General Description

The simulated surface velocity field (Fig. 3) coincides with the earlier description of the JES circulation presented in Section 2. The TWC separates at the Tsushima/Korea Strait into western and eastern branches. Flow through the western channel (i.e., EKWC) closely follows the Korean coast until it separates near 38N into two branches. The eastern branch follows the SPF to the western coast of Sapporo Island, and the western branch, moves northward and forms a cyclonic eddy at the Eastern Korean Bay (EKB). Flow through the eastern channel (i.e., JNB) is a little weaker than through the western channel. The simulated LCC carries fresh and cold water along the Russian coast and becomes the NKCC at the North Korean coast. The simulated NKCC meets the EKWC at about 38N. After separation from the coast, the NKCC and the EKWC converge to a strong front that runs in the west-east direction across the basin.