• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.163-177
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• 2013

An instrumented ferry made two transects per day across two current systems which are the North Korean Cold Current and the East Korean Warm Current over the years 2012-2013 from Gangneung to Ulleungdo in the southwestern East Sea. Seawater properties of these transects were measured with high spatial and temporal resolution for an extended period of time. Here the salinity records from the transects with the oceanographic observation data from East Sea Fisheries Institute of NFRDI, AVISO daily current chart and GOCI Chlorophyll-a image in 2012 and 2013 are used to study the time-series variation of salinity at the surface. The high salinity section with the range of 33.15~34.12 occurred on the transect mainly in the middle of eddy, and western boundary of strong northward current from June to October. We can found low salinity waters in both sides of the high salinity section. It is estimated that the western low salinity waters with the range of 30.58~33.20 accompanied by southward current were derived from the NKCC and the eastern waters with the range of 31.30~33.24 accompanied by northward current were derived from the Tsushima Surface Water. The lowest salinity of NKCC is confirmed in this study as 30.36. It is found that the western waters below 33.00 extended extremely toward the east about 110 km area from Gangneung and toward the south around Jukbyon coastal area as a 5~10 m layer. We can find its volume of low saline waters transport is not neglectable compared with that of Tsushima Current region in the western part of the East Sea. In this study we named it as the North Korean Low Saline Surface Water in summer.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.21-31
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• 2008

Analyzing the results of East Sea Regional Ocean Model using a 3-dimensional variational data assimilation scheme, we investigated spatial and temporal variability of the North Korean Cold Current (NKCC) in the East Sea. The climatological monthly mean transport of the NKCC clearly shows seasonal variation of the NKCC within the range of about 0.35 Sv ($=0^6m^3/s$), which increases from its minimum (about 0.45 Sv) through December-January to March, decreases during March and May, and then increases again to the maximum (about 0.8 Sv) in August-September. The volume transport of the NKCC shows interannual variation of the NKCC with the range of about 1.0 Sv that is larger than seasonal variation. The southward current of the NKCC appears often not only in summer but in winter as well. The width of the NKCC is about 35 km near the Korean coast and its core is located under the East Korea Warm Current. The North Korean Cold Water (NKCW), characterized by low salinity and low temperature, is located both under the Tsushima Warm Water and in the western side of the maximum southward current of the NKCC that means the NKCC advects the NKCW southward along the Korean coast. It is revealed that the intermediate low salinity water, formed off the Vladivostok in winter, flows southward to the south of $37^{\circ}N$ through $2{\sim}3$ paths; one path along the Korean coast, another one along $132^{\circ}E$, and the middle path along $130^{\circ}E$. The path of the intermediate low salinity varies with years. The reanalysis fields suggest that the NKCW is advected through the paths along the Korean coast and along $130^{\circ}E$.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.334-344
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• 2013

In order to understand the characteristics of oceanic environment in the coastal aquaculture waters of the East Sea, the observation of the CTD (temperature and salinity), dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll a and N/P (DIN ($NO_2$-N, $NO_3$-N, $NH_4$-N) : DIP($PO_4$-P)) ratio was carried out at Sokcho, Jukbyon and Gampo in February, April, June, August, October, December 2013. Based on T(temperature)-S(salinity) diagram analysis, the water masses in the study area were divided into 3 groups; Tsushima Surface Water (TSW: $20-28.3^{\circ}C$ temperatures and 31.04-33.75 salinities), Tsushima Middle Water (TMW: $8.1-16.3^{\circ}C$ and 33.00-34.49), and North Korean Cold Water (NKCW: $1.8-9.4^{\circ}C$ and 33.78-34.42). In winter, DO concentrations in the northern part were higher than those in southern part. In spring and fall, they were low in the surface layer, and increased in summer. Chl-a concentrations < $0.4{\mu}g/L$ dominated in February, April, October and December. Chl-a concentrations were higher in June and August. In particular, the highest Chl-a concentration > $2{\mu}g/L$ was observed in the middle layer of Gampo in August. In February, April, June and December, the N/P ratio in the most of the water masses was less than the Redfield ratio (16), indicating that nitrate did act as a limiting factor in phytoplankton growth. On the contrary, in August and October, the N/P ratio in surface and sub-surface layer was greater than the Redfield ratio, suggesting that phosphate was a limiting factor.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.464-474
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• 2006

