• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.437-445
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• 2014

A time-series sediment trap was operated at a water depth of 4950 m from July 2003 to May 2004 at KOMO station ($10^{\circ}30^{\prime}N$, $131^{\circ}20^{\prime}W$) in the northeastern equatorial Pacific, with the aim of understanding the temporal variation of planktonic foraminifera assemblages in response to the seasonal shift of Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). A total of 22130 planktonic foraminifera specimens belonging to 30 species and 11 genera were identified, which shows a distinct seasonal variation with high values (125~288 specimens $m^{-2}day^{-1}$) in the winter to spring (December-May) and low values (16~23 specimens $m^{-2}day^{-1}$) in the fall (September-November). In addition, seasonal ecological differences of foraminifera assemblages are distinctly recognizable: omnivorous foraminifera occurred predominantly during the summer season, whereas herbivorous ones were dominant during the winter season. Such seasonal variations correspond to the seasonal shift of the ITCZ. Enhanced occurrence of herbivorous species during the winter-spring season seems a result of surface water mixing generated by the southward shift of the ITCZ. The increase in omnivorous species during the summer season may be due to the northward movement of the ITCZ caused by weakened wind speed, resulting in the intensification of water column stratification and nutrient-poor environment. A significant reduction of planktonic foraminifera specimens during the fall is attributed to heavy precipitation and reduction in light intensity.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.351-360
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• 2004

To investigate latitudinal variations in the zooplankton community along the meridian line ($5^{\circ}N-12^{\circ}N$, $131.5^{\circ}W$), we measured temperature, salinity, nitrate, chlorophyll-a and zooplankton at depths above 200 m from July $10^{th}$ to $25^{th}$, 2003. For comparative analysis, data of the physico-chemical properties and chl-a were matched to the two sampling depths (surface mixed layer and thermocline depth-200 m) of zooplankton. Latitudinal differences in the mesozooplankton distribution were mainly influenced by divergence formed at a boundary line formed by currents of opposing directions, consisting of North Equatorial Current (NEC) and North Equatorial Counter Current (NECC). High concentrations of chl-a south of $9^{\circ}N$, caused by equatorial upwelling related nutrients, is thought to be affected by the role of this divergence barrier, supported by relatively low concentrations in waters north of $9^{\circ}N$. The latitudinal differences of the chl-a were significantly associated with the major groups of zooplankton, namely calanoid and cyclopoid copepods, appendicularians, ostracods, chaetognaths, invertebrate larvae, and others. And temperature significantly affected the latitudinal variation of radiolarians, siphonophores, salps and immature copepods. The latitudinal differences in the two factors, temperature and chl-a, which explained 71.0% of the total zooplankton variation, were characterized by the equatorial upwelling as well as the divergence at $9^{\circ}N$. The physical characteristics also affected the community structure and abundance of zooplankton as well as average ratios of cyclopoid versus calanoid copepods. The abundance of dominant copepods, which were consistent with chl-a, were often associated with the carnivorous zooplankton chaetognaths, implying the relative importance of bottom-up regulation from physical properties to predatory zooplankton during the study period. These results suggested that latitudinal distribution of zooplankton is primarily controlled by current-related divergences, while biological processes are of secondary importance in the northeastern Equatorial Pacific during the study period in question.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.341-349
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• 2004

