• Title/Summary/Keyword: deep-sea circulation

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Dynamic Characteristics of Water Column Properties based on the Behavior of Water Mass and Inorganic Nutrients in the Western Pacific Seamount Area (서태평양 해저산 해역에서 수괴와 무기영양염 거동에 기초한 동적 수층환경 특성)

  • Son, Juwon;Shin, Hong-Ryeol;Mo, Ahra;Son, Seung-Kyu;Moon, Jai-Woon;Kim, Kyeong-Hong
    • Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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    • v.18 no.3
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    • pp.143-156
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    • 2015
  • In order to understand the dynamic characteristics of water column environments in the Western Pacific seamount area (approximately $150.2^{\circ}E$, $20^{\circ}N$), we investigated the water mass and the behavior of water column parameters such as dissolved oxygen, inorganic nutrients (N, P), and chlorophyll-a. Physico-chemical properties of water column were obtained by CTD system at the nine stations which were selected along the east-west and south-north direction around the seamount (OSM14-2) in October 2014. From the temperature-salinity diagram, the main water masses were separated into North Pacific Tropical Water and Thermocline Water in the surface layer, North Pacific Intermediate Water in the intermediate layer, and North Pacific Deep Water in the bottom layer, respectively. Oxygen minimum zone (OMZ, mean $O_2$ $73.26{\mu}M$), known as dysoxic condition ($O_2<90{\mu}M$), was distributed in the depth range of 700~1,200 m throughout the study area. Inorganic nutrients typified by nitrite + nitrate and phosphate showed the lowest concentration in the surface mixed layer and then gradually increased downward with representing the maximum concentration in the OMZ, with lower N:P ratio (13.7), indicating that the nitrogen is regarded as limiting factor for primary production. Vertical distribution of water column parameters along the east-west and south-north station line around the seamount showed the effect of bottom water inflowing at around 500 m deep in the western and southern region, and concentrations of water column parameters in the bottom layer (below 2,500 m deep) of the western and southern region were differently distributed comparing to those of the other side regions (eastern and northern). The value of Excess N calculated from Redfield ratio (N:P=16:1) represented the negative value throughout the study area, which indicated the nitrogen sink dominant environments, and relative higher value of Excess N observed in the bottom layer of western and southern region. These observations suggest that the topographic features of a seamount influence the circulation of bottom current and its effects play a significant role in determining the behavior of water column environmental parameters.

Implications of Deep Nitrite in the Ulleung Basin (울릉 분지 저층수의 아질산염)

  • Lee, Tong-Sup;Kim, Il-Nam;Kang, Dong-Jin;Kim, Dong-Seon
    • The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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    • v.12 no.3
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    • pp.239-243
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    • 2007
  • Presence of bottom water nitrite in the Ulleung Basin was remarkable because it is totally unexpected phenomenon at such an oxygen-rich environment. Yet no scientific explanation was set forward. Of several plausible explanations, following the Ockham's suggestion, a leaching of nitrite as an intermediate product of denitrification in the top sediment at the slope is most agreeable to given environmental settings. There seems no complementary process to make up the loss of N in the Ulleung Basin, which seems contribute to the characteristically low N:P ratio in the deep waters. If warming proceeds that weakens the thermohaline circulation, a current biological pump may stall and the phytoplankton assemblage might replaced drastically. If so this will pause an utmost challenge to the ecosystem of the East/Japan Sea. Still there remains a contradictory sedimentary signature that requests further explanation regarding the N (or organic C)-cycle such as extraordinarily high organic carbon content despite abundant oxidants in the overlying waters.

Evidence for Hydrothermal Plume in Manus Basin, SW Pacific: Distribution of Transparency and Hydrogen Sulfide (남서태평양 마누스분지 해역의 열수 plume 증거: 투명도 및 황화수소 분포)

