Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
9480093 | Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography | 2005 | 23 Pages |
Abstract
The Princeton Ocean Model (POM), as implemented for the Japan (East) Sea (JES) with mesoscale-admitting resolution is driven by seasonal throughflow and synoptic atmospheric forcing for 1999 through 2001. Temperature and salinity profiles from shipborne and PALACE float CTDs, and horizontal velocities at 800Â m from PALACE float trajectories, plus horizontal velocities at 15Â m from WOCE surface drifters for 1988 through 2001, are used to assess the performance of the numerical simulations for a base case. General agreement exists in the circulation at 15 and 800Â m and the horizontal and vertical structure of the upper ocean temperature and salinity fields. The mean observed flow at 15Â m defines the two branches of the Tsushima Warm Current and hints at the existence of a large cyclonic gyre over the Japan Basin, which the simulations also produce. The mean observed flow at 800Â m defines a large cyclonic recirculation gyre over the Japan Basin that validates the simulated flow pattern. Variances of the observed and simulated flows at 15 and 800Â m have similar patterns. The main discrepancies are associated with the strength of the seasonal thermocline and halocline and the location of the Subpolar Front. When smoother topography and smaller lateral friction are used in other cases, the thermocline and halocline strengthen, agreeing better with the observed values, and when 80% of total outflow transport is forced to exit through Soya Strait, the Subpolar Front extends along the coast to the north of Tsugaru Strait, which is an observed feature absent in the base case.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Earth and Planetary Sciences
Geology
Authors
Christopher N.K. Mooers, Inkweon Bang, Francisco J. Sandoval,