The paleoceanography since 14 ka was reconstructed based on the planktic foraminiferal assemblages of core sediments from the outer shelf of the Korea Strait. Planktic foraminifera in the core sediments can be divided into four assemblages: A, B, C, and D. Assemblage A consists mainly of Globigerinoides ruber group and Globigerinoides conglobatus with low abundance (less than 10%), indicating the tropical-subtropical water mass. Assemblage B is composed of Pulleniatina obliquiloculata and Neogloboquadrina dutertrei, the indicator of Kuroshio Current, and shows the aspect of the inflow of the Tsushima Current into the Korea Strait. Assemblage C yields polar-subpolar species, mainly Neogloboquadrina incompta and N. pachyderma. It decreases upward of the core. Assemblage D contains coastal water species such as Globigerina bulloides and G. quinqueloba. It is abundant in the lower to middle region of the core. From the analysis of distributions of each assemblage and the result of age datings in the core, it is suggested that the Korea Strait played a role of channelling the East China Sea and the East Sea after the LGM (ca. 14 ka). During this time, the coastal water, affected by fresh waters originated from the river systems of China and/ or the Korean Peninsula, flourished around the Korea Strait and theses coastal water might entered to the East Sea. Around 8.5 ka, the effect of the Tsushima Current started to strengthen in this region, and the present current system seems to be formed at about $7{\sim}6ka$.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.76-88
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• 2012

In order to investigate the distribution of water masses and spatio-temporal variation of nutrients in the coastal areas of Gangwon province of the Korean East Sea, a survey of the physico-chemical parameters (temperature and salinity) and nutrients ($NO_2$-N, $NO_3$-N, $NH_4$-N, $PO_4$-P, and $SiO_2$-Si) was carried out at 5 locations (Goseong, Sokcho, Yangyang, Gangneung, and Donghae) in February, May, August, and November 2009. The water masses included in the study area were divided into 4 groups; 1) Tsushima Surface Water (TSW), 2) Tsushima Middle Water (TMW), 3) North Korean Cold Water (NKCW), and 4) East Sea Proper Water (ESPW). The distribution of water masses was affected by the change of season. In February, surface water was derived from the TMW. The TSW was not observed in May, but only observed in August. In November, as the influence of the TSW weakened, that of the NKCW strengthened. Considering the vertical profiles of nutrients, the concentrations in all the seasons were very low within the surface water, but increased rapidly near the thermocline. Most of nutrient concentrations, except for dissolved silicate, remained constant below the depth of 200 m. However, the dissolved silicate concentration increased with depth, suggesting that silicate has a delayed regenerative pattern. The ESPW had the highest nutrient concentration, followed by the NKCW, TMW, and TSW. In February, May, and November, the N/P ratio in most of the water masses was similar to or larger than the Redfield ratio, indicating that nitrogenous nutrients did not act as a limiting factor for phytoplankton growth. However, in August, the N/P ratio in the TSW was less than the Redfield ratio, and the concentration of $NO_2$-N+$NO_3$-N was 0.86 ${\mu}m$, indicating that nitrogenous nutrients did act as a limiting factor for phytoplankton growth in the study area.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.237-249
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• 1995