  • Lee, Kyeong-Yong;Park, Yong-Chul;Son, Seung-Kyu
    • The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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    • v.5 no.4
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    • pp.363-373
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    • 2000
  • To understand and investigate chemical characteristics of thermal environment in the southwestern Paciflc, we have measured hydrological and chemical parameters such as temperature, salinity, transparency, pH, nutrients and hydrogen sulfide (H$_2$S). Samples were collected with CTD-casting at 12 station, in Manus Basin including PACMANUS, DESMOS and Susu Knolls, Hydrothermal systems consist of circulation zones where seawater interacts with rock, thereby changing chemical and physical characteristics of both the seawater and the rock. The altered seawater, called hydrothermal fluid, is injected back into the ocean from the hydrothermal vent fields and forms hydrothermal plumes. Consequently, we detected hydrothermal plume with transparency and sulfide anomalies at PACMANUS and Susu Knolls. Sulfide, as geochemical tracer of hydrothermal plume, ranged 0-3.31 ${\mu}$M, and averaged 0.63 ${\mu}$M in the study area. The height, flux and activity of the plume are affected by circulations in the deep water and the spread of plume follows along the isopycnal surface. Therefore the observed H$_2$S anomaly can provide important clue for the source location and it appears that the targestsource in the PACMANUS is aligned in the north-south direction.

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Transportation and Deposition of Modern Sediments in the Southern Yellow Sea

  • Shi, Xuefa;Chen, Zhihua;Cheng, Zhenbo;Cai, Deling;Bu, Wenrui;Wang, Kunshan;Wei, Jianwei;Yi, Hi-Il
    • Journal of the korean society of oceanography
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    • v.39 no.1
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    • pp.57-71
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    • 2004
  • Based on the data obtained under the China-Korea joint project (1997-2001) and historic observations, the distribution, transportation and sedimentation of sediment in the southern Yellow Sea (SYS) are discussed, and the controversial formation mechanism of muddy sediments is also explored. The sediment transport trend analysis indicates that the net transport direction of sediment in the central SYS (a fine-grained sediment deposited area) points to $123.4^{\circ}E,\;35.1^{\circ}N$, which is a possible sedimentation center in the central SYS. The sediment transport pattern is verified by the distribution of total suspended matter (TSM) concentration and ${\delta}^{13}C$ values of particulate organic carbon (POC), the latter indicates that the bottom water plays a more important role than the surface water in transporting the terrigenous material to the central deep-water area of the SYS, and the Yellow Sea circulation is an important control factor for the sediment transport pattern in the SYS. The carbon isotope signals of organic matter in sediments indicate that the Shandong subaqueous delta has high sedimentation rate and the deposited sediments originate mainly from the modern Yellow River. The terrigenous sediments in deep-water area of the SYS originate mainly from the old Yellow River and the modern Yellow River, and only a small portion originates from the modern Yangtze River. The analytical results of TSM and stable carbon isotopes are further confirmed by another independent tracer of sediment source, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Five light mineral provinces in the SYS can be identified and they indicate inhomogeneity in sources and sedimentary environment. The modern shelf sedimentary processes in the SYS are controlled by shelf dynamic factors. The muddy depositional systems are produced in the shelf low-energy environments, which are controlled by some meso-scale cyclonic eddies (cold eddies) in the central SYS and the area southwest of the Cheju Island. On the contrary, an anticyclonic muddy depositional system (warm eddy sediment) appears in the southeast of the SYS (the area northwest of the Cheju Island). In this study, we give the cyclonic and anticyclonic eddy sedimentation patterns.

The Characteristics of Signal versus Noise SST Variability in the North Pacific and the Tropical Pacific Ocean

  • Yeh, Sang-Wook;Kirtman, Ben P.
    • Ocean Science Journal
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    • v.41 no.1
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    • pp.1-10
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    • 2006
  • Total sea surface temperature (SST) in a coupled GCM is diagnosed by separating the variability into signal variance and noise variance. The signal and the noise is calculated from multi-decadal simulations from the COLA anomaly coupled GCM and the interactive ensemble model by assuming both simulations have a similar signal variance. The interactive ensemble model is a new coupling strategy that is designed to increase signal to noise ratio by using an ensemble of atmospheric realizations coupled to a single ocean model. The procedure for separating the signal and the noise variability presented here does not rely on any ad hoc temporal or spatial filter. Based on these simulations, we find that the signal versus the noise of SST variability in the North Pacific is significantly different from that in the equatorial Pacific. The noise SST variability explains the majority of the total variability in the North Pacific, whereas the signal dominates in the deep tropics. It is also found that the spatial characteristics of the signal and the noise are also distinct in the North Pacific and equatorial Pacific.

