LONG-TERM GOALS

We seek to understand the processes governing spatio-temporal variability in the Japan/East Sea, spanning time-scales from hours to years, and length scales from submesoscale to basin scale. Understanding this physics has broad application to other ocean basins and marginal seas. OBJECTIVES During this award, we seek to understand four specific processes. (1) SSH response to atmospheric forcing at time scales 12 hrs – 20 d. (2) Short time- and length-scale variability of Internal Tides and Inertial Oscillations. (3) Water parcel trajectories at the surface and intermediate depths on 1 d to 30 d scales. (4) Thermocline structure on 30 d to interannual time scales. APPROACH We have data from a two-dimensional moored array of 23 pressure-gauge-equipped inverted echo sounders (PIES) that was deployed in the Japan / East Sea for two years (6/99-7/01). The region spanned was roughly a 250-km square in the Ulleung Basin, through which the inflow to the Japan / East Sea passes. To level the pressure measurements, we deployed 17 deep recording current meter (RCM) moorings between the sites in coordination with the Korean Ocea