Abstract
To investigate the behavioral characteristics of the water temperature inversion layer (TIL), we used data (KODC) from areas in the Northern East China Sea from 1995 to 2016. Water temperature and salinity surveys were conducted 8820 casts over 22 years. Of these, 1589 water temperature inversion layers were found, and the probability of occurrence was 18.0%. In the Gageo island, probability of TIL occurrence in winter was 25 times higher than in summer. On the other hand, in the south of Jeju Island, summer values were 3.7 times higher than winter values. A T–S diagram analysis shows the components of the water temperature inversion layers. Yellow Sea Cold Water was mainly found in the winter, while Jeju Warm Currents and Tsushima Warm Currents were found in summer. The correlation between the probability of the occurrence of a monthly water temperature inversion layer and the amount of seawater volume transported into the study area was analyzed. The correlation coefficient was higher than r = 0.8 in parts of southern Jeju Island. On the other hand, the correlation coefficient was r = −0.6 in the Gageo Island. The spatial correlation index for the seawater volume transport and the water temperature inversion layer is presented.
Highlights
In the ocean, in general, the water temperature gradually decreases as the water depth increases
According to [6], the water temperature inversion in the eastern sea of Jeju Island is due to the penetration of the Tsushima Warm Current (TWC), which has a lower water temperature and lower salinity compared to the Korea South Coastal Current (KSCC), which has higher water temperature and higher salinity
In May, only the southern part of Jeju Island was surveyed, and the probability of a temperature inversion layer (TIL) was higher than 40%
Summary
In general, the water temperature gradually decreases as the water depth increases. According to the authors in [8], who studied the TIL phenomenon that occurs in the South Sea of Korea, different water masses (KSCC and TWC) form a front in the South Sea of Korea as they expand and decrease with each season; the authors reported that the TIL occurs mainly in the front sea area. According to the study in [1] (a statistical analysis of the TILs occurring in the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea), a TIL occurs near Jeju island where Korea Coastal Water, Yellow Sea Warm Current, and TWC meet below 35◦ N. In this area, the TILs are deep and strong. The authors in [10] reported that, based on the results of modeling in the south area of the Yellow Sea in winter, TILs occur due to Ekman transport by the north wind
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