IUGG 2003 Abstract

P02 Marginal and Semi-Enclosed Seas and their Exchange with the Open Ocean  Monday, June 30 PM Location: Site C, Room 25 Presiding Chair:M. Wakatsuchi

TIME [ 1700 ] [ P02/30P/C25-009 ]

VARIABILITY OF THE CIRCULATION IN THE SOUTHERN YELLOW SEA AND EAST CHINA SEA DURING TWO INVESTIGATIVE CRUISES OF JUNE 1999

Yaochu YUAN(Lab of Ocean Dynamic Processes and Satellite Oceanography, Second Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Hangzhou 310012, China)

Yonggang LIU(College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, U.S.A) Heung-jae LIE ( Korea Ocean Research and Development Institute, Ansan, Korea ) Ruyun LOU ( Lab of Ocean Dynamic Processes and Satellite Oceanography, Second Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Hangzhou 310012, China )

On the basis of hydrographic data obtained in June 17 to 25, 1999 on board the R/V Eardo, Korea (hereafter the second cruise), the circulation in the southern Yellow Sea and East China Sea are computed by using the modified inverse method. The comparison between two computed results in the first cruise, which was carried out in June 4 to 19, 1999 on board the R/V Xiangyanghong 14, China, and the second cruise are made. The following results have been obtained. (1) A part of the Kuroshio flows northward through the eastern part of Section E, near the famous section PN, and the volume transport(VT) of a part of the Kuroshio through Section E is about 6.2×106m3/s ,and its maximum velocity is about 93 cm/s .The VT of the offshore branch of Taiwan Warm Current west of the Kuroshio through Section E is about 0.4×106m3/s. (2)There are the following variability of circulation between these two cruises, which their time difference is about two weeks.1) The position of the Kuroshio in second cruise is slightly more east than that in first cruise; 2) The high dense water (HDW) with a cold water is occurred in the region south of Cheju Island between 125Z�°30′E and 127Z�°E. The circulation in the region of HDW is cyclonic. Comparing the position of HDW during the second cruise with that during the first cruise, its position in the second cruise moves slightly northward. (3) The cold and uniform mixing layer is occurred in the layer from 30m level to the bottom of the middle part of Section A, which is located at the most northern part of the computed region, and in the layer from 20m level to the bottom of the middle part of Section B, near Section A, respectively. They are both a southern part of the Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass (YSCWM). (4) There is higher temperature and lower density with a weaker anticyclonic circulation in the southwestern part of the computed region. Its center is located at a most western point of Section E.