Oceanographic Features of Laperouse Strait
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Oceanographic features of LaPerouse Strait Mikhail A. DANCHENKOV1, David Aubrey2 and Stephen C. Riser3 1 Far Eastern Regional Hydrometeorological Research Institute, Vladivostok, Russia 2 Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, U.S.A. 3 School of Oceanography, University of Washington, Seattle, U.S.A. Introduction sults of a few current measurements (May–June 1933) in the strait indicate that subtropical water in The Japan and Okhotsk Seas are divided by a shal- summer enters into Soya Strait over almost all its low area located between Sakhalin Island from the width (with the exception of its northern part). Af- north and Hokkaido Island from the south, and ter Soya Strait, the width of this flow sharply de- 142.0°E from the west and 143.5°E from the east creases and further warm and salty water exists (Fig. 1). This area, despite the special bottom to- only in a narrow strip along northern coast of pography and oceanographic conditions, has no Hokkaido. name, but the narrowness between Cape Krilion and Cape Soya has two names: in Russia – Lape- ruza (LaPerouse) Strait, and in Japan – Soya Strait. The main feature of water structure of this area in In this paper the waters of area between the Sakha- summer is a belt of cold water from Krilion Cape lin and Hokkaido islands, 142°E and 143.4°E are to the southeast part of this strait (Fig. 2). considered as a whole, therefore, hereafter we will call this region (for convenience of the descrip- It is usually considered (Tanaka et al., 1996) that cold water inside the belt is formed outside the tion) LaPerouse Strait and its western narrowness strait – at southwestern coast of Sakhalin as the Soya Strait. upwelling of subsurface (deep) waters. It is usu- ally believed that cold water is transported from The water structure and currents in the area be- there into LaPerouse Strait by the so-called “West tween Sakhalin and Hokkaido were studied by Sakhalin Current”. Zhabin et al. (1992) wrote, Aota (1970, 1975, 1984, 1987), Budaeva (1975, “cold waters through LaPerouse Strait penetrate in 1980) and Takizawa (1982), but the main attention the Okhotsk Sea”. We doubt if the cold water in was given to Soya Current. Through LaPerouse belt is brought in here from the outside (the Japan Strait warm subtropical water penetrates (as the Sea). Soya Warm Current) into the Okhotsk Sea. Re- 142° 143°E142° 143°E 47°N KORSAKOV NEVELSK 40 Aniwa 60 Bay 80 Aniwa 46° Krillion Kamen 100 Opasnosti Cape Cape 60 a t i y a o r S t 60 Soya S 120 Cape La Perouse Strait 45° a) b) 140 Fig. 1 Schemes of (a) the investigated area and (b) bottom topography. Bottom troughs are indicated by dots. Depth is in meters. 159 142°E 142°E August August 1888 1995 17 SST 18 SST 46°N 46°N 18 a) b) 10 20 18 10 20 16 18 14 142°142°142°144°E 1984 1984 June 4June 12August 15 Fig. 2 Surface temperature (a) in summer of 1888 (Makarov, 1894), (b) in summer 1995 (Tanaka et al., 1996) and (lower panels) in summer 1984 (Aota et al., 1985). Data The rock is relatively small (150 ´ 50 m); how- In this paper the data of 9 oceanographic expedi- ever, an extensive stony area of about 3 miles in tions carried out by the Sakhalin Hydrometeo- length is located around the rock (Fig. 1). Shallow rological Administration in April–December, areas between Krilion Cape and Kamen Opasnosti 1962, April–July, 1963 and by the Far Eastern Re- Rock, and to the east of them, creates conditions gional Hydrometeorological Research Institute in for vertical mixing and homogenization of the September, 1991 are used. Measurements of wind oceanographic characteristics in the area southeast and air temperature (1962–1991) at Sakhalin of Krilion Cape. coastal stations and data from ice surveys in the strait in 1945, 1959, 1961 were also used. All Russian oceanographic measurements in the strait The depth in LaPerouse Strait is less than 200 m (a total 272 oceanographic stations) were made on and, in general, decreases from east to the west. In 5 meridional sections: 142°E, 142.4°E, 142.9°E, two underwater troughs (Fig. 1b) the depth also 143.4°E and 46°N. The westernmost section (at decreases (to 100 m), from east to west. By these 142°E) was situated to the west of Kamen Opas- troughs cold bottom water rises to the surface nosti Rock and another (at 142.4°E) was located to (Makarov, 1894). A deep-water pass (deeper than the east of it. Thus, the most interesting part of the 60 m) at the center of Soya Strait allows the trans- strait was never investigated in detail. fer of bottom water in the opposite direction. Bottom