Kerogen Facies of the Cretaceous Black Shales from the Angola Basin (DSDP Site 530), South Atlantic (앙골라분지 백악기 흑색셰일의 유기물상)

  • 박영수
    • 한국해양학회지
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    • v.22 no.2
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    • pp.87-104
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    • 1987
  • The middle Cretaceous stratigraphec section of Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) Site 530 in the Angola Basin is characterized by cyclic interbeds of organic-carbon-rich black shales and organic-carbon-poor red and green claystones, namely the black shale sequence. A number of samples from the black shale sequence were analyzed for the typesand distribution of insoluble sedimentary organic matter(kerogen) in order to give more information on the depositional conditions of the black shales in the Angola Basin. The dominant type of kerogen in the black shale sequence at Site 530 is amorphous organic matter mainly of marine planktonic algal origin. It probably consists of remains of some unfossiliqed dinoflagellates. The cyclic preservation of organic-carbon-rich black shales in the Angola Basin during the mid-Cretaceous could be explained by the low dissolved-oxygen concentration in the warm, saline deep and bottom waters combined with the sluggish circulation within the highly restricted basin, and the periodic high productivity in the surface waters.

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Meiobenthic Faunal Communities of the Deep-sea Sediments in the Northeastern Pacific along a Latitudinal Transect (북동태평양 심해 퇴적물에 서식하는 중형 저서 생물군집의 위도별 특징)

  • Hyun, Jung-Ho;Choi, Jin-Woo;Lee, Kyeong-Yong;Kim, Dong-Sung
    • The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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    • v.5 no.3
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    • pp.245-254
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    • 2000
  • This study was conducted to investigate the community structure and distributional pattern of meiobenthos in the deep sea bottoms of northeastern Pacific during July 1998. The faunal samples were collected using the multiple corer at ten stations; eight stations along the transects from 5$^{\circ}$N to 12$^{\circ}$N, and two stations in the Preservation Zone and Impact Zone of the KODOS (Korea Deep Ocean Study) area. The organic carbon content in sediments ranged from 0.79 to 1.76 mg cm$^{-3}$, and higher concentration appeared at stations in lower latitudes than 8$^{\circ}$N. The most abundant meiobenthos was nematodes and followed by foraminiferans; these two taxa comprised more than 70% of the total abundance at all stations. The most abundant meiobenthos occurred with mesh size of 0.063 nm. The maximum density of meiobenthos was 442 ind./10 cm$^2$ at station N5, and the density gradually decreased toward station N8 where the minimum density of 92 md./10 cm$^2$ was found. More than 60% of meiobenthos were distributed at surface sediment layer within 1.0 cm, and the peak abundance was found at 0-0.25 cm layer. The latitudinal distribution pattern of meiobenthos in the study area seemed to be related with the primary productivity of the surface water that is also connected to the water circulation pattern of the Pacific Ocean near the Equator, diverging at latitude of 8$^{\circ}$N and conversing at 5$^{\circ}$N.

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Predicting Impacts of Climate Change on Sinjido Marine Food Web (기후변화로 인한 신지도 근해 해양먹이망 변동예측)

  • Kang, Yun-Ho;Ju, Se-Jong;Park, Young-Gyu
    • Ocean and Polar Research
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    • v.34 no.2
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    • pp.239-251
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    • 2012
  • The food web dynamics in a coastal ecosystem of Korea were predicted with Ecosim, a trophic flow model, under various scenarios of primary productivity due to ocean warming and ocean acidification. Changes in primary productivity were obtained from an earth system model 2.1 under A1B scenario of IPCC $CO_2$ emission and replaced for forcing functions on the phytoplankton group during the period between 2020 and 2100. Impacts of ocean acidification on species were represented in the model for gastropoda, bivalvia, echinodermata, crustacean and cephalopoda groups with effect sizes of conservative, medium and large. The model results show that the total biomass of invertebrate and fish groups decreases 5%, 11~28% and 14~27%, respectively, depending on primary productivity, ocean acidification and combined effects. In particular, the blenny group shows zero biomass at 2080. The zooplankton group shows a sudden increase at the same time, and finally reaches twice the baseline at 2100. On the other hand, the ecosystem attributes of the mean trophic level of the ecosystem, Shannon's H and Kempton's Q indexes show a similar reduction pattern to biomass change, indicating that total biomass, biodiversity and evenness shrink dynamically by impacts of climate change. It is expected from the model results that, after obtaining more information on climate change impacts on the species level, this study will be helpful for further investigation of the food web dynamics in the open seas around Korea.

