The Cause of Abnormal Tidal Residuals Along the Coast of the Yellow Sea in November 2013

Abstract

The cause of abnormal tidal residuals was examined by analyzing sea levels, sea surface atmospheric pressures, winds at ten tide stations, and current, measured at the coast of the Yellow Sea from the night of November to the morning of the in 2013, along with weather chart. Additionally, the cross-correlations among the measured data were also examined. The `abnormal tidal residuals` mentioned in this study refer to differences between maximum and minium tidal residuals. The largest abnormal tidal residual was identified to be a difference of 176 cm occurring over 4 hours and 1 minute at YeongJongDo (YJD) with a maximum tidal residual of 111 cm and minimum of -65 cm. The smallest abnormal tidal residual was 68 cm at MoSeulPo (MSP) during 8 hours 52 minutes. The cause of these abnormal tidal residuals was not a meteo-tsunami generated by an atmospheric pressure jump but wind generated by the pressure patterns. The flow speed due to these abnormal tidal residuals as measured at ten tide stations was not negligible, representing 16 ~ 41 % of the annual average ebb current speed. From the cross correlation among the tidal residuals, winds, and tidal residual currents, we learned the northern flow, due to southerly winds, raised the sea level at Incheon when a low pressure center located on the left side of the Korean Peninsula. After passing the Korean Peninsula, a southern flow due to northerly winds decreased the sea level.