Hyrdography and deep currents were measured from 1997 to 1999 to investigate deep-sea environments in the KODOS (Korea Deep Ocean Study) area of the northeastern tropical Pacific. KODOS area is located meridionally from the North Equatorial Current to the boundary between the North Equatorial Current and the Equatorial Counter Current. Strong thermocline exists between 10 m and 120 m depths at the study area. Since that strong thermocline does hardly allow vertical mixing between surface and lower layer waters, vertical distributions of temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen and nutrients drastically change near the thermocline. Salinity-minimum layer, which indicate the North Pacific Intermediate Water (NPIW) and the Antartic Intermediate Water (AAIW), vertically occupies vertically at the depths from 500 m down to 1400 m. The NPIW and the AAIW horizontally occur to the north and to the south of $7^{\circ}N$, respectively. The near-bottom water shows the physical characteristics of $1.05^{\circ}C$ and 34.70 psu at the depths of 10 m to 110 m above the bottom (approximately 4000-5000 m), which was originated from the Antarctic Circumpolar Water. It flows northeastwards for 2 to 4 months at the study area, and its mean velocity was 3.1-3.7 cm/s. Meanwhile, reverse (southwestward) currents appear for about 15 days with the average of 1.0-6.1 cm/s every 1 to 6 months. Dominant direction of the bottom currents obtained from the data for more than 6 months is northeastward with the average speeds of 1.7-2.1 cm/s. Therefore, it seems that deep waters from the Antarctica flow northwards passing through the KODOS area in the northeastern tropical Pacific.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.190-199
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• 2008

To investigate hydrographic structure and characteristics of the tropical ocean in the eastern and the western Pacific, CTD(Conductivity-Temperature-Depth) data along $131^{\circ}W$ and $137^{\circ}-142^{\circ}E$ in July-August 2005 were analyzed. Sea surface temperature along $131.5^{\circ}W$ in summer is highest in the Equatorial Counter Current(ECC) because of the high-temperature water greater than $28^{\circ}C$ moving through the ECC from the western Pacific to the eastern Pacific in spring and summer. Based on the evidence of the presence of low salinity and high dissolved oxygen water in the North Equatorial Current(NEC), we suggested that the low salinity water moved from the Gulf of Panama to the east of Philippine along the North Equatorial Current(NEC). The South Equatorial Current(SEC) had the most saline water from surface to deep layer because the saline water from the Subtropical South Pacific Ocean moved to the north. The salinity minimum layer was observed at 500-1500 m depth along $131.5^{\circ}W$. The water mass with the salinity minimum layer in the north of $5^{\circ}N$ came from the North Pacific Intermediate Water(NPIW) and that in the south of $5^{\circ}N$ came from the Antarctic Intermediate Water(AAIW), which was more saline than the NPIW. Cyclonic cold eddy with a diameter of about 200km was found in $4-6^{\circ}N$. Sea surface temperature along $131.5^{\circ}W$ in the eastern Pacific was lower than along $137^{\circ}-142^{\circ}E$ in the western Pacific; on the other hand, sea surface salinity in the eastern Pacific was higher than in the western Pacific. Subsurface saline water from the Subtropical South Pacific Ocean was less saline in the eastern Pacific than in the western Pacific. Salinity and density(${\sigma}_{\theta}$) of the salinity minimum layer south of $14^{\circ}N$ was higher in the eastern Pacific than in the western Pacific.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.475-484
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• 2006

In order to reveal the vertical variation of physical properties in deep-sea sediments, deep-sea sediment cores were collected at 78 stations using a multiple corer in the KR5 area, one of the Korea contract areas for manganese nodule exploration, located in the northeast equatorial Pacific. Based on the color of sediments, sampled sediment cores were characterized into three lithologic units (unit 1,2, and 3). In all sediment cores, three units appear systematically; unit 1 lies at the top of cores and unit 2 and/or unit 3 appear to underlie unit 1 or alternate with unit 3. Unit 1 layer from the top of cores shows dark grayish brown to dark brown with mean thickness of 10.2cm. Unit 2 and 3 layers show very dark brown to black color and yellowish brown to brown color, respectively. According to the physical properties of the deep-sea sediment cores, sediment column can be divided into three sections. Section A $(0{\sim}15cm)$ in subbottom depth consists mostly of unit 1. Mean values of physical properties of section B $(15{\sim}30cm)$ in subbottom depth are similar to those of section C (>30 cm) in subbottom depth. However, the physical properties of section B were more variable than those of section C because of the high activity of bioturbation in section B. These results will provide valuable information for selecting suitable sites for mining manganese nodules in the Korea contract areas.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.189-204
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• 1990

