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Surface seawater temperature in the southwestern coast of Korea suddenly rose in the summer of 2017. This rapid temperature rise event occurred simultaneously with a change in wind direction in the Korea Strait from northwesterly to southeasterly due to the approach of typhoon Noru. To identify the causes of the abrupt rise in surface temperature, the variations of the surface currents and temperature were investigated using a three-dimensional ocean circulation model. Warm and less saline surface water, a mixed shelf water of the Changjiang Diluted Water and saline water from an onshore branch of the Kuroshio in the East China Sea (ECS), flowed northeastward to the west and south of Jeju Island, proceeding eastward through the Jeju and Korea Straits. While westerly winds prevailed, wind-driven ageostrophic currents flowed southeastward, moving away from the south coast of Korea, due to Ekman transport. The shallow coastal region was occupied by cool and saline surface water (T < 22 °C, S > 32.5 psu). However, after the wind shifted to an easterly direction, the surface ageostrophic currents realigned northwestward, and the warm and less saline water moved into the shallow coastal region. In a passive tracer dispersal experiment, dyes injected from the ECS flowed to the west of Jeju Island and through the Jeju Strait via geostrophic currents. These dyes did not affect the shallow southern coastal region of Korea while the westerly winds dominated. However, during the easterly wind event, the dyes were advected toward the coast by the coastward Ekman transport. An analysis of temperature data observed at Cheongsando over 16 years and the tracer experiment revealed that the abrupt temperature rise in the summer of 2017 was a marine heatwave event generated by the advection of warm and less saline surface water from the ECS to the southwestern coast of Korea through the Jeju Strait. • Warm and less saline surface water flows east through the Jeju Strait in summer. • This surface current is primarily in geostrophic balance. • Wind-driven ageostrophic current drifted warm surface water toward the coast. • Surface temperature increased and salinity decreased rapidly in the coastal region. • The warm and less saline water originated from the surface of the East China Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A meteotsunami with a wave height of 0.1–0.9 m and a period of 60 min was observed at tide gauges along the Korea Strait on 7 April 2019, while a train of two to four atmospheric pressure disturbances with disturbance heights of 1.5–3.9 hPa moved eastward from the Yellow Sea to the Korea Strait. Analysis of observational data indicated that isobar lines of the atmospheric pressure disturbances had angles of 75–83° counterclockwise due east and propagated with a velocity of 26.5–31.0 m/s. The generation and propagation process of the meteotsunami was investigated using the Regional Ocean Modeling System. The long ocean waves were amplified due to Proudman resonance in the southwestern Yellow Sea, where the water is deeper than 75 m; here, the long ocean waves were refracted toward the coast on the shallow coastal region of the northern Korea Strait. Refraction and reflection by offshore islands significantly affect the wave heights at the coast. To investigate the effects of an eastward-moving velocity and angle of atmospheric pressure disturbance on the height of a long ocean wave, sensitivity simulations were performed. This result will be useful for the real-time prediction system of meteotsunamis in the Korea Strait. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The variability of freshwater transport in the Korea Strait (FTKS) affects the circulation and ecosystem of the East/Japan Sea. Numerical simulations using realistic surface forcing, Changjiang River discharge (CRD), and open boundary values were performed to quantify the interannual variation of FTKS and to investigate its underlying physical processes. The simulated salinity and volume transport, which determine the variability of FTKS, were verified by comparing with observations. Salinity played a more important role than volume transport in inducing the interannual variation of FTKS. FTKS has a positive correlation with CRD, difference between precipitation and evaporation (P–E), southeasterly wind, and freshwater transport in the Taiwan Strait (FTTS). FTKS has its best correlation (0.62) with FTTS. The correlations with CRD (0.25) and P–E (0.37) are weaker, probably due to wind stress. The southeasterly wind that drives Changjiang diluted water toward the Korea Strait by Ekman flow in the East China Sea has good correlation (0.51) with FTKS. The vertical structures of FTKS and its variability are more effectively affected by CRD and P–E in the surface layer, FTTS in the middle layer, and the wind in the subsurface layer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Observations show that the maximum transport for the Tsushima Current (TC) through the Korea Strait occurs in autumn. For the TC, variation in transport changes the physical properties of the water as well as the distribution of nutrients, plankton, and other materials in the Japan/East Sea. Despite the importance of the TC, research is yet to unravel the cause of the maximum transport for the TC in autumn. In this study, observational data and numerical modeling data were analyzed in an effort to explore this phenomenon. The maximum transport through the Korea Strait was determined to be the result of the maximum onshore transport crossing the shelf break in the East China Sea (ECS); this transport is driven by strong northeasterly wind stress. Ekman transport driven by wind in the ECS is the primary cause of the maximum transport for the TC through the Korea Strait in autumn. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]