동해에서 38-40N선을 가로지르는 극향 물질수송

Abstract

Using geostrophic calculations with a quasi-zonal CTD section obtained between38-40°N in summer 1999, and velocity estimates at 700 m level from autonomous profiling floats (Argo floats), we investigate the structure of meridional mass and heat transports in the East Sea. In the horizontal, due to eddies and the meandering of the polar front, the flow changes its direction almost at every 100 km or so. In the vertical, although the flow becomes weaker with depth the direction of the flow does not change. The total volume transport though the CTD section is 1.6 Sv, which is significantly less than the volume transport through the Korea Strait, which is around 2.5 Sv., because the CTD section does not cover the strong and narrow current along the Japanese coast (the Near shore Branch). The meriodional mass transport due to the surface wind stress across the CTD section is less than 10% of that due to the geostrophic flow. Water colder than 10C is due to it own thermohaline circulation of about 0.9 Sv, which transports about 0.04 PW across the section.