Seasonal Variations and Characteristics of the Stratification Depth and Strength in the Seas Near the Korea Peninsular using the Relative Potential Energy Anomaly

Abstract

In this paper, we have proposed a method for quantization of the stratification strength in the sea water and analysing the distributions of the maximum stratification depths calculated by the method at the seas near the were used to determine the maximum vertical density gradient depth and the relative potential energy anomaly at that depth. In the East Sea, the stratification depth has become deepened about 20m in February and April since 1971. In Yellow-South Sea, the maximum density gradient depth has been deepened about 10m only in December during the same period and the difference of the stratification depth between summer and winter has been enlarged. These trends of variation of stratification strength and depth near the Korean peninsular should be investigated more carefully and continuously. And the results of these studies could be adopted for the more efficient operation of underwater weapon and detection systems.