To understand the cross-sectional structures of temperature, salinity and current across the Korea Strait, field measurements were carried out for the period of May 2 to 20, 1994. Using the R/V Tam Yang, detailed CTD profiles and ADCP records were obtained and used to examine the mean and variability field on two time scales (15 days and 25 hours). A sharp coastal front in the middle of the Korea Strait exists across which two different water masses, i.e., warm and saline water in the eastern side and cold and less saline water in the western side are neighboring. We observed highly variable field of T and S apparently caused by the westward movement of warm and saline water mass. Short-term fluctuations of T and S in the middle layer are remarkable and their importance was analysed as the first Eigen mode accounting for more than 50% of total variances. The currents in th Korea Strait are strongly influenced by tidal currents with spring and neap variation whose maximum speed ranges 80-90 and 60-70 cm/s respectively near the central portion of the channel. Strong southward tidal current could even mask the Tsushima Current completely. Results of harmonic analysis show that the magnitudes of semidiurnal, diurnal and mean components of currents are comparable to each other at spring and neap tide conditions. The volume transport across the western channel of the Korea Strait were estimated to be 2.1 Sv at neap tide condition and 3.4 Sv at spring tide condition.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.404-412
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• 1994

Radium isotopes were measured together with oceanographical parameters in the southern coastal region of the Korean East Sea during the period of September $2{\sim}8$, 1991. In September, there were various water masses vertically distributed in this region due to formation of strongly seasonal thermoclines. These water masses were characterized by activity of radium isotopes as well as water temperature and dissolved oxygen. Among the water masses, Japan Sea Proper Water(JSPW) below $1^{\circ}C$ had the highest Ra-226 activities but the lowest Ra-228 concentrations. However, Tsushima Surface Water (TSW) above $20^{\circ}C$ in water temperature had the highest Ra-228 which decreased sharply with depth. In TSW, Ra-228 activities were in the range of $194{\sim}270$ dpm/kl, which were approximately 10 times higher than JSPW. Activity ratios(A.R's) of Ra-228/Ra-226 were $1.9{\sim}2.6$ for TSW, $0.7{\sim}1.1$ for Tsushima Middle Water(TMW) of $12{\sim}17^{\circ}C\;to\;0.4{\sim}0.7$ for North Korea Cold Water(NKCW) with $1{\sim}7^{\circ}C$ and below 0.2 for JSPW. The Ra-228/Ra-226 ranged from 0.6 to 0.9 in the cold waters of $2{\sim}6^{\circ}C$, which were observed at depth of $65{\sim}120\;m$ in this study area. Radium isotopes provided a useful means of identifying origins of the cold water which occurred annually at intermediate or bottom layers in the southern coastal zone of the Korean East Sea. By plotting radium isotopes against water temperature, it could be observed clearly that the cold waters between $2{\sim}6^{\circ}C$ did not originate from the mixed water of JSPW and TMW but from NKCW.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.27-41
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• 2008

Distribution characteristics of phytoplankton community were investigated by HPLC and flow cytometry in Jeju Strait and the Northern East China Sea (NECS) in May 2004, in order to understand the relationship between physical environmental factors and distribution pattern of phytoplankton communities. Based on temperature and salinity data, three distinct water masses were identified; warm and saline Tsushima Warm Current (TWC), which is flowing from northwest of Jeju Island, warm and low saline water at the center of Jeju Strait, which is originated from China Coastal Water (CCW) and relatively cold and high saline water originated from Yellow Sea at the bottom of the Jeju Strait. At Jeju Strait, less saline water (<33 psu) of 15 km width occupied surface layer up to 20 m which located at 20 km offshore and strong thermal front between warm and saline water and cold and less saline water was found in the middle of the Jeju Strait. Vertical transect of temperature and salinity at the NECS also showed that low saline (<33 psu) water occupied the upper 20 m layer and cold and saline water was present at the eastern part. Chl a was measured as $0.06{\sim}3.07\;{\mu}g/L$. Spring bloom of phytoplankton was recognized by the high concentrations of Chl a at the low saline water masses influenced by the CCW and subsurface chlorophyll maximum layer appeared between $20{\sim}30\;m$ depth, which was at thermocline depth or below. Abundances of Synechococcus and picoeukaryote were $0.2{\sim}9.5{\times}10^4\;cells/mL$ and $0.43{\sim}4.3{\times}10^4\;cells/mL$, respectively. Dinoflagellate, diatom and prymnesiophyte were major groups and minor groups were chlorophyte+prasinophyte, chrysophyte, cryptophyte and cyanophyte. Especially high abundance of dinoflagellate was identified by high concentration (>1\;{\mu}g/L$) of peridinin at the bottom of the thermocline, which showed an outbreak of red tide by high density of dinoflagellates. Abundances of picoeukaryote in Jeju Strait were about $5{\sim}10$ times higher than abundance measured in Kuroshio water and showed a good correlation with Chl b (Pras+Viola), which implies the most of population of picoeukaryote was composed of prasinophytes. Prochlorococcus was not detected at all, which suggests that Kuroshio Current did not directly influenced on the study area. Based on the strong negative correlations between biomass of phytoplankton (Chl a) and temperature+salinity, the primary production and biomass of phytoplankton in the study area were controlled by the nutrients supply from CCW.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.503-526
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• 1996

