Simulation of Vertical Water Temperature Structure Variation in the Yellow Sea Typhoon MEARI

Abstract

Typhoon MEARI developed on June 22, 2011 in the eastern Philippines and passed through the central part of Yellow Sea for the first time in the history of meteorological observations. The Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST) observed surface water temperature, salinity, flow velocity, and the vertical profile of temperature and salinity at a buoy located near the Eocheong Island off the west coast of the Korean Peninsula during Typhoon MEARI (1105). The purpose of this study is to analyze the change of water temperature and velocity characteristics of the typhoon passing through the Yellow Sea and to simulate the changes in the vertical water temperature structure by using numerical model. The Eeocheong observation buoy was used for validation and analysis of the typhoon's wind and surface temperature and for validation of the vertical structure of the currents and the water temperature. The model results show that the surface water temperature decreased and the bottom water temperature increased during the typhoon, similar to the observation results. The model reproduces the tendency of the thermocline to weaken and the mixed layer to thicken as the typhoon passed.