• 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.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.33-42
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• 2007

To obtain the overall distribution patterns and characteristics of the East Sea Intermediate Water (ESIW), the historical data obtained by the Japan Maizuru Marine Observatory (MMO) and the Korea Ocean Research and Development Institute (KORDI) were analyzed. To obtain water characteristics of the ESIW on isopycnal surfaces, temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen were interpolated at every 0.01 interval of potential density. And then the interpolated values were averaged at the same potential density. This potential density average method preserved the salinity minimum layer more clearly compared to the depth average method. The potential density(${\sigma}_{\theta}$) range of the ESIW was $26.9{\sim}27.3$. The representative potential density of the ESIW was found to be 27.2, because the characteristics of the ESIW was clear at this density. From the horizontal distributions of physical properties on the isopycnal surface of $27.2{\sigma}_{\theta}$ it is suggested that the low salinity ESIW circulates anticlockwise over the whole basin with the high salinity intermediate water. The low salinity intermediate water extended from the northwestern part to the east along the sub-polar front and to the Ulleung Basin along the east coast of Korea.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.229-239
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• 1994

By laying emphasis on the intermediate layer, water property distribution in the Northwest Pacific is studied using the hydrographic data obtained by Japan Meteorologica] Agency in the period from 1960 to 1986. The scattering of water type in T-S diagram is relatively small in the Kuroshio Region. Both the envelopes of saline side and of fresh side of the scattered data points shifts gradually from saline side to fresh side as the observation line moves from southwest to northeast. In the Mixed Water Region, the scattering of water type increases rapidly as the observation line moves north; The envelope of fresh cold side moves towards fresh cold side much faster than that of same side. The thermosteric anomaly value at the salinity minimum decreases as the observation line moves from north to south or southwest. This suggests that the water does not advect along the salinity minimum layer, but that the salinity minimun layer is understood as a boundary of two different waters aligned vertically. We defined the typical water masses for the Oyashio Water and the Kuroshio Water. The water mass below the salinity minimum layer may be created by isopycnal mixing of these two water masses with a fixed mixing rate. While, the water mass above the salinity minimum cannot be created simply by isopycnal mixing. The salinity minimum layer may be eroded from upper side due to active mixing processes in the surface layer, while the water of the salinity minimum layer moves gradually southward. This appears to give an explanation why the thermosteric anomaly value at salinity minimum decreases towards south.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.521-527
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• 2003

To study the intruded phenomena of North Pacific Ocean around Boso peninsular, water property distribution in the adjacent seas to Japan is studied using the hydrographic data obtained by Japan Maritime Agency and Japan Fisheries Agency from 1973 to 1996, The scattering of water type in T-5 diagram is relatively small in the Kuroshio Region. Both the envelopes of saline side and of fresh side of the scattered data points shifts gradually from saline side to fresh side as the observation Line moves from southwest to northeast. In mixed water region, the scattering of water type increases rapidly as the observation line moves north; the envelope of fresh cold side moves towards fresh cold side much faster than that of saline side. This suggests that the water does not advect along the salinity minimum layer, but the salinity minimum layer can be understood as a boundary of two different waters aligned vertically, We defined the typical water masses as the Oyashio Water and the Kuroshio Water. The water mass below the salinity minimum layer may be created by isopycnal mixing of these two water masses with a fixed mixing rate. While the water mass above the salinity minimum cannot be created simply by isopycnal mixing. The salinity minimum layer may be eroded from upper side due to active minxing processes in the surface layer, while the water of the salinity minimum layer moves gradually southward. This appears to give an explanation why the thermosteric anomaly value at salinity minimun decereases towards south.

• Environmental Sciences Bulletin of The Korean Environmental Sciences Society
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.105-112
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• 1999

Density and temeprature fronts are common features of the ocean. However, frontal dynamics are not quasi-geostrophic because the isopycnal deflections associated with fronts are large compared with the scale height of the hydrostatic geopotential. The frontal geostrophic model, developed by Cushman-Roisin et al.(1992) is generally used fro describing the dynamics of surface-density ocean fronts, whereas the two-layer frontal geostrophic model is used for fronts on a sloping continental shelf. This paper investigates the baroclinic nonlinear stability of surface-density ocean fronts and fronts on a sloping continental shelf using the two-layer frontal geostrophic model mentioned above. Nonlinear stability criteria for the two kinds of fronts are obtained using Arnol'd's (1965; 1969) variational principle and a prior estimate method. This is the first time a nonlinear stability criterion for surface ocean fronts has been established, furthermore, the results obtained for fronts on a sloping bottom are superior to any previous ones.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.283-296
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• 2009