In the KODOS (Korea Deep Ocean Study)-89 area, western part of clarion-Clipperton fracture zones in the northeastern equatorial Pacific, magnate nodules and sediments were sampled during the 'Farnella' cruise in Oct., 1989. Bulk chemical and mineralogical analyses have been made on a suit of ferromanganese nodules and sediments to study the origin and distribution pattern of the nodules. The nodules are classified into three groups based on their origin: diagenetic nodules with high Mn/Fe ratio, Cu, Ni, Zn, Mg, todorokite contents and rough surface texture; hydrogenetic nodules with high Fe, Co, vernadite contents and smooth surface texture; and transitional nodules with intermediate characters between diagenetic and hydrogenetic nodules. Study area is divided into four zones according to the origin and abundance of nodules: far north area where nodules are hydrogenetic and intermediate in abundance; north area where nodules are diagenetic and low in abundance; south area where nodules are diagenetic and intermediate in abundance; seamount area where nodules are hydrogenetic and high in abundance. distribution pattern of manganese nodules in the KODOS-89 area seems to be controlled by latitudinal variation of productivity in water column and sea bottom morphology.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.24-40
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• 1988

In the Korea Ocean Nodule Development (KONOD)-1 area between the Clarion and Clipperton fracture zones of the northeastern equatorial Pacific, the pelagic sediment layer can be divided into two or three units on air-gun seismic profile. The acoustic units can be also correlated with those in the DSDP site 163 core. The topmost unit (unit I) is acoustically transparent and consists of zeolitic clay and radiolarian ooze of late Oligocene to middle Eocene age. Unit IIA is well-stratified and transparent in the lower part. consisting of the radiolarian ooze intercalated with chert beds and zeolitic clay of early Eocene to Paleocene age. Unit IIB is stratified with layers of silicified and compacted flinty-cherty nannofossil chalk (late Cretaceous) on top of the acoustic basement. Units I and IIA form the Line Islands Formation that overlies an unnamed formation of unit lIB. The entire layers and the unit I layer propressively thin northward, except near the Line Islands Ridge. The distribution of sediment layer has been controlled by the equatorial Cenozoic CCD and the northward spreading of the Pacific plate. The change of CCD corresponding to the subsidence and migration of the plate has determined the sediment composition of the DSDP 163 core passed across the equator of high sedimentation suite. The late Cretaceous sedimentary layer (unit IIB) in the 163 core was formed above the CCD south of the equator. The unit IIA resulted from rapid subsidence of the Pacific plate below the CCD in the Paleocene. The unit IIA is seen only in the west of 149 W. Both the units IIA and I were probably formed during the Pacific plate passing and after leaving the equatorial region respectively since early Eocene. In the south of the KONOD-l area, the unit I was redistributed by bottom current, a branch of the Antarctic Bottom Water flowing eastward guided by the Clipperton fracture zone. The activities of bottom currents were prolonged for a long geological time. Turbidite layers occur more than 350 km from the Hawaiian Ridge to near the Clarion fracture zone. They originated directly from the Hawaiian Ridge, filling the topographic lows.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.119-129
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• 1987

Sediments in the cores from the KONOD-1 area consist mainly of authigenic smectite and clinoptilolite, and terrigenous minerals of illite, chlorite, kaolinite, quartz, and plagioclase. The authigenic minerals become dominant over the terrigenous minerals with increasing depth. Clinoptilolite occurs at the deeper core depth because its formation is slower than that of smectite. The vertical distribution of minerals indicates that the eolian influence, probably in the late Oligocene, diluted the abundance if smectite in near-surface sediments. This vertical distribution pattern may also have been affected by progressive dissolution of authigenic minerals in the near surface sediments.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.283-295
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• 2007

