Review on Lagrangian Particle Tracking Modeling for Floating Objects around the Korean Peninsula

Abstract

Marine debris is becoming an increasingly serious problem. Using a Lagrangian particle model one can calculate the trajectories of various floating objects including marine debris. We reviewed Lagrangian particle tracking of floating objects in the seas around Korea from three recent studies. The first one was on the fate of marine debris from lands through the rivers discharging into the seas around the Korean Peninsula. The main path of the debris depended on their geographical locations. The debris from the rivers on the east coast of China moved southward along the Chinese coast, to the Korea Strait, or to the North Pacific Ocean via the Kuroshio Current (KC). That from the rivers located on the west coast of the Korean Peninsula moved southward to reach the KC, and then to the North Pacific Ocean. The main pathway of the debris from the Nakdong Rivers was toward the East Sea (ES). The particles released from the Tumen River were limited to the ES. In the second example, the pathways of the debris released through the Tumen River located between the North Korea and Russia during the flooding induced by the typhoon Lionrock in August 2016 were investigated. The debris was transported southward along the east coast of the Korean Peninsula by the southward North Korea Cold Current while affected by the wind. Three potential hotspots of debris accumulation along the coast were also found. In the third example, the most probable route of a wave buoy found at Cape Mendocino, California, USA was deduced. The buoy moved from Jeju Island toward Taiwan, and then to the North Pacific via the KC. These model results would help us to establish efficient cleaning and management plans of marine debris by showing us the main accumulation sites, pathways and source areas.