Oceanographic survey data were analyzed to understand the characteristics of a warm eddy observed in the Ulleung Basin in July 2005. The temperature distribution at 200 db and vertical sections provided evidence of the warm eddy in the Ulleung Basin (UWE05). Based on the 5$^{\circ}C$ isothermal line on 200 db temperature, the major axis was 160 km from southwest to northeast, and the minor axis was 80 km from southeast to northwest. The homogeneous layer in the thermocline of UWE05 had mean values of 10.40$^{\circ}C$ potential temperature, 34.35 psu salinity, and 26.37 kg/m$^3$ potential density (${\sigma}_{\theta}$) and provided evidence that UWE05 also existed during the winter of 2004-2005. A warm streamer initially flowed along the circumference of UWE05 and mixed with the upper central water. Two northward current cores were found on the western side of the measured current section at the central latitude of UWE05. One was the East Korean Warm Current (EKWC) and the other was the main stream of the western part of UWE05. Geostrophic transport of the upper layer (from the surface to the isopycnal surface of 26.9 ${\sigma}_{\theta}$) was approximately 2.5 Sv in the eastern side of UWE05. However, the measured transport was twice as large as the geostrophic transport. Mass conservation of geostrophic transport was well satisfied in the upper layer. The direct current measurements and geostrophic transport analysis showed that the EKWC meandered around UWE05.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.33 no.spc3
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• pp.371-383
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• 2011

To investigate the physical characteristics and variations of oceanic parameters in the tropical central North Pacific, oceanographic surveys were carried out in summer of 2006 and 2007. The survey periods were classified by Oceanic Ni$\tilde{n}$o Index as a weak El Ni$\tilde{n}$o in 2006 and a medium La Ni$\tilde{n}$a in 2007. The survey instruments were used to acquire data on CTD (Conductivity Temperature and Depth), XBT (Expendable Bathythermograph), and TSG (Thermosalinograph). The dominant temporal variation of surface temperature was diurnal. The diurnal variation in 2007, when the La Ni$\tilde{n}$a weather pattern was in place, was stronger than that in 2006. Surface salinity in 2006 was affected by a northwestward branch of North Equatorial Current, which implies that the El Ni$\tilde{n}$o affects surface properties in the North Equatorial Current region. Two salinity minimum layers existed at stations east of Chuuk in both year's observations. The climatological vertical salinity section along $180^{\circ}E$ shows that the two salinity minimum layers exist in $2^{\circ}N{\sim}12^{\circ}N$ region, consistent with our observations. Analysis of isopycnal lines over the salinity section implies that the upper salinity minimum layer is from intrusion of the upper part of North Pacific Intermediate Water into the lower part of South Pacific Subtropical Surface Water and the lower salinity minimum layer is from Antarctic Intermediate Water.

• Proceedings of the Korea Committee for Ocean Resources and Engineering Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.103-107
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• 2001

The major studies of an ocean circulation of the East/Japan Sea related to evaluate the feasibility and utilization of deep ocean water are reviewed. The major feature of surface current system of the East/Japan Sea is an inflow of the Tsushima Warm Current through the Korea/Tsushima Strait and the outflow through the Tsugaru and Soya Straits. The Tsushima Warm Current has been known to split into two or three branches in the southern region of the East/Japan Sea. In the cold water region of the East/Japan Sea, the North Korean Cold Current turns to the east near 39$^{\circ}$N after meeting the East Korean Warm Current, then flows eastward. The degree of penetration depends on the strength of the positive wind stress curl, according to the ventilation theory. Various current meter moorings indicate strong and oscillatory deep currents in various parts of the basin. According to some numerical experiments, these currents may be induced by pressure-topography or eddy-topography interaction. However, more investigations are needed to explain clearly the presence of these strong bottom currents. This study concludes the importance of topographical coupling, isopycnal outcropping, different wind forcing and the branching of the Tsushima Warm Current on the circulation of the East/Japan Sea.

• Atmosphere
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.423-440
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• 2023

The updated version of Global Ocean Data Assimilation and Prediction System (GODAPS) in the NIMS/KMA (National Institute of Meteorological Sciences/Korea Meteorological Administration), which has been in operation since December 2021, is being introduced. This technical note on GODAPS2 describes main progress and updates to the previous version of GODAPS, a software tool for the operating system, and its improvements. GODAPS2 is based on Forecasting Ocean Assimilation Model (FOAM) vn14.1, instead of previous version, FOAM vn13. The southern limit of the model domain has been extended from 77°S to 85°S, allowing the modelling of the circulation under ice shelves in Antarctica. The adoption of non-linear free surface and variable volume layers, the update of vertical mixing parameterization, and the adjustment of isopycnal diffusion coefficient for the ocean model decrease the model biases. For the sea-ice model, four vertical ice layers and an additional snow layer on top of the ice layers are being used instead of previous single ice and snow layers. The changes for data assimilation include the updated treatment for background error covariance, a newly added bias scheme combined with observation bias, the application of a new bias correction for sea level anomaly, an extension of the assimilation window from 1 day to 2 days, and separate assimilations for ocean and sea-ice. For comparison, we present the difference between GODAPS and GODAPS2. The verification results show that GODAPS2 yields an overall improved simulation compared to GODAPS.

• 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.