| Abstract: | Using a variational inverse model, a wintertime ocean circulation is obtained in the East Sea of Korea bounded by transects of 34° N, 38° N in latitude and 132° E in longitude and coastlines. The hydrographic data observed by FRDAK (Fisheries Research and Development Agency of Korea) are used for determining the vertical structure and also used as data constraints. In the current study, the model was constrained only by the geostrophic balance and bottom topography. Preliminary model results showed that the vertical distributions of temperature in February 1983 were homogeneous in the coastal region south of 35°30′ N and that the extension of cold water mass along the eastern coast of Korea was noticed in the northern part of the study area. Meandering northward flows with the scale of 150 km are also observed to be dominant in the surface layer (10–100 m). |