topography of LaPerouse Strait The distribution of sediments at the bottom of LaPerouse Strait (Dyakova-Savelieva and Djako- One peculiar feature of the bottom relief of LaPer- nov, 1954) gives an indirect description of currents ouse Strait is a small island or rock, named Kamen in a strait. Thus, in the area between Cape Krilion Opasnosti (Rock of Danger) that divides Soya and Kamen Opasnosti Rock, and to the southeast Strait in two unequal parts. It is located (45.8°N, of it (and the same – near Aniwa Cape) is located 142.2°E) 8 miles to the southeast of Cape Krilion. a zone of washed up sediments, which indirectly 160 testifies to the existence of a strong current be- Sea ice tween Cape Krilion and Kamen Opasnosti Rock. Let us consider typical features of sea ice distribu- On the other hand, in most of the strait a silty bot- tion using as an example the winter of 1945 (when tom prevails testifying to the absence of strong detailed information on ice cover was collected by flows. the USSR Hydrometeorological Service) (Fig. 3.) Sea ice in LaPerouse Strait occurs for the first time Air temperature, wind and tides in the beginning of January when most of Tartar The annual mean air temperature in the area of Strait is already covered with ice. Cape Krilion (4°C) is lower than at the locations to the north of it at Nevelsk (5°C), Korsakov (3°C) Ice is formed in Aniwa Bay during the entire win- and Moneron Island (4.5°C). This can be ex- ter and during the entire winter cold water is plained not only by an influence of warm Tsu- formed there too. In the beginning, the ice, shima Current in Tartar Strait (Moneron and Ne- formed in Aniwa Bay, is moved from the coast by velsk) but also by an existence of cold water in the offshore winds to the south and thaws there. area of Cape Krilion. In winter (November– Therefore, ice cover in LaPerouse Strait becomes March) the relation between the stations is oppo- significant only with an appearance of ice from the site. Okhotsk Sea. After the ice appears in Aniwa Bay, a coastal polynya appears (January 22; February 2; Western and northwestern winds prevail both in February 15; March 4). summer and in winter in the Cape Krilion area and to the east of it (west of Cape Krilion the wind is By January 20 the ice completely covers the Strait opposite). At Moneron Island there is northeast- and stays up to the middle of April. From January ward wind. At the southwestern coast of Sakhalin until April the ice conditions change many times, the southward and southeastward winds prevail. but ice drift is mainly directed toward the Japan Therefore, such winds cannot cause an upwelling Sea. Sometimes pressure of the ice from the Ok- of subsurface water southwest of Sakhalin, but hotsk Sea weakens so that along Hokkaido and they can cause an upwelling to a southeast off Sakhalin strips of open water appear (January 27). Cape Krilion. Sometimes the pressure of ice grows so that the ice penetrates into the Japan Sea (January 15, Feb- Tides and tidal currents play an important role in ruary 15). the distribution of oceanographic characteristics in LaPerouse Strait. Average sea level of the Japan The maximal distribution of ice in LaPerouse Sea is about 20 cm higher than sea level of the Strait occurs one month later than in Tartar Strait. Okhotsk Sea. Thus the mean flow of the surface The clearing of ice from LaPerouse Strait occurs water should be directed out of the Japan Sea later, too. In winter the main direction of flow of through LaPerouse Strait into the Okhotsk Sea. subtropical water changes. At the start of winter warm water passes mainly into LaPerouse Strait, Actual currents between Krilion Cape and Kamen and Tartar Strait quickly becomes covered by ice, Opasnosti Rock differ from the mean currents. but when the ice of the Okhotsk Sea closes LaPer- This is caused by daily changes in sea level of the ouse Strait, all the warm water penetrates into Tar- Japan Sea (the sea level at Krilion Cape changes tar Strait and a fast clearing of the strait occurs. within a day by 120 cm) and by strong tidal cur- Hence, ice cover in Tartar Strait is connected with rents. The greatest speed of tidal currents is ob- ice cover in LaPerouse Strait: when ice cover of served in the narrows between Krilion Cape and Tartar Strait is maximal, ice cover of LaPerouse Kamen Opasnosti where it exceeds 400 cm/s (Ve- Strait is minimal and vice versa. selova, 1963). By means of such tidal currents cold water from LaPerouse Strait penetrates to the When LaPerouse Strait is closed by ice warm sub- southwest coast of Sakhalin (but usually not too tropical water cannot to penetrate into LaPerouse far).