existing in this coastal area and to consider the variation of their physical and chemical properties using data of temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen obtained by National Fisheries Research & Development Institute from 1960 to 2005. The temperature of all water mass rise during last 45 years; the rise of North Korea Cold Water temperature (about $2.33^{\circ}C$) is 1.5 times higher than that of Tsushima warm water (about $1.6^{\circ}C$), and the temperature rise of Tsushima Surface Water, directly affected by climate chang is $2.57^{\circ}C$, higher than the atmospheric temperature rise during same period, indicating that subtropical change makes progress more rapidly in the coastal marine ecosystem than in the land ecosystem. Otherwise, the salinity in the surface water decrease $0.29\%_{\circ}$ during last 45 years due to the rising trend of rainfall with atmospheric temperature. The dissolved oxygen concentration in the all water mass make a decreasing trend. Specially for the North Korea Cold Water, the dissolved oxygen concentration diminish 0.021 mg/l per year and the decrease in the East Sea Proper Water indicate a change of inner water circulation system.

• 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.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.47-56
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• 1996

Hydrography of the Korea Strait was influenced by the various water masses such as Korean coastal water, East Sea cold water, and Tsushima Current. Anchovy larvae were frequently found in the area influenced by the Tsushima Current. Anchovy appeared in all seasons and were most abundant in summer. Anchovy was more abundant in the middle layer(30~70m) than the surface layer in spring and summer and was little in the deeper layer beyond the depth of 100m. It was most abundant in the surface layer in autumn, and decreased toward the deeper layer. They were more abundant in the middle layer(30~50m) than in the surface layer and the bottom layer in winter. Anchovy was most abundant in the depth of 30m to 70m during the day time, however it was more abundant in the surface layer during the night time. Although vertical distribution patterns of abundance varied seasonally and diurnally, most of the larval anchovy distributed in the upper layer within the depth of 100m and in the upper layer above the thermocline in summer and autumn.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.378-386
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• 2007

To study the composition of the developmental stages of Maurolicus japonicus eggs distributed in the western Korea Strait, we investigated the water temperature, salinity, eggs and larvae in December 2002. The Korea Strait Bottom Cold Water (KSBCW) lower than $10^{\circ}C$ was found in off the Ulsan and Busan where M. japonicus eggs were the most abundant. The composition of the developmental stages of M. japonicus eggs at each station were composed of 37.7~89.5% in the first stage, 8.5~37.8% in the middle stage and 0.0~24.7% in the last stage respectively. In the southern area where the KSBCW appeared, the first stage eggs occupied 73.3~89.5%. The high percentage of the first stage eggs indicated that the eggs should be transported by the cold water lower than $10^{\circ}C$ from the Ulleung Basin in the East Sea. In the northern area where the KSBCW was not found, the first, middle and last stage eggs were composed of 37.5%, 37.8% and 24.7% respectively. The ratios of middle and last stage eggs were much higher than those in the southern area with the KSBCW, which implies that the eggs are recruited into the northern area from the southern area with the KSBCW by the Tsushima Warm Current. The pre-larvae found only in the middle and northern part of the study area would be hatched during the transport of eggs from the southern area with the KSBCW by the Tsushima Warm Current.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.163-169
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• 1995

A total of 190 phytoplankton taxa was identified in southern waters of the East Sea of Korea in May 1988, July 1989 and November 1991. Leptocylindrus danicus, Nitzschia pungens and Bacteriastrum delicatulum were the dominant species in spring. In summer, Skeletonema costatum was dominant all around the study area but Chaetoceros socialis and Rhizosolenia alata f. gracillima were locally dominant. On the other hand, the dominant species in autumn shifted to Chaeotoceros socialis, Nitzschia delicatissima, Nitzschia sp. and Gymnodinium sp. The average species diversities of the phytoplankton community were low in spring, summer and autumn, being 1.24, 1.69 and 2.12 respectively. The result of cluster analysis in summer suggested that the surface water of this study area could be divided into three phytohydrographic regions which consisted of the oceanic water region affected by Tsushima current, the east Korean neritic water region and the proper water region adjacent to Ulleung island. Compared with the surface phytohydrographic regions, one more region might be recognized at the 40m depth waters. It was appeared in the middle of study area and seemed to be affected by both Tsushima current and water mass of 10$^{\circ}C$ located deeper than 50m.