• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.167-175
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• 2002

Sediment from six piston cores from the East Sea (Sea of Japan) was analyzed for evidence of paleoceanographic changes and paleoclimatic variation. A distinct geochemical boundary is evident in major element concentrations and organic carbon content of most cores near the 10-ka horizon. This distinctive basal Holocene change is interpreted to be largely the result of changing sediment sources, an interpretation supported by TiO_2/Al_2O_3$ ratios. Organic carbon and carbonate contents also differ significantly between the Holocene and glacial intervals. The C/N ratio of organic matter is greater than 10 during the glacial period, but is less than 10 for the Holocene, suggesting that the influx of terrigenous organic matter was more volumetrically important than marine organic matter during glacial times. The chemical index of weathering (CIW) is higher for the Holocene than the glacial interval, and changes markedly at the basal Holocene geochemical boundary. Silt fractions are higher in the glacial interval, suggesting a strong effect of climate on silt particle transportation: terrigenous aluminosilicates and continental organic carbon transport were higher during glacial times than during the Holocene. Differences in sediment composition between the Holocene and glacial period are interpreted to have been climatically induced.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.23-34
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• 2001

Geochemical and Sr-Nd isotopic compositions and K-Ar ages are analyzed in volcanic rocks from Weno Island, Caroline Islands. Seven Weno lava samples of alkali basalt and basaltic trachyandesite are aphyric or sparsely phyric comprising olivine, plagioclase, and clinopyroxene phenocrysts. Whole-rock geochemical variation of Weno lavas reflects main fractional crystallization of olivine and Cr-spinel phenocrysts. Newly determined K-Ar ages of Weno lavas range from 6.7 to 11.3 Ma (late Miocene), indicating their formation during primary volcanic stage of Chuuk Islands. Trace element compositions of Weno lavas are very similar to those of typical ocean island basalts (OIBs), suggesting their formation during intra-plate mantle plume activity. The plume composition is isotopically very similar to that of Hawaiian hot spot. However, the age span of Chuuk volcanism is longer than that of the other individual volcanoes in the Pacific.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.313-324
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• 2008

In order to understand the variation of ENSO-related oceanic environments in the tropical and North Pacific Ocean, spatio-temporal variations of sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) and sea surface height anomaly (SSHA) are analyzed from distributions of complex empirical orthogonal functions (CEOF). Correlations among warm pool variation, southern oscillation index, and ocean surface currents were also examined with respect to interannual variability of the warm pool in western tropical Pacific. Spatio-temporal distributions of the first CEOF modes for SSTA and SSHA indicate that their variabilities are associated with ENSO events, which have a variance over 30% in the North Pacific. The primary reasons for their variabilities are different; SST is predominantly influenced by the change of barrier layer thickness, while SSH fluctuates with the same phase as propagation of an ENSO episode in the zonal direction. Horizontal boundary of warm pool area, which normally centered around $149^{\circ}E$ in the tropics, seemed to be expanded to the middle and eastern tropical regions by strong zonal currents through the mature phase of an ENSO episode.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.335-345
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• 2008

In order to study spatial variabilities and major controlling factors, we measured fugacity of $CO_2(fCO_2)$, temperature, salinity and nutrients in surface waters of the North Pacific($7^{\circ}30'{\sim}33^{\circ}15'N$, $123^{\circ}56'E{\sim}164^{\circ}24'W$) between September$\sim$October 2007. The North Pacific and the marginal sea were distinguished by $fCO_2$ distribution as well as unique characteristics of temperature and salinity. There was a distinct diurnal SST variation in the tropical North Pacific area, and surface $fCO_2$ coincidently showed diurnal variation. In the North Pacific area, surface $fCO_2$ was mainly controlled by temperature, while in the marginal sea area it was primarily dependent on alkalinity and dissolved inorganic carbon concentrations. Air-sea $CO_2$ flux showed a large spatial variation, with a range of $-6.10{\sim}5.06\;mmol\;m^{-2}day^{-1}$. The center of subtropical gyre of North Pacific acted as a source of $CO_2(3.09{\pm}0.95\;mmol\;m^{-2}day^{-1})$. Tropical western North Pacific (i.e. the 'warm pool' area and the subtropical western North Pacific) acted as weak sources of $CO_2$($1.07{\pm}1.20\;mmol\;m^{-2}day^{-1}$ and $0.50{\pm}0.53\;mmol\;m^{-2}day^{-1}$, respectively). In the marginal sea, however, the flux was estimated to be $-0.68{\pm}1.17\;mmol\;m^{-2}day^{-1}$, indicating that this area acted as a sink for $CO_2$.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.459-468
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• 2003

Annual variation of water qualities in the Shihwa Lake were observed 18 times from June 1996 to October 2001. We studied at the station of the upper streams and near the water gate of lake. After the flow of the outer seawater through the water gate, the surface salinity in Shihwa Lake increased to the range of 25-30 psu in both stations after October 1998. Due to the declination of the salinity differences between the surface and the bottom water, the pycnocline in which had existed until 1997 has weakened, and made the water column mix vertically. This led to the improvement of anoxic/hypoxic environment at bottom waters after April 1998. However, despite the continuous flow of the outer seawater, the concentrations of chlorophyll-a at surface layer were varied from $2{\mu}g/l\;to\;60{\mu}g/l$, and these values indicated the eutrophication. The following organic matter load was greatly influencing the surface layer's COD concentration. During the rainy season, the salinity at the surface layer to the below 15 psu resulting in stratification between the surface and bottom layer. Organic matters that were provided from the surface layer to the bottom layer due to active primary production in the year exhausted dissolved oxygen at the bottom layer, and the bulks of organic matters at bottom gave rise to hypoxic or anoxic environment. It was observed that the enrichment of ammonia and phosphate were main factors to worsen the water quality of the Shihwa Lake. The results of examining the annual variations in Shiwha Lake through principal component analysis shown that water characteristics in the rainy season were similar with those before input of outer sea water.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.177-186
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• 2010

