Objective analysis of monthly temperature and salinity around the southwestern East Sea (Japan Sea) on a 0.1° grid

Objective analyzed climatological mean fields of temperature and salinity are calculated on a 0.1° grid at standard levels in the southwestern East Sea (Japan Sea). This new climatology is based on individual profiles from the World Ocean Database 2009 and serial oceanographic observed data provided by Korea Ocean Data Center. We use an optimal interpolation method and employ a two step mapping technique to resolve both small- and large-scale climatological features. Potential vorticity constraint term is also included to consider the tendency of ocean currents following the bathymetry. From the scale sensitivity experiment using an independent observed data, we define optimal length scales for the new high resolution climatology in the southwestern East Sea (Japan Sea). The new climatology shows a significant improvement in many ways compared to existing 1° and 0.25° grid climatologies; World Ocean Atlas 2001, 2005, 2009 and Generalized Digital Environmental Model version 3.

► New 0.1° climatological T–S fields around the southwest East Sea (Japan Sea) is developed.
► Both small- and large-scale climatological features are resolved well compared to existing climatologies.
► Topographic-following mapping scheme with a cross-isobath scale is effective in this area.