A synoptic survery of chemical characteristics in the last Sea of Korea was carried out at the 11 stations near Ullungdo in November, 1994 on board R/V Tam-Yang. On the basis of the vortical distribution patterns of temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen, water masses in the study area are divided into five groups; 1) Tsushima Surface Water (TSW), 2) Tsushima Middle Water (TMW), 3) East Sea Intermediate Water (ESIW), 4) last Sea Proper Water (ESPW), 5) Mixed Water (MW). In the vertical profiles of nutrients, the concentrations were very low in the surface layer and increased rapidly near the thermocline. There was a slight decrease in the ESIW and the concentrations were constant with the depth below 300m except dissolved silicate which still increased with depth. Relatively high value of Si/P ratio (25.2) in ESPW, whick is the oldest water mass, suggests that Si is regenerating more slowly compared to other nutrients. The relatively high value of N/P ratio (18.6) in the surface layer might be related to high vertical eddy diffusivity $(K_z)$ of $1.19\;cm^{2}/sec$ and high nitrate upward flux of $103.7\;{\mu}g-at/m^{2}/hr$, compared to the values reported in other areas. Apparent Oxygen Utilization (AOU) was very low in the surface layer and increased in the TMW, but there was a slight decrease in the ESIW. The highest value of AOU occurred in the ESPW. The slpoe of P/AOU was 0.50. The study on the relationship between water masses and nutrient distribution patterns is important in understanding the regeneration processes of nutrients in the polar region of the last Sea.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.907-916
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• 2013

The aim of this study was to compare community structure of larval fish species in the northern East China Sea during normal meteorological conditions in autumn 2009, during the El Ni$\tilde{n}$o period in 2009-2010, and during the La Nina period in 2010. Fifty taxa were recorded during the study period; the most dominant species were Benthosema pterotum and Gobiidae spp. In October 2008 during the normal period, warm water from the Tsushima Warm Current (TWC) intruded more into the surface and middle layers, and cold water affected by the Yellow Sea Cold Water (YSCW) intruded into the bottom layer. In October 2009 during the El Ni$\tilde{n}$o period, intrusion of the China Coastal Water (CCW), which has low salinity (<32.2 psu), was more apparent than intrusion of the TWC or YSCW. In October 2010 during the La Nina period, intrusion of the TWC and CCW was relatively weak, resulting in the lowest temperature and highest salinity observed during the study period in the eastern part of the study area. Hierarchical cluster, one-way ANOSIM (analysis of similarities), and SIMPER (similarity-percentages procedure) analyses provided two main results. First, the abundance of the most dominant larval fish species in autumn of the normal period was greater than that in autumn of the El Ni$\tilde{n}$o/La Nina periods, resulting in a significant difference in ichthyoplankton community structure between the periods. The abundance of Benthosema pterotum increased in the normal period, possibly influenced by the intrusion of cold water from the YSCW; the abundance of species residing in Korean waters (e.g., Gobiidae spp.) probably decreased during the El Ni$\tilde{n}$o/La Nina periods. The second finding was that the abundance of subtropical larval fish in autumn of the normal period was generally larger than that during autumn of the El Ni$\tilde{n}$o/La Nina periods. This could have been induced by the stronger intrusion of warm water from the TWC during the normal period. Although differences in oceanographic conditions between El Ni$\tilde{n}$o and La Nina periods were observed, the differences in ichthyoplankton community structure between the two periods were not significant.