A sequential extraction technique was used to study sediment phosphorus speciation and its relative importance in the intertidal flat of Keunso Bay during summer and winter for a better understanding of the phosphorus cycle and bioavailability in intertidal sediments. Loosely sorbed P contents were the lowest among the five P-pools and showed little seasonal or spatial variation. Although Fe-bound P contents were almost constant in winter, they decreased rapidly with sediment depth in summer. The dissolution of Fe oxides, used as an oxidant for the anaerobic respiration, ascribed the rapid decrease of Fe-bound P in summer. Al-bound P contents displayed little seasonal variation, but showed a large spatial variation, with higher values in the upper intertidal flat. Comprising about 50% of total P, Ca-bound P contents were the highest among the five P-pools. Ca-bound P contents were higher in winter than summer, but did not exhibit a clear spatial variation. Organic P contents were higher in summer than winter, which was associated with higher primary production and clam biomass in summer. Organic P contents were higher in the lower intertidal flat than the upper intertidal flat. In Keunso Bay, bioavailable P contents of the intertidal flat comprising about one third of total P ranged from 2.41 to 5.09 ${\mu}molg^{-1}$ in summer and 3.82 to 5.29 ${\mu}molg^{-1}$ in winter. The bioavailability of P contents was higher in the lower intertidal flat than the upper intertidal flat, which was attributed to the large clam production in the lower intertidal flat.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.1-18
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• 2002

Seasonal variation in global transport calculated from an ocean general circulation model (OGCM) has been assessed through the comparison with observational estimates. The OGCM based on the GFDL MOM1.1 has honzontal grid interval of 10 and 21 verticle levels, and was integrated for 31 years forced by climatological wind stress, freshwater flux, and heat flux with restoring. General features of the world ocean circulation are well reproduced, which include the western boundary currents such as the Kuroshio and the Agulhas Current, the Equatorial Current system, the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, and the Weddell Sea gyres. Also well resolved is the remarkable seasonal variation in the depth-integrated flows in the northern Indian Ocean due to the monsoonal wind. Monthly variation is found to be dominant in the transport of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current through the Drake Passage in accordance with observational estimates. It has been shown that the mid-latitude depth-integrated flows obey the Sverdrup relation, except for some regions such as continental shelf regions where the interaction between stratification and bottom topography is critical.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.39-45
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• 2002

The seasonal patterns of sediment supply were investigated during the period of June 1999 to June 2000 on a coastal foredune of Seungbong Island, Korea. Sediment supply was determined from measurements of geomorphic changes in the foredune and beach along six lines. Most sands were deposited on the dunefoot and foredune area during the winter and spring, from November to April. The largest amount of sands was deposited along the lines 5 and 6 near the sea-dike in the southern tip of the dune area. In general, the sand on the beach was gradually eroded in spring, summer and fall but deposited in winter. Total sediment accumulation over the study period was $484m^3$ for the foredune and $345m^3$ for the beach. The volume of the foredune increased in the winter and spring, whereas the volume of beach increased in the winter. Variation in sediment deposition appears to be controlled primarily by variations in the seasonal wind regime.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.33 no.spc3
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• pp.325-336
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• 2011

Seasonal to inter-annual variations of water properties in the western channel of the Korea Strait are investigated using quasi-monthly hydrographic observations collected during 2006-2010. Weak vertical temperature and salinity gradients are observed during the winter months and these remain until May. At the upper layer, temperature increases from March and reaches a maximum in August, while salinity decreases during the same period. Near-bottom water shows low temperatures during late winter and fall with a minimum peak in September. Korea Strait Bottom Cold Water produces thick layers (>20 m) in 2006 and 2010, while it is observed very near the bottom with relatively high temperature in 2008 and 2009.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.219-229
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• 2009

In order to establish annual variations in the marine ecosystem of the East China Sea, suspended solids (SSs) and particulate organic carbon (POC) were extensively investigated in the northern part of the East China Sea from August 2003 to April 2008. Surface SS concentrations showed large spatial variations in spring and fall, but not in summer. Surface SS concentrations in spring were lower than those in summer and fall. In summer, SSs discharged from Changjiang were mostly deposited in the coastal areas and did not reach our study area which was located about 260 km from the river mouth. High SS concentrations were observed near the bottom, which resulted from resuspension of bottom sediments by the bottom currents. Surface POC concentrations did not exhibited large seasonal variations. Phytoplankton biomass was a main factor controlling surface POC concentrations. POC/chlorophyll ratios showed large seasonal variations, with maximum numbers in summer. POC/PON ratios were higher in summer than the Redefied ratio (6.6), while they were lower in spring and fall. In summer, higher POC/chlorophyll and POC/PON ratios were probably attributed to the high phytoplankton mortality caused by nutrient depletion in surface waters.