Dissolved oxygen in the bottom water of the Sea of Japan as a sensitive alarm for global climate change

The Sea of Japan, a semi-closed marginal sea (greatest depth ∼3700 m) in the northwestern-most Pacific Ocean, has an independent, deep convection system, which is driven by the formation and the sinking of cool, saline surface water towards the bottom in severe winters. Continuous measurement of dissolved oxygen using highly precise versions of the Winkler titration method has revealed 8–10% decreases in the bottom concentration of oxygen (O2) over the past 30 years. The temporal decrease in O2 means an imbalance between the supply of O2 from the surface and the in situ consumption of O2 in decomposing organic matter, suggesting that the change in the deep convection pattern of the Sea of Japan is probably caused by global climate change to reduce winter cooling of surface seawater.