IB02-12 ORAL

SIMULATION OF THE JAPAN/EAST SEA CIRCULATION IN THE CLIMATIC CONDITIONS OF MID AND LATE 20TH CENTURY

O.O.TRUSENKOVA (V.I.Il'ichev Pacific Oceanological Institute, 43 Baltiyskaya, Vladivostok, 690041, Russia, trolia@poi.dvo.ru)

In recent studies on climate variation and change in the Asia - Pacific Area, substantial centennial and semi-centennial warming tendency has been found over the mid-latitude East Asia for winter and spring and over the Japanese Islands all year round. It is also shown that since early 1950s through 1999 intermediate and deep waters of the Japan/East Sea (JES) have accumulated heat, with vertical stratification and stability rise and ventilation decrease. New circulation features in JES have been recently found in the intensive research under the CREAMS International Program. In the present study we simulate the circulation in JES under two sets of atmospheric forcing and from two kinds of initial conditions based on observations in early 1950s and late 1990s. In particular, data of the winter 1950 cruise of the R/V "Vityaz" and of the summer 1999 cruises of R/Vs "Professor Khromov" and "Roger Revelle" are used to represent initial seawater density distribution. The MHI primitive equation nonstationary quasi-isopycnal layered model is applied for simulations. Main currents in JES are successfully simulated as well as features associated with the specified climatic conditions. In 1999 they are the intensified East Korean Warm Current, northwest branch of the Subarctic Front oriented from northwest to southeast, enhanced Tsushima Current branches carrying subtropical water to the northern sea area. Westward cross-cut currents off the Tsugaru Strait and double structure of the Subarctic Front are simulated, regardless of initial conditions. Comparison is made with observation data.