| Abstract: | Satellite-derived sea surface temperatures illustrate the variability of the path of the Tsushima Current in the Sea of Japan. In the spring of 1981 the Tsushima Current did not split as it left the Korea Strait and flowed into the Sea of Japan, which is contrary to the historical concept of branching. Warm water remained along Honshu, the main island of Japan, making a strong front oriented in an east-west direction. Hydrographic data confirm that this spring condition lasted through to the fall of 1981. On the other hand, during the springs of 1982 and 1983 the branching is evident from satellite images: one branch flowed northward along the east coast of Korea, and the other flowed eastward along Honshu of Japan. |