Evolution and Changes of Coastal Topography due to Jetty Construction at Namdae River Mouth (도류제 건설 후 남대천 하구의 해안선 생성 및 변화)

  • Kim, In Ho;Lee, Seong Dae
    • KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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    • v.28 no.3B
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    • pp.315-321
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    • 2008
  • Recently, in the light of environments and utilization, countermeasures to preserve beaches in coastal area are required without depending on such as jetties and breakwaters. The necessity of integrated sand management including not only coastal sediment but also sediment discharge from hinterland rivers is increased so as to establish long-term counterplan for sediment transport. In this regard, the following subjects are examined in this study; efficient ways for discharged sand to be transported from a river to the neighboring coast, the river terrace occurrence and its growth at the river delta, measures to improve storage efficiency of the discharged sand and measures to prevent the sand resources from being discharged into the deep sea during flooding. In recent, A jetty of 260 m length was constructed at Namdae River mouth in the year of 2005 as a countermeasure against the occurrence of sand-bar at river mouth and its close. In this study, a series of numerical experiments were carried out to investigate the characteristics of sediment transport and morphological change due to the construction of jetty at the entrance of Namdae River mouth. Firstly, The sand discharge from Namdae River is quantified by one-dimensional numerical analysis assuming the mixed sand of three different particle diameters. Then, in order to understand the transport behavior of the sand discharge from river and river mouth phenomena the numerical experiments were then conducted to examine the flow behaviors of river efflux and wind generated circulations in coastal area. And, after establishing the numerical model system, which predicts the sea bed changes obtained from the flux model combining with the wave propagation, wave-induced currents and sediment transport models, the sediment transport in the vicinity of Namdae River mouth is analyzed.

Synoptic Climatological Characteristics of Spring Droughts in Korea (한국의 춘계한발의 종관기후학적 특성)

  • Yang, Jin-Suk
    • Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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    • v.4 no.1
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    • pp.43-56
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    • 1998
  • The purpose of this study is to identify distributional characteristics of climatic elements and to analyze synoptic characteristics on the pressure fields for spring droughts in Korea. In the distributions of minimum temperature during the spring droughts, positive anomalies and negative anomalies are mixed up, but in March the negative anomaly areas are widely distributed in Korea. It implies that the droughts of March have more frequent occurrences of the west-high, east-low pressure patterns. In the maximum air temperatures, the positive anomalies appear in Korea. It indicates that the spring droughts have rain days, cloud amount and humidities less than normal. As a result, the amount of evaporation is increased in Korea. In the pressure anomaly of surface pressure fields, the positive anomalies appear in the west, negative anomalies in the east in March, but in May the positive anomalies appeared zonally around the Korean peninsula. It indicates that March droughts have more frequent occurrences of the west-high. east-low patterns, but in May the Korean Peninsula has more frequent recurrences of the migratory anticyclone patterns. The height anomaly patterns of 500hPa pressure surface in spring droughts are similarly shown to those of surface fields. In March droughts, the positive height anomalies appear in the west, the negative height anomalies in the east, but in April the negative height anomaly areas are extended to the west part. In May the positive anomalies appear zonally around the Korean Peninsula, and strong positive height anomalies appear around the Kamchatka Peninsula and the sea of Okhotsk. These are the result of circulations that inhibit the eastward movement of westerlies and that has persistent anticyclone circulation patterns around the Korean Peninsula. As a result, the zonal indices of westerlies during March and April droughts are lower than normal, but higher in May. These data indicate that early spring droughts are associated with weak zonal flow, but the late spring droughts are obviously related with strong zonal flow. In addition, during early spring droughts the abnormally deep trough over the west coast of the North Pacific Ocean that accompanied the anticyclone was associated with frequent advection of air from the dry regions in the Central Asia into the Korean Peninsula. The atmospheric circulation patterns at the height of the 500hPa pressure surface in May was quite different from March and April circulation patterns. Instead of the abnormal ridge in the west and trough in the east, the circulation pattern in May was characterized by a much stronger than normal anticyclone over the Korean Peninsula. Also, the zonal indices of westerlies in May are higher than normal. The occurrences of drought in early spring, therefore, have mechanism different from those of late spring.

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