Fluid in a rotating coordinate generally flows along equi-potential vorticity line. Without disturbances such as dissipation, rapid vertical mixing, and external forcing such as energy exchanges, potential vorticity is conserved in the thermally and dynamically closed system. This study is the first trial to investigate the potential vorticity in the East Sea. The purpose of this study is to show the distribution of the potential vorticity due to the variation of sea water density and topography in baroclinic and barotropic conditions. The conclusions are given as follows. First, vertical mixing is well striking in February than in August, and flow patterns in February are different from those in August. Secondly, contour lines of isotrophe is similar to bottom topography, while potential vorticity is similar to the distribution of dynamic topography. Thirdly, the circulation of the East Sea Water flows approximately along contours of potential vorticity in the region of high baroclinicity and along those of isotrophe in other region.

The circulation of the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea is simulated by means of the two layer numerical model with bottom topography: The circulation inside the Yellow Sea is mostly affected by the Kuroshio Current in the case without the wind stress exerting on the surface. The main current is trapped along the continental slope by the characteristics of geostrophy. The second strong current region is appeared from the southern coast of the Ghina to the Korea Straits, which is characterized the western boundary current. The circulation inside the Yellow Sea is rotated in clockwise direction even though its magnitude is negligibly small compare with the other current, for example, the tidal residual current.

밀도성층화된 흐름 수역으로 방류되는 부력제트에 의한 초기확산을 해석하기 위하여 수치모형을 적용하였다. 수치모형은 제트적분모형으로서 흐름수역의 원역에서의 대표적 특성으로 밝혀진 쌍와흐름특성을 모형에 반영한 Gaussian-vortex모형이다. 수치모형의 현장 적용성을 검토하기 위하여 수표면에서의 초기희석에 대한 관측이 수행된 6개의 해양방류관에 수치모형을 적용하였다. 현장관측자료에 대한 수치모형의 적용결과, 개발된 수치모형이 하수확산관에 의해 해양으로 방