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GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 33, L02608, doi:10.1029/2005GL024792, 2006

Estimation of interdecadal change of spring bloom timing, in the case of the Japan Sea

Keiko Yamada

Graduate School of Science and Technology, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan

Joji Ishizaka

Faculty of Fisheries, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan

Abstract

A new method to estimate past chlorophyll a variation from available satellite, ship and buoy data is proposed. Satellite chlorophyll a variations during spring from 1998 to 2003 in the Japan Sea were described well by a Gaussian curve, and the parameters were correlated with physical variables obtained from other sources. Start and peak timing of spring bloom had positive/negative correlation with average wind speed in February and March and strength of stratification during spring ship observation, respectively. Spring bloom timing estimated for past 20 years showed that in mid-1980s the bloom started and peaked relatively earlier in early March and the duration was shorter. Primary production during 1980s was estimated not to be high. The method is also applicable to understanding of past chlorophyll a conditions in other areas.

Received 28 September 2005; accepted 7 December 2005; published 24 January 2006.

Index Terms: 1630 Global Change: Impacts of global change (1225); 1640 Global Change: Remote sensing (1855); 4243 Oceanography: General: Marginal and semi-enclosed seas; 4513 Oceanography: Physical: Decadal ocean variability (1616, 1635, 3305, 4215).

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Citation: Yamada, K., and J. Ishizaka (2006), Estimation of interdecadal change of spring bloom timing, in the case of the Japan Sea, Geophys. Res. Lett., 33, L02608, doi:10.1029/2005GL024792.

Copyright 2006 by the American Geophysical Union.