Throughflow in the Tsugaru Strait; Variation of volume transport and its mechanism

Ito, Toshimichi ; Kawamura, Hideyuki  ; Onishi, Mitsuyo*; Isoda, Yutaka*; Nakayama, Tomoharu*; Shima, Shigeki*

The results of JAEA's observation and study on the throughflow in the Tsugaru Strait is reviewed for the period of Apr. 2000 - Jun. 2002. In this period, the volume transport varied in the range of 0.6-2.5 Sv (10ms) with mean value of 1.30.3 Sv. The transport showed the maximum around autumn. Additionally, the variability with period of 20-30 days was observed. The variation was closely connected with that of sea-level difference arround the strait and correlation between the both more significant in wintertime implying the effect of baroclinic velocities became small. The transport is also connected with that in the Tsushima Strait with delay of 4 months in maximum. The transport in Tsugaru Strait corresponded 40-50% of that in the Tsushima Strait. It is required to elucidate the effect of wind and/or stratification on the transport and to study the variation with 20-30 days period.