Numerical modeling on the circulation of the East Asian Marginal Seas

Abstract

Circulation of the East Asian Marginal Seas was examined using the global ocean general circulation model. Grid resolution of the model is 0.5 degree both in latitude and longitude, and 30 levels in vertical. The numerical model is also characterized by the explicit calculation of free surface and adoption of partial cell topography scheme for better representation of bottom topography. For the initial and boundary conditions Levitus climatology of temperature and salinity, and Hellerman & Rosenstein wind stress were applied. Model has been integrated for 30 years from the rest. The simulated field shows a strong seasonal variation of sea surface height over the EAMS and the Kuroshio region. Sea surface height in the Yellow Sea and the East/Japan Sea is 40 ~ 60 cm lower than the East China Sea shelf slope region and about 20 cm higher than the Pacific side of Tsugaru Strait. It is shown that the Tsushima Warm Current water in the Korea Strait is mainly transported by the branch current from the Kuroshio main stream through the deep trough southwest of Kyushu and partly from the current through the Taiwan Strait.