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GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 29, NO. 9, 1294, doi:10.1029/2001GL014366, 2002

Atmospheric pressure-forced subinertial variations in the transport through the Korea Strait

Sang Jin Lyu

OCEAN Laboratory, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea


Kuh Kim

OCEAN Laboratory, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea


Henry T. Perkins

Naval Research Laboratory, Stennis Space Center, Mississippi USA


Abstract

Transport variations with periods of 3 ∼ 5 days have been measured in the Korea (Tsushima) Strait by cross-strait cable voltage fluctuations and by direct, long-term measurement. Here we show that these variations can be explained in part by large-scale atmospheric pressure fluctuations over the East (Japan) Sea. First, using basin-wide averages of atmospheric pressure and sea surface height we show that sea surface height in the East Sea is not in isostatic equilibrium with atmospheric pressure, and that the imbalance is correlated with transport fluctuations. Second, we use a simple model to estimate the relationship between these quantities. The model displays a Helmholtz-like resonance in the observed range of periods and is in reasonable agreement with the observed transport variations.

Published 3 May 2002.

Index Terms: 4243 Oceanography: General: Marginal and semienclosed seas; 4203 Oceanography: General: Analytical modeling; 4556 Oceanography: Physical: Sea level variations; 4512 Oceanography: Physical: Currents; 4594 Oceanography: Physical: Instruments and techniques.

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Citation: Lyu, S. J., K. Kim, and H. T. Perkins (2002), Atmospheric pressure-forced subinertial variations in the transport through the Korea Strait, Geophys. Res. Lett., 29(9), 1294, doi:10.1029/2001GL014366.