We investigated the longitudinal variations in zooplankton abundances and their related physicochemical properties at nine stations located between $136^{\circ}W$ and $128^{\circ}W$ at $10.5^{\circ}N$ in the northeastern Pacific in summer 2004. Temperature, salinity, inorganic nutrients, chlorophyll-a (hereafter chl-a) and zooplankton ($>200\;{\mu}m$) were sampled within the depth from the surface to 200 m depth at $1^{\circ}$ longitude intervals. Zooplankton($>200\;{\mu}m$) samples were vertically collected at two depth intervals from surface to 200 m, consisting of surface mixed and lower layers (thermocline$\sim$200 m). Longitudinal distributional pattern of hydrological parameters (especially salinity) was physically influenced by the intensity of westward geostrophic current passage relating to the NEC (North Equatorial Current). Data from the longitudinal survey showed clear zonal distributions in the hydrological parameters(temperature, salinity and nutrients). However, spatial patterns of the chl-a concentrations and zooplankton abundances were mostly independent of the zonal distributions of hydrological parameters. The two peaks of zooplankton abundance in the surface mixed layer were characterized by different controlling factors such as bottom-up control from nutrients to zooplankton ($129^{\circ}W$) and accumulation by increment of friction force and taxonomic interrelationship ($133^{\circ}$ and $134^{\circ}W$). Divergence-related upwelling caused introduction of nutrients into surface waters leading to the increment of chl-a concentration and zooplankton abundances ($129^{\circ}W$). Increased friction force in relation to reduced flow rates of geostrophic currents caused accumulation of zooplankton drifting from eastern stations of study area($133^{\circ}$ and $134^{\circ}W$). Besides, high correlation between immature copepods and carnivorous groups such as chaetognaths and cyclopoids also possibly contributed to the enhanced total abundance of zooplankton in the surface mixed layer (p<0.05). Zooplankton community was divided into three groups (A, B, C) which consecutively included the eastern peak of zooplankton($129^{\circ}W$), the western peak($133^{\circ}$ and $134^{\circ}W$) and high nutrient but low chl-a concentration and zooplankton abundance ($136^{\circ}W$). Moreover, Group B corresponded to the westward movement of low saline waters(<33.6 psu) from 128 to $132^{\circ}W$. In summary, longitudinal distributions of zooplankton community was characterized by three different controlling factors: bottom-up control ($129^{\circ}W$), accumulation by increased friction force and relationships among zooplankton groups ($133^{\circ}$ and $134^{\circ}W$), and mismatch between hydrological parameters and zooplankton in the high nutrient low chlorophyll area ($136^{\circ}W$) during the study period.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.178-189
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• 2008

The distribution of inorganic nutrients and their remineralization ratio in the divergence zone ($7^{\circ}{\sim}10.5^{\circ}N$) of the northeastern Pacific were investigated from July 2003 to July 2007. A divergence zone along the boundary of the North Equatorial Counter Current (NECC) and North Equatorial Current (NEC) at $10^{\circ}N$ was observed in July 2007 when the La Nina event and divergence-related upwelling was strong. The mean depth of oligotrophic surface mixed layer in the divergence zone was 46, 61, and 30 m in July 2003, August 2005, and July 2007, respectively. Below the surface mixed layer, a nutricline was clearly observed. The depth integrated value of nitrate including nitrite (DIVn) in the upper layer($0{\sim}100$ m depth) ranged from 5.51 to 21.71 $gN/m^2$(mean 12.82 $gN/m^2$) in July 2003, from 5.62 to 8.46 $gN/m^2$ (mean 7.15 $gN/m^2$) in August 2005, and from 8.98 to 27.80 $gN/m^2$(mean 21.12 $gN/m^2$) in July 2007. The maximum DIVn was observed at the divergence zone. The distributions of phosphate(DIVp) and silicate(DIVsi) were similar to that of DIVn and the DIVn/DIVsi ratio was $0.87{\pm}0.11$ in the upper layer. The limiting nutrient for phytoplankton growth in the study area was identified as nitrogen(N/P ratio=14.6). The nitrate (including nitrite) concentrations were lower in the region mainly affected by NEC than in the region affected by NECC. The study area of low silicate concentrations was also considered to be Si-limiting environment. The remineralization ratios of nutrients were $P/N/-O_2=1/14.6{\pm}1.1/100.4{\pm}8.8(23.44{\leq}Sigma-{\theta}{\leq}26.38)$ in the study area. These ratios suggested remineralization process in the surface layer of divergence zone.